Respite Care
Ashe Home Care offers respite care in Boone and surrounding areas to support family caregivers. We work around your busy schedule and needs so you get the most out of this much-needed break.
Caregiving is a generous gift you give the person you love. It comes with great rewards, but it’s also one of the toughest jobs. You may find yourself exhausted and stressed as you juggle caregiving with personal responsibilities and needs. In-home respite care can help.
What is Respite Care?
You may have heard of respite, but wonder what exactly is the meaning of respite care? A basic respite care definition is: Short-term relief for primary caregivers.
A compassionate, trained home health aide visits your loved one at home. We provide care for as long as you need, often a few hours a day up to round-the-clock care, on either an occasional or ongoing basis. This allows primary caregivers an essential break to focus on personal needs, run errands, take a vacation, work, rest or re-energize. When respite services end, the family caregiver returns home in their caregiving role.
What is Respite Care?
Respite care services may be designed to help you with caregiving tasks like cooking, bathing or grooming. Or they may be structured so a home health aide takes over certain caregiving duties so you can leave home to work, run errands, exercise, meet a friend for lunch or take a vacation.
Our in-home caregivers help with a wide variety of tasks. Respite care services in Boone and surrounding areas can include:
· Personal care like help bathing, grooming, dressing and moving around
· Preparing meals
· Homemaker services like light housekeeping or laundry
· Providing companion care like friendly conversation, reading or doing favorite activities
· Running errands like grocery shopping
· Medication and appointment reminders
· Driving your loved one to appointments and outings
· Home nursing care for medical needs
We provide respite care for the elderly as well as people with disabilities, veterans and children. Many caregivers need senior respite care that allows them to balance their personal needs with their caregiving responsibilities.
Our home health aides and certified nursing assistants are carefully screened and thoroughly trained. Each one is overseen by a registered nurse. We’ll get to know you, your loved one’s needs and your caregiving routines so that we can provide the same level of care you give to your loved one.
Do I Need Respite?
If you don’t get the help you need, you may be at risk for caregiver burnout. This affects many family caregivers, especially those who have loved ones with complex needs or who have provided care for a long time. Here are a few signs of caregiver burnout that indicate you may benefit from respite services:
· Exhaustion (physical, mental, or emotional)
· Numbness or difficulty feeling care or concern for the person you care for
· Stress
· Mental health issues like anxiety or depression
· Hopelessness or irritability
· Strained relationships with your spouse, friends, children, or other loved ones
· Getting sick more than usual
· Changes in sleep or eating patterns
It isn’t always easy asking for help. Caregivers are constantly giving – you expect a lot of yourself and focus so much on the needs of others that you sometimes neglect your own. You may feel guilty about taking time for yourself, but if you don’t take the time, you’re at higher risk of burnout. This can make you a less patient, effective caregiver. Respite care for caregivers helps alleviate any guilt or worry you feel stepping away since you’ll know your loved one is getting their needs met by a caring, experienced home health aide.
Benefits of Respite Services
Respite services have several benefits, for both you and your loved one. For example, respite care:
· Gives you the energy, motivation and rest needed to best care for your loved one and enjoy the experience
· Preserves your relationship with the person you care for by minimizing exhaustion, resentment and conflict and making you both grateful for your time together
· Protects your health from the effects of chronic stress
· Helps your loved one get comfortable with another caregiver, which is stimulating for them and gives you the freedom to take regular breaks
· Shows you different ways of doing certain tasks or procedures, and helps identify potential health concerns early on
· Gives you the opportunity to nurture other key relationships in your life such as your spouse and children
· Allows you to preserve your identity and maintain interests that give your life meaning and purpose
· Makes it possible for your loved one to stay home rather than moving to a facility
Who Pays for Respite Care?
The cost of respite care depends on the amount of care your loved one needs. Likewise, who pays for respite care depends on your particular situation. Many clients pay for respite care out-of-pocket. You may also have coverage through long-term care insurance, veterans benefits, Medicaid or other programs. We’ll walk you through options that suit your needs and budget.
You don’t have to do this alone. If you’re considering respite care for an elderly loved one or family member, Ashe Home Care is a trusted respite care provider in Boone and surrounding areas. We’re family owned and locally operated, with a history of serving this community for almost 15 years. Call us at (336) 846-1345 to find out if respite services are what you need to rebalance your life and continue being the best caregiver you can be.