Respite Care to Help Address the Cost of Family Caregiving

Professional caregivers aren’t the only ones providing elder care, asmore and more family caregivers – usually the adult child – are taking

onsenior care responsibilities of caring for an aging parent or loved one.In fact, according to the AARP and “Caregiving in the U.S. 2009,” aNational Alliance for Caregiving report, “43.5 million people age 18 andolder are providing unpaid care for others age 50+. That numberamounts to 19 percent of all American adults!”

But family caregivers are going beyond just stopping over to visit momand dad at home and the responsibilities can mount.

The report indicates that those who care for an older family member aremore likely to report poor health themselves and stress and caregiver burnout are all too common. But, on top of that, another element thatcan further complicate these situations is employment. According to thestudy, three of four caregivers work full-time while providing an averageof 20 hours per week of assistance.

BrightStar Care resident RN Sharon Roth Maguire recently spoke with the New York Times about “Assessing the Costof Caring for an Aging Loved One” and touched on this very subject:“You take time away from work to make doctor calls, check on Mom orDad, leave early to take them to a doctor’s appointment or stop by thepharmacy. You’re not focused, because you’re really focused on what’sgoing on with your loved one at home.”

Respite and Support Are Key for Family Caregiver BalanceSo how are these family caregivers keeping everything balanced? Whilesome people may not have the answer, we do have some key considerations for how family caregivers can find at least some relief:

Rally the support of other family membersOrganize a family meeting to discuss your loved one’s evolving needs. If you have other family members who live close by, maybe they’d be willing to share in the responsibilities on days you are unavailable. This is also a great way to fill everyone in on your loved one’s condition(s), as sometimes families don’t readily discuss these difficult but important topics. You can even use CareTogether, a free, private online platform, to create a shared calendar for everyone to get on the same page and have visibility to key appointments, etc.

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Find a professional agency to provide respite care servicesAsking for help, even if it’s not from other family members, can make a big impact, not only on your workload but also on your mental health. Even if you’re not sure what your loved one might need, you can contact your local BrightStar Care office and schedule a no-obligation personal consultation to find out more about your loved one and talk to you about their needs. From 1 hour to 24, BrightStar’s team can be there in the times when you can’t.

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Ask about the Family and Medical Leave ActThe relentless demands can drive you to leave your job, at least temporarily, but that has financial repercussions beyond the short-term loss of wages. The Family and Medical Leave Act, which requires certain types of employers to grant personal leave, doesn’t apply to all workers, and, while the leave is unpaid, it could help free up some of your time to focus on your loved one’s needs without feeling like you are jeopardizing your work responsibilities.

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