What is respite care?

Respite care is a term for when a professionally trained caregiver steps in to intermittently provide care, giving the primary caregiver, often a family member, a much-needed break, or ‘respite,’ from the demands of caregiving.

Providing caregiving support for a family member who is ill, elderly, or disabled can be extremely taxing on the caregiver and should not be done alone. Northeast Professional Caregivers can come to you as little or as often as needed to provide exceptional at-home personal care, homemaking services, and activities of daily living (ADL) support so that the primary caregiver can rest, recover, and catch up on life’s other responsibilities.

You and your primary caregiver can rest assured that you are in good hands during respite care visits. Our staff works directly with your family and your physician and other care team members to develop a personalized plan to assist you with everyday at-home activities, so that you can maintain your independence, enjoy life, and remain in the comfort of your own home, and your loved one can receive much-needed breaks for self-care.

Northeast Professional Caregivers can provide respite care in your home for as few or as many hours needed, and caregivers are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

What makes someone a candidate for respite care:

• Primarily cared for by a loved one 
• Difficulties with activities of daily living, such as safely bathing, dressing, taking medications as prescribed 
• Difficulty with homemaking tasks, such as cleaning, housework, meal prep, cooking, and laundry
• Difficulty getting what you need from out in the community, like grocery shopping, picking up prescriptions and filling medications 

Northeast Professional Caregivers provides personalized, one-on-one respite care assistance with activities of daily living, homemaking tasks, and personal care needs including, but not limited to, the following:

Examples of in-home respite care services:

• Assistance with walking and mobility
• Dressing assistance
• Providing a stable bathing environment
• Daily medication reminders
• Meal planning, preparation, and clean-up
• Monitoring diet and food expiration
• Light housekeeping
• Laundry, ironing, and linens
• Companionship
• Home maintenance supervision
• Grocery shopping
• Picking up prescriptions and medications
• Evaluating the home environment for fall and injury hazards
• Other hourly services personalized to your needs

Respite care helps a primary caregiver share the responsibilities for caregiving and to regain some precious time to rest, recover, and take care of life’s other responsibilities and return to your loved one refreshed and with a renewed outlook. 

Northeast Professional Caregivers helps make that possible by providing a second layer of support to your loved one who is providing primary care. 

Benefits of at-home respite care:

• Continue living in the safety, security, and comfort of your own home
• Allows a primary caregiver to take care of other responsibilities
• Gives the primary caregiver self-care and recovery time
• Schedule breaks before energy, patience, and compassion wear thin
• Opportunity to learn new tips and techniques from our professional caregivers that might make common caregiving problems or frustrations easier to deal with
• Make it possible for your loved one to maintain their freedom even longer when you get the support you need and can share the caregiving responsibility 
• Depend on a reliable plan of care personalized for you and your needs
• Professional caregivers can assess the home environment and reduce potential home hazards from falls or other injuries
• Receive weekend, evening, and last-minute services at no additional charge

Getting support and relief from your primary care duties is not a selfish act. It is normal to feel overwhelmed, depleted, and exhausted at times. A wealth of medical research points to the strain and toll that caregiving can have on the caregiver’s physical and mental health. By sharing the responsibility, you’re not only taking care of yourself, you’re ensuring the time you spend with your loved one is as loving, present, and compassionate as possible.

Click below for more information about how our respite care services can reduce stress and provide balance for your family.