Respite Care: A Great Tool for Avoiding Caregiver Burnout

When my husband and I were caring for my dad in our home, there came a time when we realized that we needed time to step back, “catch our breath,” spend quality time with each other, take care of other responsibilities, and have quality “alone” time.  The service that we needed is referred to as “respite care.”

“Respite care” is a service providing a temporary break – whether planned or emergency – from the responsibilities of being a family caregiver and the person who is the recipient of your care. 

I reached out to a reputable agency that provides in-home care, as well as other caregiving resources.  After assessing our specific needs, they sent one of their C.N.A.s (certified nursing assistants) to stay with my dad for several hours at a time, two to three days per week.  What a God-send!

Many family caregivers tend to wait until they are emotionally and physically exhausted before seeking help.

As a Certified Senior Advisor®, I felt compelled to create a toolkit about respite care.

The Family Caregiver Respite Care Toolkit gives you practical tools to be less stressed, more healthy, self-caring (without guilt!), and empowered to become a more balanced and abundant family caregiver.

Use my product as a guide for planning your well-deserved time of re-grouping, relaxing, reflecting, and looking after “YOU.” Of course, your loved one will benefit from respite care as well!

I’ve been there, and I get it!  Plan using respite care in the early stages of caregiving as a need for your continued well-being and that of your loved one.

There are various “in-home” and “out-of-home” types of respite care services and other resources available that you can use to meet your specific need.

The “ABCs” of Respite Care

 I encourage you to download or print a fantastic guide by ARCH National Respite Network and Resource Center, called “ABCs of Respite: A Consumer Guide for Family Caregivers.”

Their guide discusses:

• what you should do before you get started
• in-home and out-of-home respite care models
• how to choose a respite provider
• how to select an adult daycare center, how to pay for respite care

In addition, the guide gives you a wealth of links to educational articles, other organizational caregiver resource links, as well as more resource guides. 

Medicaid Waivers for Respite Care

The ARCH National Respite Network and Resource Center also has another invaluable, downloadable guide that addresses respite care waivers for Medicaid recipients called “Medicaid Waivers for Respite Support: State-by-State Summaries of Medicaid Waiver Information” (2019 update).

This extensive guide provides information about Medicaid-funded respite services for all U.S. states and the District of Columbia.  You can click on the link for your state for specific criteria.  Download and print, or bookmark this guide for more general, in-depth information, especially how to navigate the document.

Also, don’t forget to bookmark the ARCH National Respite Network and Resource Center website! It has many more invaluable tools to help you in your caregiver journey.

Caregiving Guide for “Sandwich Generation” Caregivers with Aging Parents

Synergy HomeCare, a national provider of non-medical in-home care, put out a tremendous downloadable guide called “Family Caregivers Ultimate Guide: A Must Read for Those with Aging Parents”.

The guide’s focus is on what they call “The Four Pillars of Caregiving for the Sandwich Generation”:

• Your Children/Spouse/Partner: Needing time to connect; keeping open communication; asking for help.
• Your Aging Loved Ones: Gauging your loved one’s needs and the “new normal.”
• Your Career: Having conversations with your manager/Human Resource.
• Yourself: Financial/emotional/physical impact and your needs.

The guide also gives descriptions of the various types of external care providers, and their role in helping you and your care recipient.

In Closing:

We all need to be prepared for the quality of our own aging process and possibly caring for others in time of need. Don’t wait until you’re suffering from caregiving burnout. Synergy HomeCare has four essential goals that we should seriously consider:

“As a family caregiver in the Sandwich Generation, you should have several goals:

• Be a great parent to your children
• Be a great spouse or partner
• Keep your career on track
• Extend your parents’ independence while allowing yourself the joy of being their son or daughter

And finally, you want to have a balanced life, one where you are happy!  These are the four sturdy pillars of Sandwich Generation caregiving!”

Other Related Posts:

“Home Health Services: Medicare as a Resource”. BalancedAbundantLiving.com. June 8, 2021.

“The ‘Sandwich Generation’: Our Need For Balanced, Abundant Living.” BalancedAbundantLiving.com. June 1, 2021.

“The Unintentional Caregiver”. BalancedAbundantLiving.com. May 25, 2021.

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