Respite Care for the Elderly
Several community-based respite care options exist for caregivers of the elderly. Respite care is an important means to prevent caregiver burnout.
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Respite Care
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Respite care allows caregivers a break from the responsibility of looking after the seniors they regularly care for. Respite care may consist of an occasional few hours of in-home help or overnight care at home or in a residential setting while caregivers are away. The variety of respite care services available to caregivers depends on where the services are located and how much they cost.
Home Care
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In-home care is one means of respite care. Home care encompasses a wide range of health and social services provided to an elderly person in her home. Based on the senior's needs, a home care service may provide medical, nursing, social or therapeutic treatment, and assistance with activities of daily living, such as using the toilet, bathing or transferring from a bed to a chair, meal preparation and housekeeping. Home care is provided by nonprofit organizations, commercial companies and government-sponsored agencies. Home care is generally appropriate whenever a person prefers to stay at home but needs ongoing care that cannot easily or effectively be provided solely by family and friends, according to the National Association for Home Care and Hospice.
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Adult Day and Day Health Care
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Adult day care centers have been providing respite service to caregivers for over 20 years. Today, more than 4,000 centers provide a safe place for elderly persons to stay during the day. Day health centers, funded primarily by states, provide therapeutic and rehabilitative activities. Some centers serve primarily seniors with Alzheimer's Disease and related dementias. Many centers provide transportation, usually for an extra fee.
Costs
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Patients or caregivers can pay directly for home care and adult day care services or look for assistance through a variety of public and private sources. Persons who do not meet income criteria can often obtain services on a sliding scale basis. Some public payors may cover respite care, such as Medicare, Medicaid, the Older Americans Act, the Veterans Administration, and federal social services grant programs to states. Some community organizations, such as local chapters of the American Cancer Society, the Alzheimer's Association and the National Easter Seal Society, also provide funding to help pay for some care services. Private payors include commercial health insurance companies and managed care organizations.
Conclusion
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Family and friends serving as caregivers for a frail older person often need a break from caregiving activities. Without the benefit of family and friends as caregivers, many seniors will face placement in a skilled care center. Institutional settings are more restrictive than living at home. Community-based respite care serves the important goal of enabling caregivers to keep their elderly loved ones at home as long as possible.
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