While caring for a loved one can be incredibly rewarding, at times, it can get a little overwhelming. Respite care offers you a break so that you can take care of your physical, mental and emotional needs. In the longer term, no matter how long the break is, respite care for carers is very important.
Respite care is when a professional carer steps in for a set period of time to take over caring responsibilities for your loved one. It provides several benefits for you, the caregiver, as it reduces burnout, stress and a lack of personal time.
At Wolfeton Manor, we provide long-term respite care and day care to individuals receiving care in their own home. We have seen how the primary caregiver benefits from this. In this blog, we share the benefits of respite care and discuss why it is so important for carers.
Before diving into the benefits and importance of respite care for carers, we should touch on the types of respite care available.
It can come in a number of different forms, meaning you and your loved one can find a solution that suits your situation and needs.
As a caregiver, you need a break to be able to put yourself first. This allows you to refresh and re-energise to provide quality care for your loved one. It is the numerous benefits of respite care for carers that make it so important.
Respite care allows you to take a break from providing the care.
These breaks enable you to rest, reducing physical and emotional exhaustion, which will prevent burnout.
By taking breaks, you will feel energised and as though you can give 100% to caring. Without the breaks, you are more likely to feel tired, making it harder to provide quality care for your loved one and more likely that mistakes will be made.
As much as you might try, as a full-time carer, it is hard to fit everything in. This can be detrimental to your physical health as you miss medical appointments, put aside physical exercise and neglect your own mental health.
By incorporating respite care into your care routine, you give yourself an opportunity to take care of yourself so you can improve your own mental and physical health.
Arrange and attend doctor’s appointments, allocate the time to go to the gym, for a run or complete a home workout, socialise with friends, have a bath or do your favourite hobby. These will all work towards better mental health too.
When you are a full-time carer, finding time to foster friendships and relationships can be difficult.
Respite care provides time for you to make and maintain connections with friends and family.
Socialising is one of the most important parts of looking after your mental health, so this is critical to your overall well-being.
There is no point denying that both of the above lead to better care being provided.
As a well-rested carer who has taken time to look after their mental and physical health, you will be less likely to make mistakes and have the mental and physical energy to create a positive and enthusiastic environment for your loved one.
As the saying goes, distance makes the heart grow fonder, and this can be especially true when respite care is implemented as part of a care plan.
Taking time apart from one another can strengthen the relationship between yourself and your loved one.
Giving each other space can reduce frustrations, meaning that time spent together is not fraught with tensions but can be enjoyed.
A benefit of respite care for carers is that someone else takes responsibility for caring for a bit, meaning you can enjoy your life too. This reduces frustrations of not being able to meet your own needs, such as socialising, so resentment or negative feelings don’t build up.
As a care home that offers long-term and short-term respite care, we often see caregivers struggle with the decision to use our services because they feel guilty. This is a common feeling, but not one that should put anyone off benefiting from respite care.
The guilt is triggered by worry about the quality of care your loved one might receive when away from you and is often accompanied by feelings of failure as they can’t provide the care their loved one needs at all times.
However, this is never true. In fact, by taking the time to yourself, you are improving your care and building a stronger relationship. It isn’t just you that will benefit from respite care.
No matter what type of respite care you choose, you can be confident that your loved one is receiving high-quality care while you take time for yourself.
One of the benefits of choosing respite care at a care home is that your loved one will be surrounded by expert and friendly staff and welcoming residents. This means your loved one will never be lonely, all the while receiving the precise care they require.
The care team will be able to pool their knowledge and experience together to provide unique care for your loved one that meets their personal preferences and needs and encourages independence.
Additionally, a care home offers flexibility when it comes to the length of time you need. If you are simply looking for a day a week or month to catch up on errands, they can usually accommodate this. Alternatively, if you are looking to go on holiday for a couple of weeks, they can also accommodate this.
At Wolfeton Manor, we believe that our respite care services are among the most important that we offer.
Your loved one is welcome to stay as long as you need, from one day to a few weeks – we recommend a shorter stay for your first time so they can adjust to the lifestyle at our care home.
While staying with us, your loved one will be treated as a resident, encouraged to participate in all the activities each day, enjoy mealtimes with others in our dining room, and receive our person-centred care and a personal care plan.
If you are interested in our respite care services, we recommend visiting us first. This provides an opportunity for you and your loved one to experience the feel of our care home and meet the staff and some of our residents.
Book your visit by calling us on 01305 262340 or completing our online contact form.
