Understanding Respite Care

Effective, sustainable caregiving depends on meeting a caregiver’s own needs for nurture, reassurance, support and respite.

Here are a few basic tenets of in-home respite care

• Respite allows for relief from the daily responsibilities of caring for someone who is ill, injured or frail, and it is essential for all caregivers.
• Respite from ongoing care responsibilities ensures loved ones still receive the attention they deserve.
• All approaches to respite care provide caregivers with care that is planned, temporary, intermittent and substitute.
• Time required for respite varies from part of one day to ongoing scheduled routine relief.

Types of Respite Care Available

Respite care can take place in:

• An adult day center: Taking the care recipient away to safe environments once or twice a week can provide many benefits.
• The home of the person being cared for: This is the most typical type of respite care, and the least disruptive to the care recipient.
• A residential setting such as an assisted living facility or nursing home: Depending on the level of care needed, this may be a possibility for a few days or during a caregiver vacation.
• A vacation setting: In-home care, wherever “home” is, can be arranged.

In-home respite care usually involves the following four types of services:

• Personal care: Bathing, shampooing, skin and mouth care, shaving, dressing and walking so that the care recipient presents less responsibilities that day for the caregiver.
• Companionship: Having another person to supervise and monitor the situation while just talking/listening to the client allows the caregiver some quality time away.
• Homemaking: Meal preparation, shopping, cleaning, laundry, allowing a needed break.
• Skilled care services: Administering medications, providing therapy and noting changes in the loved one’s condition so that care is consistent and notes are maintained by professionals.

Advanced Home Health Care offers in-home respite care in the greater Burlington area to provide family caregivers with some time off and peace of mind knowing that their loved one is being well cared for. This allows for a more healthy family relationship and time for the caregiver to focus on his or her own personal needs. Contact us to learn more about how we can assist with in home care in Burlington, Fort Madison, Keokuk, Mt. Pleasant, Mediapolis, and the surrounding areas in Southeast Iowa.

• Sources: HelpGuide.org
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