By Erin Gregson, Director of Operations and Co-owner of TLC Companion Care.

This blog entry focuses on the benefits of respite care — care that allows family members to take a break. We at TLC pride ourselves on providing personalized, hands-on care so that family caregivers can feel comfortable leaving a TLC caregiver with their loved one while taking much needed time for themselves.

In my day-to-day dealings for TLC Companion Care, I talk to a lot of people and I am always surprised at how few people even know that companion care exists. My aim is to spread the word about the benefits of companion care for the older adult community and their families. Our goal is to keep people in their homes for as long as possible with the help of caring companions to assist them with their day to day activities and keep them enjoying life!

Respite care allows for family caregivers to get a break from the daily routine of caregiving whether to take a much-needed vacation or just a few hours of time off. Respite is often referred to as “a gift of time.”

Family members of clients sometimes want a caregiver to come and help out with chores around the house so they can just enjoy the time spent with their loved one. The daughter of one client in particular told me that she spends too much time cleaning up her mother’s house, going grocery shopping, doing laundry etc. during all her free time from work. This didn’t leave enough time to simply enjoy being with her mother. She wanted a TLC caregiver to come to her mother’s house a couple of times a week and do the household chores in addition to keeping her mother company so that when she visited her mother they could just enjoy their time together. I have another client who has her mother living with her in her house and has caregivers helping care for her mother there because she wanted her mother to be close to her family and have personalized attention. The daughter is able to see her mother all the time, but the daughter also has the freedom to come and go as she pleases and knows that her mother is well looked after.

The following are a few of the many benefits of respite care:

• Relaxation: Respite care can allow families the time they need to relax, gain peace of mind and renew their humor and energy.
• Enjoyment: Family caregivers can enjoy favorite pastimes and pursue new activities if they have someone who can provide respite care to their loved one.
• Stability: Respite can improve the family’s ability to cope with daily responsibilities and maintain stability during difficult, stressful times.
• Preservation: Respite helps preserve the family unit and lessens the pressures that might lead to institutionalization, neglect and, abuse.
• Involvement: Families can become involved in community, social or other activities or interests and be less isolated since taking care of a family member can be all consuming.
• Time Off: Families can take that needed vacation, spend time together and time alone.
• Enrichment: Respite gives family members time to pursue their own personal growth and development.

As caregivers of family members, we at TLC know it is difficult to trust a stranger with your loved one. We will work with you to find a caregiver that you like and would completely trust to spend time with her loved one. This means that if you would like to meet the caregiver before she starts spending time with your loved one, we can set up a meeting with the caregiver and a TLC representative. We hope that if you can meet and give your seal of approval for the caregiver it will give you peace of mind during your time away from your family member. If you are not happy with our choice, we can find another caregiver that you feel better suits your loved one’s needs and personality.

Research and people’s experience show that respite care can reduce stress and improve the quality of life for both family members and their loved ones receiving care. Respite care is often the least costly and least drastic care as well.

Tags: caregiver burn out, guardians, holistic practitioners, integrative medicine, long term care, Respite Care, sandwich generation, senior resources, TLC Companion care