Caregivers often feel guilty taking time for themselves when their loved ones need round-the-clock attention, but it’s impossible to go on indefinitely without a break. Respite care is essential and offers distinct benefits for anyone helping out an elderly loved one.

Personal Health

Eating well, exercising and getting enough sleep can be challenging for caregivers. Respite care offloads the burden of constant elder care, allowing you to get back on track with personal health, reduce stress levels and enjoy a more balanced lifestyle.

Energy and Focus

Caring for someone with Alzheimer’s or dementia is demanding and takes a physical and mental toll. Being under such constant stress can leave caregivers exhausted and short-tempered, leading to mistakes with daily routines, including missed doses of medications.

The ongoing pressure also strains tempers, making it sometimes difficult to be fully compassionate.

Taking advantage of respite care provides time away for personal restoration, allowing caregivers to return with healthier mindsets.

Maintaining Relationships

With little time for socializing, caregivers often experience feelings of isolation. Staying in touch with friends and other family members can be difficult, but respite care provides the necessary time to reconnect.

Even just a few hours out for lunch or a cup of coffee can make a world of difference.

Time for Daily Tasks

Running errands and paying bills may not seem less stressful than caring for a dependent loved one, but letting these necessities go for too long can create an insurmountable backlog or lead to problems with missed payments and late fees. Caregivers can rely on respite care for time to focus on the basic obligations of life and prevent unwanted problems from popping up later on.

Community Refreshment

Caregivers who once enjoyed routine involvement in a local church or daily time spent volunteering in the community, may find themselves in a spiritual desert when dealing with the difficulties associated with full time Alzheimer’s or dementia caregiving.

Getting help makes time for these important practices and creates the margin caregivers need to maintain their own spiritual well-being.

If you’re caring for an elderly relative with Alzheimer’s, dementia or any other challenge requiring daily help and supervision, you shouldn’t feel guilty for taking advantage of respite care.

Caring Home Care can match your family with a certified caregiver who can take over for a few hours or even a few days so that you can focus on yourself and come back feeling refreshed.