E40: How Respite Care Can Reduce Caregiver Burnout

Have you considered taking a break from Caregiving?   Taking time away to recharge?  

Studies have shown that taking time away can have physical and mental health benefits.  People who take vacations have lower stress, less risk of heart disease, a better outlook on life, and more motivation to achieve goals.

Taking care of an aging or ill loved one can be enormously rewarding but also exhausting and emotionally draining.

Plowing through might feel doable in the short term, but too much time without a break can lead to caregiver burnout, depression and health problems.

EVERY CAREGIVER NEEDS A CAREGIVER — someone who will tend to your loved one for a few hours, days or weeks so you can take care of yourself.

Respite Care can help alleviate some of the symptoms of caregiver burnout by providing day or overnight care services, giving caregivers a much-needed break for a few hours a day or a few days a week. 

Respite can come in many forms: from family and friends; volunteer groups; faith-based organizations; local, state and federal agencies; or paid respite workers. It can take place in the home, or at an outside facility such as an adult day care center.

Determining If Respite Is Right For You

Often, caregivers are reluctant to admit they may need respite, and deciding to allow someone else to step in as a caregiver can be a big decision. 

• Do you feel emotionally and physically drained on a regular basis?
• Are you concerned that in the event of an emergency there is no one that you trust to take care of your loved one?
• Do you find yourself becoming more agitated with things that previously never bothered you?
• Are you neglecting your own health-related needs due to lack of time or lack of desire to assess your own needs?
• Are you experiencing resentment toward other family members who could help you but don’t?
• Is your social life suffering?
• Is there an unusual change in your eating habits?
• Do you have feelings of helplessness?
• Have you been resorting to self-soothing habits like smoking, gambling, or drinking?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, it might be a good idea for you to consider respite care to help relieve some of your daily stress. 

Design a family respite care plan 

• What do you need?
• What does your loved one need?
• Who can help?

Then, Call a family meeting

Include out-of-town siblings, adult children and extended family via video chat. Explain that you need regular and as-needed time away from caring for the loved one you share.

Consider using a free online scheduler such as Lotsa Helping Hands or CareCalendar that lets you specify what you need and allows others to sign up to provide services and get updates on how your loved one is doing. Email the link and login to your family and friends and to your loved one’s friends and neighbors.

" If you neglect to recharge a battery, it dies.  And if you run full speed ahead without stopping for water, you lose momentum to finish the race.” - Oprah

Here are some great resources:

• Three Stage of Caregiver Overwhelm