As a service professional working with caregivers, you're probably already familiar with the importance of respite care. For caregivers of a wounded, ill or injured service member or military families caring for a family member with special needs, taking respite care can have a valuable effect on their mental well-being and the quality of care. Since military caregivers often end up providing care over a longer-than-average time period, taking advantage of respite services is especially important.
However, many military caregivers either aren't familiar with respite opportunities or choose not to take respite. So, how can you help them understand the importance of taking a break? Our recent webinar explored various solutions to this problem, but don't worry if you weren't able to attend — you can catch up with our recap below or watch the full recording here.
Read More >>
What is respite?
Broadly speaking, respite is considered any amount of time that caregivers take away from their duties to reduce stress and recharge.
There are several different kinds of formal respite:
- Home-based respite is when a respite worker or sitter companion comes into the home, which may be more comfortable and convenient for the care receiver since no transportation is required.
- Day center-based respite occurs out of the home, typically for the full day and often at a formal center or a less formal location, like a church.
- Out-of-home respite is when the care receiver either lives in a different environment — such as a care facility — or attends long-term programs, like camps or retreats.
Respite can also be more informal. For instance:
- Through friends or family who take over care duties for a period of time
- Through in-home assistance of some responsibilities, like cleaning or cooking
- Through the use of technology — whether it's as simple as an automatic medicine dispenser or as complex as an assistive device that helps care receivers assume some of their own care, like dressing themselves
- Through transportation services like buses or cabs
What are the benefits of respite?
Regularly using respite can have a number of positive effects, depending on the type of respite and preference of the caregiver. Studies show that respite can:
- Reduce stress
- Improve the caregiver's health and well-being
- Avoid or delay out-of-home placement
- Minimize precursors to potential abuse or neglect
- Strengthen marriages and provide more family stability
Caregivers who use respite care say that it helps them maintain their identity and better manage their caregiving role.
However, even with these positive results, many caregivers shy away from using respite for a variety of reasons:
- They don't think they need it.
- It's against a personally held belief or "rule" that, in order to be a good caregiver, they have to do everything themselves.
- They aren't aware of the respite care services available.
Even if a caregiver doesn't think he or she needs respite, taking time for themselves early in their caregiving journey can help avoid burnout and allow them to become an even better caregiver than they already are.
How to get the most out of respite
Here are a few tips you can give to the caregivers you work with on how they can get the most out of their respite time:
- Look into respite care options sooner rather than later. Don't wait until you've reached your breaking point.
- While only you can decide what amount and type of respite works for you, make sure your time is sufficient and regularly scheduled.
- Plan ahead so you'll have respite on your schedule in advance. That way, both you and the care receiver will be aware of the timing.
- Spend your respite doing something that you want to do — not something that you need to do. Catching up on chores and other duties isn't respite.
- Think about what you used to enjoy doing in your free time before becoming a caregiver. It might be as simple as reading a book or taking a long bath.
When so much of a caregiver's day is wrapped up in caring for someone else, it's easy to forget about his or her own needs. By helping the caregivers you work with understand the importance of respite, you can empower them to take better care of themselves — which will ultimately help them become better caregivers.