Our Supports

Respite Care

Caregiving for an elderly, ill, or disabled family member is a demanding job and no one is equipped to do it alone. Finding respite care services can provide a vital break.

Respite care provides temporary relief for a primary caregiver, enabling you to take a much-needed break from the demands of caregiving a sick, aging, or disabled family member. Respite care can take place in your own home, at day-care centers, or at residential or nursing facilities that offer overnight stays. Respite care can also prevent you from becoming exhausted, isolated, or even burned out. Respite care can benefit the person you're caring for, too, providing them with variety, stimulation, and a welcome change of routine.

Seeking support and maintaining your own health are key to managing your role as a caregiver, so it's not selfish to need time to yourself.

Respite care can take many forms, but boils down to two basic ideas: sharing the responsibility for caregiving and getting support for yourself. Respite could take the form of enlisting friends and family to watch your loved one so you can take a break to visit others, go to the gym, or handle chores, for example. Or respite care can mean finding volunteers or paid carers to provide in-home services for your loved one, either occasionally or on a regular basis. Finally, respite care can mean using out-of-home programs such as adult day care centers, day camps, or nursing homes to provide you with a break and your loved one with the continued care that they need.

Respite care can take place:

• In your home
• At special day-care centers
• In residential centers that offer overnight stays

Your breaks can be as long or short as you need them to be. You can set up respite care for a few hours, a day, a few days, or a few weeks.

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