Caring for a sick or elderly loved one is by no means easy. You will often devote a lot of your time to them, especially if they are bedridden. And it can sometimes take a toll on your health in the long run. As such, providers of home health in California offer a solution: respite care. Let’s explore how it works and how getting respite care for your ward can help them and you.
Understanding Respite Care
In its simplest definition, respite care is a type of short-term service providers of home health care in California offer. It allows a patient’s primary caregivers to take a temporary break from the task.
Caregivers often get respite care for two main reasons.
- To get a short break: The primary caregiver might use this opportunity to rest and recover before resuming their role.
- To attend to other duties: Sometimes, the caregiver might need to deal with other things like work, business, or other matters.
Besides these cases, you might also have more specific reasons for getting respite care. When requesting the service, you will need to state these reasons clearly. The provider will then be able to determine for how long the service should be and what specifics to provide.
Balancing Between Enabling And Caregiving
Who Can Get Respite Care
Any patient can get respite care if they and their caregivers so choose. However, those with the following conditions will most often be the ones to request it.
- Cancer
- Brain injury
- Mental conditions like Alzheimer’s disease or dementia
- Stroke
- Blindness
- Paralysis
Since these conditions require full attention, they can overwhelm caregivers significantly. Respite care can help the latter take a breather and bounce back.
How Long Does Respite Care Last?
This one is a common question for many. Providers of home health care in California can vary in service length, from just a few hours to a few days. There are instances that it can be longer than this.
Several factors determine the exact length. One is the specific care needs of the patient. For instance, if a patient requires constant attention, the provider might offer respite care longer than usual
Providers also consider the state of the carer. In the case of the caregivers requesting respite for health reasons, providers weigh on whether the caregiver can adequately return within the given period. If the latter feels like this is not enough, they can request an extension.
Ensuring The Health Of Family Caregivers
The Respite Care Services You Can Get
\Much like regular caregiver services, the services you get from a respite care provider also depend on the patient’s situation. Aside from direct medical care, the provider may also offer the following services.
- Personal assistance: They can help the patient with daily routines like bathing and dressing up.
- Housekeeping: The caregiver that visits your house can handle house tasks in place of the primary caregiver.
- Transportation: Respite care agents can accompany patients to medical appointments when the primary caregiver is unavailable.
- Companionship: You can also request temporary companionship when the primary caregiver is out of the day.
Providers can help you create a custom set of services depending on the primary caregiver’s schedule and activities. They can also change these programs as needed to suit changes in the latter’s itinerary.
The Types Of Respite Care At Your Disposal
Aside from the various services, you can also choose the type of respite care you want to get There are three main types you can decide on based on your need.
At-Home Respite Care
If you are already caring for your loved ones at home, you don’t need to travel. Providers of home health care can instead go to you. This one is a great option for bedridden patients who can’t move to a different facility.
Adult Day Centers
On some occasions, you might probably need to leave your loved ones for a few hours during the day. For this, you can have the option of dropping them to a day center in the morning. These facilities mainly provide companionship services. They also have leisure activities to keep your loved one occupied during their short stay.
Residential Care
For longer periods when you might not be available, your loved one can temporarily stay in an assisted living community. The facility’s staff will handle everything from their medical needs to grooming. This one is a good option if you are concerned about their safety at home.
Getting The Right Respite Care Service
Most providers of home health in California also offer respite care services. As such, you can be sure that you are getting good service for your loved ones. But you might still want to ask the following questions to the assigned caregiver.
- How long have you been providing healthcare?
- How long have you been providing in-home care?
- Are you CPR certified?
- How do you handle emergencies?
- Can I talk with your previous clients?
With these questions, you can assess the specific capability the provider has. You might also want to inquire about specialist care depending on your loved ones’ needs.
Helping Your Loved Ones Get Accustomed To Respite Care
With respite care lasting only a short duration, you might think patients can readily settle into it. But that might not always be the case. Especially if they are under your care for a long time, even a short stint might make them feel uneasy.
Thus, you might need to help them better settle into it. One of the things you have to assure them is that you are going to keep in touch. That is particularly the case with older patients who might not be accustomed to not having you by their side.
Helping Your Loved Ones Evaluate The Situation
Another issue you might encounter is that your loved ones might worry that they will be more limited during respite care. For that, it would be a good idea to help them assess what they can do without your help. For example, they might be able to perform some simple grooming tasks by themselves.
You can then talk to the respite caregiver about these and create an arrangement that would give your loved ones more freedom. This way, they will be able to move around as they want while still being comfortable under the care of someone else.
Get Some Respite With The Help Of The Best Home Health In California
When needing a respite care service for your loved one, you don’t have to look far away. At Amavi, we offer the best home health in California. With us by their side, you can be confident that they are in good hands even for a short while. Contact us today and let’s get started.