While many seniors are lovingly cared for in retirement communities and retirement homes, more than 50 million American adults provide unpaid, long term care to a senior loved one or other senior member of the family. Caregiving is an exhausting job without much of an ability to take a break, because if you were to take a break, who’s going to be caring for your loved one?
That’s where respite care comes in. With Astoria’s respite care in Omaha, caregivers and family members who have those full-time caregiver jobs for their loved ones can take the break that they so well deserve. Not only does this benefit the caregiver, but in the long run, it also benefits the senior.
So, why is respite care like Astoria’s respite care in Omaha so important?
What Exactly is Respite Care?
First, in order to understand the importance of respite care, it’s important to understand exactly what respite care is. Respite care is short-term senior care for when a full time caregiver isn’t available. This can be due to many different reasons including things like work trips or vacations, appointments, or even just some personal time. After all, being a caregiver isn’t something that you can just turn on and off. It’s not like babysitting where you return your charge at the end of the day. Caregiving is a twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week kind of job, and sometimes, you just need a break! That’s where respite care comes in.
Giving Your Loved Ones a Break
Respite care is vital for many reasons, but chief among those is giving your senior loved one’s caregiver a break, whether that be a home health nurse, another family member, or even yourself. You can’t pour from an empty cup, and when you’re a caregiver, it can sometimes feel like you’ve poured out everything in your cup as well as chipped off some pieces of the rim. That’s understandable, but it isn’t healthy, and it isn’t sustainable.
A Few Hours or a Few Days
Respite care allows caregivers to have a bit of a break. Just like parents will hire a babysitter for a night out on the town, respite care offers the same service to senior caregivers. Whether it’s only for a few hours or for a few days, a good respite care community is there for when you just need a little time to yourself.
Take a Breather
Many caregivers tend to forget that they are a human person with needs and wants too. It’s so easy to become wrapped up in caring for your loved one that you forget to take care of yourself. With respite care, you’re able to take time for yourself. You can get out and go for a night out with friends, take a mental break, take a nap, or do what you need to do in order to help you regain your sense of self.
It’s so easy to lose yourself in a task when you’re taking care of someone you love. However, you can’t pour your all into someone if you have nothing left to give, and respite care can help to give you some of the time back that you so desperately need.
How Respite Care is Beneficial for Seniors
While respite care is vital for caregivers, it’s also a great addition to a senior’s life and routine. While family caregivers have the best intentions, if you’re the sole caregiver for your senior loved one, that means that they don’t often get to get out and meet new people or try new things. Respite care can help with that.
Socialization and Connection
Consider respite care almost like a summer camp for senior adults. It’s a temporary service that provides an incredible amount of activity and growth for all seniors who participate. Not only does it get your senior loved one out of the house for a little bit, it also allows your loved one to meet new people and be involved. Even if your senior struggles with cognitive disabilities like Alzheimer’s or dementia, getting out and meeting new people that are in a similar position as them is only beneficial for them in the long run.
Experience Something New
Respite care also allows seniors to try more activities than when they are solely being taken care of by their caregiver. They’re able to be involved with fun activities like on-site classes and groups and get to know the staff and residents at the senior care center. This is doubly important because, if the time comes that your loved one would need to move into senior living full-time, that they’ve already built a rapport with the staff at a particular center.
Is Respite Care Expensive?
Just as with all kinds of stays out of the home, the price is going to vary on a lot of different factors. If your loved one is participating in an adult day care type program, the price is likely going to be significantly cheaper than a day in an assisted living center or a skilled nursing care center.
Additionally, overnight stays are always going to be more expensive than a simple day visit or half day visit. However, you should probably expect to spend anywhere between $100-$300 a day for your loved one, depending on the services needed and how long they’ll be staying.
Quality Respite Care in Omaha
Having a quality, trusted respite care center is of paramount importance, both for you as a caregiver and for your senior loved one. Not only do you want to ensure that your loved one is being well taken care of, but you want to be able to entrust your loved one to a center that’s going to cherish them as much as you do so that you can have a worry-free day to help you recharge. Let Astoria’s respite care in Omaha help.
If you’re interested in seeing our respite care center and finding out more information about respite care, contact us today for a tour!