The benefits of respite care for families

The physical and emotional demands of taking care of someone full time can exact a toll, but here’s why getting support is so crucial for everyone.

 

The carer’s emotional wellbeing is revitalized.

Family and friends who help older people, especially those with disabilities, by doing simple tasks such as coordinating medications or assisting with doctor visits are more likely to suffer emotional, physical and financial difficulties, found a recent paper in JAMA Internal Medicine. Having a break, no matter how short, can bring the carer back from an exhaustion tipping point, allowing them to improve their relationship with the loved one they’re looking after. Whether this entails a holiday or is just a regularly booked care slot, it fosters a certain level of freedom that will see parties benefit.

 

There is a revitalised perspective on problems.

Every care situation has its unique set of challenges, but often full-time carer’s get too close to the problem to be able to see better ways of surmounting them competently. Taking a brief step back from the care environment will give the carer a fresh viewpoint on how to do and achieve things more efficiently.

 

A sense of personal identity is restored.

Being locked into the regimented care routine can make a carer feel as if they’re living their life for someone else. Regular respite will help them rediscover the passions that make them unique. Taking time out to pursue the things that the home-carer gains pleasure from is essential for improving their continued happiness. We all need a chance to be human and enjoy activities such as sports and social events that take place outside the home without constraints. Regular respite will see a fitter and happier carer that’ll always provide from the heart, returning to the patient in higher spirits.

There will be a greater appreciation for one another.

As the saying goes, absence makes the heart grow fonder. Once the care receiver experiences how someone from a respite facility delivers the services, which they normally receive free from a loved one, they can then get a genuine appreciation for its true value – from both a monetary and emotional perspective. This will reduce the likelihood of potential friction or a relationship breakdown between the caregiver and patient.

 

Adding new activities to the patient’s life.

Each respite professional brings a fresh set of unique skills and interests to the care environment, which can involve the patient in new and invigorating activities or conversations that’ll improve their quality of life. This can lead to new social groups being formed with like-minded passions being stoked.