Respite Care for Family Caregivers during the Holiday Season

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The holiday season is a joyous time to gather and celebrate with loved ones. It can also be a time of hustle and bustle as you work hard to make sure that everyone in your life has their needs met. Please know that YouMeCare is here to help you with your holiday hustle and bustle and provide you with the gift of respite care!

Understanding Respite Care

Respite care is designed to offer balance and is an acknowledgment that a physical and mental break is a needed component for providing good quality care to your loved one. Respite can include taking a well-deserved vacation or weekend off, but ultimately should include weekly breaks as well. It can be valuable to integrate a respite break into your weekly schedule so that you have a well-timed breather to regroup and reboot. A YouMeCare caregiver can step in to provide that respite care for your loved one so that you can take the time to give yourself some TLC!

A proactive approach to incorporating respite care into your caregiving schedule can include setting aside blocks of time on a regular basis. This could be daily or weekly depending on your loved one’s care needs and how you are feeling. 

A YouMeCare Caregiver can:

  • Stay with your loved one overnight so that you can get quality sleep.
  • Take your loved one to appointments and on errands so you don’t have to take time off work.
  • Help throughout the week so that you can attend extracurricular activities for other members of your family. 
  • Visit with your loved one while you run errands, visit with friends, or go to the gym. 
  • Check in on your loved one for peace of mind while you are at work or while you are out of town. 

Considering Respite Care Can Feel Challenging

Even though you may be thinking about planning some time off, if your life has become centered around caring for your loved one or family member as a caregiver, taking a break may initially seem to increase your anxiety levels. This is a common response, but your anxiety will ease as you accept help. However, you may relish the support from the very first moment, and that’s ok too. 

Once settled into a new routine that includes a trusted caregiver, the most common response is: “I wish I’d done this sooner!” Together, you and a YouMeCare Caregiver can build a routine around caring for your loved one that includes tips on how to complete some of your loved one’s activities of daily living, suggestions on techniques or strategies to use that may make certain tasks easier and, of course, a planned respite schedule. 

Making the Most of Respite Care 

To make the most of respite care, don’t just hire a caregiver when you have an appointment or obligations to fulfill. Yes, hire a caregiver then too, but schedule meaningful time in as well.   

Ideally, you don’t want to wait until you’re burnt out to hire a caregiver. It might not sound like much, but 3 or 4 hours a few days a week can make a world of difference.   

During the holidays, scheduling respite care might mean hiring a caregiver to help your loved one at family gatherings so that everyone can enjoy one another’s company. Scheduling respite care may also mean considering your whole-body needs. For example, sleep in, go to bed early, or take a nap while you have a caregiver. Just don’t forget to do something special. Schedule a massage, have lunch with a friend, go on a date, take a day trip, go to the movies, read a book, do your favorite activity, or anything that brings you joy, especially during a joyous season!

The Holiday Season Is the Ideal Time for Respite Care

It is important to remember that respite care isn’t just for you. It provides the balance necessary to show up fully when caring for your family member or loved one, improving the care you provide. 

Use this holiday season as the ideal time to begin utilizing a caregiver, so that you can enjoy some of the festivities and explore gradually incorporating respite care.  Below are some ideas for how you might utilize a caregiver during the holiday season.

  • As the invitations start coming in, RSVP “yes” and schedule a caregiver to stay with your loved one
  • Hire a caregiver to stay with your loved one so that you can go holiday shopping without rushing. 
  • If you’re hosting, hire a caregiver so you can prepare for your event the day before and the day of.
  • Bring a caregiver with you to the events your loved one will be attending so that you can mingle. 
  • Hire a caregiver to help long-distance loved ones connect electronically with your family.

Ready To Give Respite Care a Try?

If you are searching for a respite caregiver, we invite you to contact us at YouMeCare. We will support you by learning what you need and then identify a caregiver for you that meets those needs during the holiday season and any other time you need support.  Learn more now!