VISITING ANGELS PUNTA GORDA, FL 941-347-8288
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Need a Break? Respite Care is Here for You

Today, many Americans find themselves in the caregiver role for an aging loved one. Caring for an aging spouse, parent, grandparent, or other relative or friend has become the new social norm, especially as life expectancy continues to increase. According to the Family Caregiver Alliance, approximately 34.2 million Americans provided unpaid care for an adult age 50 or older in 2015. That number only continues to rise as more and more older adults are choosing to remain home instead of moving into a nursing home setting.meditation

A family caregiver is a person who provides some sort of assistance to another person, without receiving compensation. Caregiving tasks range from aiding with dressing, bathing, grooming, to running errands, preparing meals, keeping house, making doctor appointments, and/or managing finances. Caring for an aging loved one can be quite rewarding. It can feel good to give back to someone who cared for you. There’s satisfaction in knowing that your loved one is receiving excellent care. A family caregiver can also experience personal growth and an increased meaning and purpose in their life.

While there are many positive benefits to providing care for an aging loved one, such as developing a deeper relationship, there are negative consequences that a family caregiver can experience as well. Taking care of someone else demands time. Consider the following data points provided by the Family Caregiver Alliance. On average, caregivers spend 13 days a month shopping, preparing meals, transporting, and doing housekeeping and laundry for their aging loved one. They spend 6 days per month providing basic activities of daily living for them (dressing, feeding, grooming, bathing). Finally, caregivers spend about 13 hours a month researching care services, making doctor appointments, and managing finances of their loved one. These statistics alone show that a family caregiver is vulnerable to experiencing caregiver burnout. Caregiver burnout leads to strained relationships, unnecessary stress, and if left unchecked, depression. If you are a family caregiver and are finding yourself in a position where you are exhausted, give yourself a break by considering respite care.

What is Respite Care?

Respite care is simply temporary care that alleviates the primary caregiver from his or her care responsibilities. Unlike long-term care, respite care is intended to be short-term. This could range anywhere from an hour or two each day, to a few weeks or even months, allowing the family caregiver the chance to step away. Respite care can be provided in your aging loved one’s home, in your own home, at a healthcare facility, or at an adult day center.

Why Should I Step Away?

While providing care for your aging loved one is extremely rewarding, it is also exhausting and emotionally draining, especially when the care demands increase. It is important that the family caregiver takes care of themselves in order to continue to be able to provide care for their aging loved one. A caregiver cannot take care of themselves if they are constantly exhausted or ill. Stepping away allows the family caregiver to recharge, which in turn allows them to provide better care through the long haul.

Where Do I Begin?

As mentioned above, there are many companies and/or healthcare facilities that offer respite care. In order to choose what’s best for you and your aging loved one, start by evaluating your own needs. Do you need a few hours a week to yourself so that you can run errands or go out to lunch with a friend? Are you planning a vacation and need 24/7 care for your aging loved one while you’re away? Perhaps just having an entire day to yourself once a week or once a month would be a breath of fresh air for you. Knowing what you need in order to recharge and help prevent caregiver burnout allows you to seek the right fit of respite care for you and your aging loved one. Begin with your needs, then reach out to in-home care agencies or healthcare facilities nearby in order to interview and evaluate the best fit for your aging loved one.

As you search for in-home respite care, search no further than Visiting Angels Punta Gorda. We believe that family caregivers deserve a break and understand how exhausting it is to be the primary caregiver for an aging loved one. If you’re feeling burnt out, allow our compassionate caregivers to give you the respite that you need. Perhaps you’re looking ahead to summer vacation plans and want someone to check in with your aging loved one while you’re away. We can help with that too. We offer respite care on an hourly basis so that you can establish the frequency and scope of care that best meets your needs. Because our home care services are flexible, should your loved one require more care in the future, we can expand our role to include companion care, personal care, or dementia care. We can establish a relationship with your loved one now so that should you take a week-long vacation in the future, your loved one is already comfortable and familiar with our friendly caregivers. Getting started is easy. Simply contact us today by calling 941-347-8288 Punta Gorda or 239-226-1620 Cape Coral.

Serving Punta Gorda, North Fort Myers, Boca Grande, Cape Coral, Sanibel, Captiva, Arcadia and Surrounding Areas

Visiting Angels PUNTA GORDA, FL
25166 Marion Ave #114
Punta Gorda, FL 33950
Phone: 941-347-8288
A Florida employee based Home Health Agency, FL Lic # 299994657

Serving Punta Gorda, North Fort Myers, Boca Grande, Cape Coral, Sanibel, Captiva, Arcadia and Surrounding Areas

Visiting Angels PUNTA GORDA, FL
25166 Marion Ave #114
Punta Gorda, FL 33950
Phone: 941-347-8288
A Florida employee based Home Health Agency, FL Lic # 299994657