Respire care for people with disabilities: What you need to know

Rolling Inspiration
6 Min Read

By McKenzie Wilson

Caring for a person with a disability can be a tricky and challenging task, requiring maximum attention and care. For primary caregivers, being the guardian of a person with a disability is a full-time task and can take a toll on a person as it can be very exhausting at times.

Everyone needs a break once in a while, and respite care offers that, as you can have someone else take over your responsibility for a short time. Before going for respite care, it is essential to know details about it beforehand to know what you are going into.

What is respite care for?

Respite care aims to provide temporary care for people with disabilities. The person handing over the temporary responsibilities can do so for many reasons. Respite care allows that person to leave their loved one with someone they trust.

How can it help you and your loved one?

You shouldn’t feel guilty for needing time off as some time off can be good for you and the person you are taking care of as it can benefit you. As a caretaker, you will not be able to provide the best support or care for your loved one if you are not fully committed to it. Passing over the temporary responsibility of your loved one does not mean that you care for them less; it just means that you might need some time for yourself or other responsibilities.

As for the person whose care you hand over, they will be left to trained professionals if you choose a company with trusted medical professionals. At times the care provided through respite care will be better than what you can provide at home. People who have a disability and need care can benefit from a change of scenery or a change of perspective in their care. A different perspective can also allow you to make possible improvements as a caretaker.

Who provides respite care?

Generally, when people look for someone to take over temporary responsibility, they look for people they can trust and who are responsible. There are trusted services and companies that can provide this service to anyone that needs this. These companies are well equipped and used to handling people with disabilities and are trustworthy.

Other than availing of the services of companies, you can also look to your community or friends and family. If you have friends and family that you can trust, asking for their help is always an option. The person you care for might also feel right at home with other family members, leaving all parties satisfied.

Respite care at home vs at a facility

When looking for and hiring respite care, there are two ways they can operate. The first one is at your or the house of the person you are taking care of. This way allows a person who might find it difficult or challenging to move around a lot to remain in their home and receive the care from there. Having someone come over to your house is also much more comfortable overall as the hassle of going over to a facility and spending time in a new place is removed.

The other approach is when you take your loved one over to a nursing home or retirement house where they can receive the care they need. This might be less comfortable when looking at the hassle of travel and staying in a new place, but it makes it easier for respite care to be better. Care at a facility designed to house people with disabilities will be able to deal with some things that you can not in your house. Close access to medical professionals is very beneficial in this case.

Where to find centres for respite care and their costs

When looking for places that can provide respite care, it is best to look at local facilities close to your house if possible. Most facilities will have websites from where you can find information and contact them accordingly.

Costs can vary a lot from facility to facility, and you can find facilities in all price ranges. If affording respite care is financially challenging for you, looking at help in your community or through friends or family is a viable and useful alternative.

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