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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:
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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. |
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Media contact: Michael Civiello
LifeCare, Inc.
pr1@lifecare.com
203-291-4170
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