What Is Short Term Respite Care & Do I Need It?

As our nation’s senior citizen population grows, we often find ourselves coming to grips with increasing incidents of Dementia & corrective surgeries (hip, knee, cardiac bypass, etc). This oftentimes creates situations where we have spouses or other family members taking on the role of primary caregiver for their loved ones.

In cases where the elderly spouse is designated the Primary Caregiver there may have been a prior decision made to insure only one spouse. But, what happens when the uninsured spouse is the one that ends up needing care? There are other instances where couples figure one will take care of the other if need be. But, what happens if both are injured or ill at the same time? What happens when the primary caregiver has his or her own ailments or simply becomes worn out?

This “worn out” state is often referred to as caregiver burn out is can associated with Alzheimer’s care or any other caregiving scenario and is very common. An Alzheimer’s diagnosis or any other type of Dementia is chronic and increasingly debilitating. In these situations, the primary caregiver may give so much attention and energy to their loved ones that they run the risk of exhausting themselves which then creates a real problem.

It is in situations like these that respite care becomes a viable solution. It provides the -family caregivers with the break they need, and also ensures that their elderly loved one is still receiving the attention & care that he or she needs.

What is Respite Care?

Respite care refers to short term, temporary care provided to people with disabilities in order that their families can take a break away from the daily routine of caregiving with the goal of helping the caregiver’s lower stress and at the same time fill the needs of the individual receiving care.

Types of Respite Care

In-home Respite Care: In-home respite care is temporary care provided in the person’s home. This allows the family and patient to be comfortable and saves them from having to adjust to a new environment. Some providers aren’t licensed, but they can help the elderly loved one with simple tasks around the home and give the caregiver time off to attend to themselves.

Home Health Care Services: A trained and licensed Home Health Aide comes to the home and helps with duties that require a level of expertise and certification. These tasks could include injections, monitoring, physical or occupational therapy. This is an easy and adaptable solution and services are ideally available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Adult Day Care: Provides your loved one with supervision and social interaction outside of the home for anywhere from a few hours to a whole day. Adult day care doesn’t usually offer overnight care. Many adult day care centers provide personal care, such as assistance with taking medications, going to the bathroom, and eating. Meals and/or snacks are often included.

Government Programs: There are many available government programs that may be available to you in your local area. You can find out about these programs by contacting your local area agency on aging.

Getting Help with Short Term Respite Care

Short term respite care can relieve some of the care-taking duties and keep the identified patient safe and cared for. Respite time can be as little as 12 hours a week on a regular basis to allow the caregiver time to rest and also take care of their own needs, i.e. doctor appointments without the stress of leaving their loved one alone.

The caregiver parent should be encouraged to take trips to see children, especially for family events. In many cases an aide can be hired to travel with the elderly family member, hired at the destination or be a 24 hour live-in aide while the well spouse is away. There are several choices. Families can decide together what makes the most sense in their individual situation. A little respite time goes a long way in helping the Primary Caregiver have a needed break to rest and recharge so that they can continue with their immense responsibilities.

Creating a Senior Fall Prevention Plan

Did you know?

• The odds of falling each year after age 65 in the US are about one in three.
• The risk of falling increases with age.
• The risk of falling is greater for women than for men.
• Two-thirds of those who experience a fall will fall again within six months.
• A decrease in bone density contributes to falls and resultant injuries.
• Failure to exercise regularly results in poor muscle tone, decreased strength, and loss of bone mass and flexibility.
• At least one-third of all falls in the elderly involve environmental hazards in the home

For caregivers of seniors and the elderly, preventing falls is one of the most important goals. Despite the daunting statistics above, we don’t need to let the fear of our elderly loved ones falling rule our life. Many of the factors that lead seniors falling can be prevented. In this article, we will highlight some of the steps you can take to prevent your senior loved one from falling.

Factors that lead to seniors and elderly falls

There are quite a few risk factors that lead to falls. There is no solid information as to which risk factor is the most prevalent in cases of elderly falls, but the more risk factors your senior loved one is exposed to greatly increases the chances of a fall, thus threatening their independence and increasing the chance of a hospital stay, home care, physical therapy, occupational therapy and a loss of independence. One of the biggest causes of senior falls is lack of knowledge about these risk factors and what preventative actions can be taken. Below we list a few important risk factors that should be considered to effectively prevent falls.

Risk Factor #1: Hazards in the Home
At least one-third of all falls in the elderly involve environmental hazards in the home. So as part of your fall-prevention measures, take a look around the living room, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, hallways and stairways because they may be filled with booby traps.

Tips:
• Remove boxes, newspapers, electrical cords and phone cords from walkways.
• Move coffee tables, magazine racks and plant stands from high-traffic areas.
• Secure loose rugs with double-faced tape, tacks or a slip-resistant backing.
• Repair loose, wooden floorboards and carpeting right away.
• Store clothing, dishes, food and other household necessities within easy reach.
• Immediately clean spilled liquids, grease or food.
• Use nonskid floor wax.
• Use nonslip mats in your bathtub or shower

Risk Factor #2: Health & Medications
Have your elder’s doctor take a look at their health and medications to identify situations where they may be vulnerable to falling. There could be issues ranging from medications they are taking to Osteoporosis, which can make their bones less resistant to stress.

Risk Factor #3: Lack of exercise or physical activity
If you aren’t already getting regular physical activity, consider starting a general exercise program as part of your fall-prevention plan. Failure to exercise regularly results in poor muscle tone, decreased strength, and loss of bone mass and flexibility. All contribute to falls and the severity of injury due to falls.

Tips
• Engage regularly (e.g., every other day for about 15 minutes daily) in exercise designed to increase muscle and bone strength, and to improve balance and flexibility. Many people enjoy walking and swimming.
• Undertake daily activities in a safe manner, such as reaching and bending properly, taking time to recover balance when rising from a chair or bed, learning the proper way to fall, and learning how to recover after a fall.
• Wear proper fitting, supportive shoes with low heels or rubber soles.

Risk Factor #4: Impaired vision & lack of lighting
Age-related vision diseases can increase the risk of falling. Cataracts and glaucoma alter older people’s depth perception, visual acuity, peripheral vision and susceptibility to glare. And you get older; less light reaches the back of your eyes where you sense color and motion. These limitations hinder their ability to safely negotiate their environment, whether it is in their own home or anywhere else.

Tips
• Have regular checkups and eye exams
• Make sure their glasses are clean
• Place a lamp near the bed that is in reach
• Clear paths in the hallways
• Use night lights in the home
• Keep a flashlight with charged batteries in an accessible area

These aren’t all of the things that can prevent elders and seniors from falling, but by taking these actions, you can increase the likelihood that falls can be prevented. So, I hope this list helps you with your fall prevention plans.

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