Your senior parent has taken care of you your whole life. Now, it’s your turn to give your parent the extra care he or she needs. However, in between work and family demands, you might not have enough time or energy to do it all. Respite care can be beneficial for both you and your parent. It allows you to spend time away from your caregiving duties, and it offers several benefits for your parent as well.
1. Builds Healthy Relationships Outside the Family
Caregivers aren’t the only ones who need to live balanced lives. In fact, spending time with people other than family members is both emotionally and mentally beneficial for seniors. When aging adults fail to interact with others, it often leads to social withdrawal and boredom. Spending time with respite caregivers allows seniors to forge healthy relationships outside their families.
2. Provides New Experiences
Many family caregivers create strict schedules and follow routines closely. However, respite caregivers can provide seniors with new experiences. A respite caregiver may be more open to going to a restaurant or another interesting place in the community. Respite care can offer older adults greater opportunities to enjoy what the world has to offer, giving them more freedom than they might have with family caregivers.
Although it may be challenging to find reliable, highly rated homecare services, Oakville, ON, families can turn to Home Care Assistance. Our respite and live-in caregivers are expertly trained to assist seniors with a wide array of important tasks, including cooking, bathing, light housekeeping, and exercise.
3. Helps with Routine Tasks
Trying to accomplish daily activities may not be as easy as it once was for your parent. And in some cases, you and other family members may not always be around to help. A respite caregiver can give your parent the help he or she needs, which prevents stress, exhaustion, and overexertion. Furthermore, knowing there’s someone he or she can depend on may boost your parent’s confidence.
A trained professional caregiver can be an extremely valuable member of your caregiving team. There are a variety of age-related health conditions that can make it more challenging for seniors to live independently. However, many of the challenges they face can be easier to manage if their families opt for professional in-home care. You can rely on expertly trained caregivers to keep your loved one safe and comfortable while aging in place.
4. Offers Flexibility
If your parent needs someone to come over for a few hours a week but doesn’t require daily care, he or she can opt for respite care instead. This way, your parent can still receive proper care without having to pay for unnecessary services. Respite caregivers have flexible schedules and are more affordable than many other senior care options.
5. Increases Independence
Being able to maintain independence is crucial for physical, mental, and emotional health. Hiring respite caregivers to come in every few days allows seniors a chance to find themselves and focus on things they enjoy doing. Respite care also allows seniors to maintain their sense of identity, which can renew their vigor and enhance relationships with their families.
Family caregivers need to care for their own wellbeing. If you’re caring for an aging loved one and are feeling overwhelmed, consider hiring a professional caregiver to provide respite care. Oakville families who want to prevent burnout can turn to Home Care Assistance. One of our professional caregivers can assist your loved one at home while you take a nap, go to work, run errands, or go on vacation. Trust Home Care Assistance to provide high-quality compassionate, professional respite care for your loved one. If your loved one needs help with the challenges of aging, call one of our compassionate Care Managers today at (905) 337-1200.