Why Do You Need to Think about Respite Care?
May 30, 2018
Respite care can do so much more for you and for your aging adult than allow you to take a break, but that doesn’t mean that breaks aren’t important. Respite care is a valuable tool for you to have access to as a caregiver, so start looking for the ways it can help you.
You’re Not a Machine
You might think when you start out as a caregiver that you can keep pushing and pushing yourself, but you’d be wrong. Eventually, you’re going to have a breakdown of some sort. Yours might be physical or emotional, but keeping yourself running at top speed without breaks is a sure way to experience a breakdown. Give yourself the time away that you need so that you can rest up.
You’re Having Your Own Health Issues
Chances are that your aging adult has some health issues that you’re helping her to manage. If you’re not doing the same for your own health issues, you’re giving yourself a recipe for disaster. Having help to take over for you gives you the time and the peace of mind that you need to be able to see your own doctor and to take care of your own health needs.
Your Senior Needs More Help than You Can Give Right Now
Your elderly family member’s needs are going to change over time. You might find that you’re temporarily in a space in which you don’t have the skills or the information that you need to be the best caregiver possible for her. Having respite care assistance means that you can get the skills or the information that you need and you can come back as the caregiver that she needs you to be.
You’ve Got Some Other Responsibilities
No one is an island, least of all a caregiver. You may have some other responsibilities, such as your career or your other family members, who temporarily need more of your time and attention. That might mean that you’re unable to be in two places at once. Having someone else who can step in becomes that vital tool you need to make sure your senior is taken care of while you’re taking care of other situations.
Taking advantage of respite care doesn’t mean that you’re lax as a caregiver. If anything, it means that you’re trying to be the best caregiver that you possibly can be. Having someone else who can step in when you need to be elsewhere is exactly what you need in order to be an effective caregiver over the long term.