While providing care can be enriching for both the caregiver and the dependent person, it’s also important that the caregiver remember to pay attention to their own needs. By neglecting themselves, caregivers can end up with mental and physical health problems, which ultimately put the dependent person at risk. For example, a study published in Psychological Bulletin found that caregivers of family members with dementia had more health problems, including lower resistance to viruses, than non-caregivers.
Fortunately, that’s where respite care services can come in. These little-known services provide caregivers with needed breaks by providing temporary care for children and adults with special needs. Below, Edgar discusses the benefits that respite services offer to both caregivers and the loved ones for whom they care.
What does caregiving involve?
“I think it ranges from complete care, which involves assistance with activities of daily living, such as feeding and bathing, to, as in the case of a child with emotional problems, constant supervision,” says Edgar. For some dependant people, supervision is needed to protect them from harming themselves or others. It’s also about making sure people stick to their medication schedule.
What is respite care?
It is temporary relief for family caregivers. It’s a service in which care is provided to individuals with disabilities, special needs, chronic or terminal illness, or to those at risk of being abused or neglected by stressed caregivers. “We see respite care as a vital part of the continuum of services for families,” Edgar says.
