Planning For The Holidays? Respite Care Can Help

The holidays will soon be upon us—a joyful time of travel and gift-giving to share with family and friends. But for many who are caring for an elder parent or relative at home, holiday travel plans can get complicated. You can’t take the risk of leaving your elder loved one alone, and their health won’t permit them to travel—so where can you turn? Respite care can offer a solution.

What Is Respite Care?

Unlike more traditional long-term in-home care, respite care provides short-term care for a pre-set period. Respite care allows family caregivers to attend to personal and family issues while knowing that their senior loved one will be properly and safely cared for in the comfort of their own home. Respite care can last anywhere from a few hours (time enough for an errand or appointment) to weeks (to allow caregivers to take a vacation or visit other family members).

The Advantages of Respite Care

The challenges of providing in-home care to a loved one while managing work and family obligations can put you at risk for caregiver burnout. You need intervals of rest to restore energy, boost focus, and attend to some much-needed self-care. Respite care lets you do all these without worrying whether your loved one is receiving proper care.

What Services Do Respite Care Workers Provide?

Like long-term in-home caregivers, respite care workers provide the same basic services required to assist residents with their activities of daily living (ADLs). The services provided are tailored to meet the needs of both client and family. For example, a caregiver can help a client shop for groceries, prepare meals, stay on top of light housekeeping, or assist with toileting, bathing, and dressing.

A Personal Touch

While you’re traveling, you need to know that your loved-one is being cared for, not just physically, but emotionally as well. Certified and trained respite care workers provide the essential element of human-to-human connection that is vital for emotional balance and mental health. Respite workers can help clients with holiday baking, sharing stories, doing puzzles, and a range of other activities that provide emotional support and connection.

Well-Trained Staff

In-home caregivers must be able to tackle a wide range of responsibilities, from food prep and assistance with ADLs, assisting with medication scheduling and dosing, setting reminders, driving clients on errands, and providing emotional support. If a medical situation arises that requires outside intervention, a professional caregiver will ensure that you are contacted and that your loved one receives the most appropriate treatment—whether at the hospital, in a doctor’s office or urgent care center, or in the home—as soon as possible.

Respite Care Gives You Peace of Mind

Caregiver burnout can be dangerous. Unless provided with ample time to rest and reboot, caregivers can suffer lapses in memory, sleep and eating disturbances, trouble focusing, and short-temperedness. Burnout can also put your own health at risk. Overworked caregivers are at greater risk for illness and are more likely to make errors than they are when well rested. Remember, you can only provide quality care for your loved one when you’re healthy yourself.

Why Turn to 5 Star Home Care?

At 5 Star, we’ve built our reputation by helping clients and their families retain their independence. Our services are safe, affordable and can be fully customized to suit your needs. If your needs evolve, we’ll grow and adapt with you. Our custom care plans are specifically designed for one-on-one, in-home care of your loved one whether it’s a new mom, a senior, or a loved one recovering from an injury. Our caregivers are trained to provide 24/7 care and companionship. Is Holiday travel in your plans? Have a loved one in need of home care? Let us help you get the peace of mind you deserve. Contact 5 Star Home Care today!  5 Star Home Care serves the Philadelphia metro area, including Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery Counties. Contact us today, and discover what peace of mind feels like. Contact us today.