If you are a Carer, perhaps of someone elderly or disabled or ill, you will know just how stressful and tiring your role can be. Of course, it is extremely worthwhile and there are few Carers who would ever say that they regret taking on that role. But the role of a Carer can be a difficult and lonely one and for your own health you should recognise that you need a break every now and again.
Carers often work themselves until they are ill or exhausted. This, of course, impacts on the very person they have been trying their hardest to look after. If for no other reason than because you know that it is in the long-term interest of your loved one that you should be happy and healthy, you should give consideration to seeking out respite care for them.
Respite care can be in the form of an occasional day, where your loved one is cared for by someone else, or it can be in the form of a respite care home for short-term residential care. The short breaks offered by these services can help you, as Carer, to recharge your batteries and make it easier for you to care for your loved one for longer.
If you think that you and your loved one might benefit from respite care, carefully consider what you both need. How much respite care do you both need – what skills will the respite Carer need; how long will you want the care to be in place for? Do you need regular free time (say, two hours a week to do some shopping or have your hair cut) or is it more appropriate to have less frequent care but for longer (say, one weekend a month)? Work out what help you need and when.
If it’s informal respite you need, the sort of thing that can be arranged every now and again for short periods, you can probably rely on family or close friends. But many families struggle with this – the Carer may feel that other family members just don’t understand their loved one like they do, or that they won’t do a good enough job, or there may be some lurking bitterness that the other family members don’t do enough normally, making the Carer almost a martyr to the cause.
If family support is insufficient or inappropriate, consider getting some care services for your loved one in their own home. This can be through arranging a volunteer (from a charitable organisation or church) or a paid helper (or one arranged through Social Services) to provide companionship or practical help with meals and mobility in the Carer’s absence.
Or consider arranging for your loved one to visit an adult day centre (available during the week) which would provide much-needed socialisation, meals and care.
If you need something a little more long-term then look at local residential respite care homes which can be available for varying lengths of time. You’ll obviously want to make sure that the care home is suitable for your loved one, so do your research. Check each care home’s Care Quality Commission’s inspection report and visit the care home to be sure that it’s the sort of place that your loved one would feel comfortable.
Meet the staff and be sure that they take the time to listen to all that you tell them about your loved one’s needs and personality. Ask questions about the care home – how are the staff selected, trained and supervised? What services are available?
It is important that you know that your loved one will be cared for, safe and happy – otherwise the precious time you have to yourself will be taken up with worry about whether your loved one is all right.
For more information please see Barchester.com.