What is Respite Care?

Caring for seniors can be a full-time job for family members and people in their immediate support group. In-home care for seniors can fill some of the gaps created when family members are unavailable to provide care, or when providing this care becomes overwhelming. Providing in-home support for seniors can be tiring, so the primary caregivers may need a break from this kind of care. That’s where respite care in Colorado Springs comes into the picture.

The burden of primary care

For family caregivers, the responsibility of primary care can create emotional distress or physical exhaustion. Elderly care is a huge responsibility. It can be very demanding, so very few people can manage it all by themselves. For primary caregivers to maintain their own health and well-being, they need to have a break away from providing care, so they can recover their own good health, and restore emotional balance.

While some elderly persons are fairly easy to monitor and assist, others may require tremendous support from a caregiver. Having a short-term break from providing senior care can restore some balance for the caregiver, and help them return to care-giving with a fresh perspective. Respite care is now an entire category of its own, because of the universal need for it by primary caregivers.

The nature of respite care

Respite care involves short-term relief for individuals with the responsibility of in-home senior care. Sometimes respite care only covers a period of a single afternoon, when the primary caregiver might have some other obligation to meet. More often, respite care will be comprised of a few days or even a few weeks. Cases like these are generally when caregivers have been providing care for months at a time without a break, and are in serious need of relief. While respite care is most often administered in the home where the senior resides, it can also take place at an adult center or some kind of healthcare facility.

Where to find respite care

If you live in the Colorado Springs area, one of the best places you can rely on for respite care is Gentle Shepherd Home Care. They are a locally owned, in-home care provider. You can count on all caregivers to be highly trained, professional individuals who understand the demands of in-home caregiving. Contact us at Gentle Shepherd Home Care to inquire about our respite care services.