A Caregiver's Best Friend: Respite Care Services
WESTPORT, Conn., February 13, 2007 -- Caring for an aging loved one can be physically, emotionally and financially draining. One way that family caregivers can protect themselves from these risks is to periodically take advantage of respite care services such as the following:
Home care or homemaker services -- Some caregivers need help with basic chores around their loved one's home, e.g., housekeeping, shopping, light repair work, household paperwork, etc. These kinds of services help elders remain somewhat independent and in their own homes longer.
Home maintenance services -- Maintenance workers help with tasks such as installing grab bars in the bathroom, moving heavy furniture and doing yard work. Cutting down on these types of tasks can be a tremendous time and energy saver for caregivers.
Home safety services -- Professional care managers and home safety experts can provide assistance with home safety evaluations, the purchase and installation of adaptive/safety devices and emergency response systems, and more. The long-term peace of mind these services offer can make a great deal of difference to caregivers.
Meal delivery services -- Several programs will deliver one or two nutritionally sound meals five or more days a week to adults who are too frail, ill or physically challenged to prepare meals themselves. Meals on Wheels, for example, takes applications over the telephone and determines the price according to the financial needs of each individual.
Escort and transportation services -- Escort and transportation services are becoming more widely available for the elderly. Vans, mini-buses and taxis are provided for this purpose and many are wheelchair-accessible. Escort services are ideal for people with Alzheimer's disease or dementia because escorts remain with the clients at all times. Keep in mind that escort services can be more expensive than transportation services that provide only scheduled pick-ups and drop-offs.
Visitor services -- The terminology for these types of volunteers varies but many are known as "special visitors," "friendly visitors" or "senior visitors." These volunteers will make regular, pre-scheduled visits to elderly or home-bound adults to provide companionship (talk, read, play cards, etc.) but they cannot provide hands-on caregiving. In areas where friendly visitor programs aren't available there may be telephone reassurance programs, in which volunteers call seniors at a pre-determined time each day to check up on their wellbeing.
LifeCare's Fast Facts is an ongoing series of documents created for reporters who write about aging, adult caregiving and other challenges of mid-life. Reporters may reprint the information presented here in whole or in part, with attribution to LifeCare, Inc. If you would like more information about a particular topic or wish to speak to one of LifeCare's Successful AgingSM experts, please contact Michael Civiello, manager -- marketing and media relations, at 203-291-4170 or pr1[at]lifecare.com.
About LifeCare®, Inc.
For 22 years, LifeCare has provided people with specialty care services and customized care plans for all aspects of their personal and professional lives, including elder care and healthy aging, child care and parenting, financial and legal matters, and more. LifeCare's Successful AgingSM Services help individuals resolve the full spectrum of mid-life and aging issues, including adult caregiving, cognitive health issues, legal and financial matters, and pre- and post retirement planning. LifeCare serves 1,500 client companies with 4.5 million individuals within corporations, health plans, government agencies and unions. For more information, visit www.lifecare.com.
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