Types of Respite Care
In-Home Respite Care
If you care for a loved one who needs around-the-clock support, you may find yourself in need of a break. An in-home respite is an option for a caregiver to come into your home and care for your loved one. Typically, this option serves as a companion for your loved one to keep them company and occasionally help with light services. A home health aide can provide added care services, like helping with ADLs, including grooming, transferring, or medication management. The home health aide works independently but is overseen by a medical professional and typically costs more per hour. Some services will also help with making meals, laundry, and cleaning for an additional cost. An in-home respite is best suited for a caregiver who wants a break for the day to run errands, see friends, or self-care.
Out-of-Home Respite
Primary caregivers are often unaware that assisted living and memory care communities offer short-term stays for seniors. These temporary visits can last from a week to a month. If you need to take a business trip, family vacation, or a much-deserved break to recharge, families can rest assured that your senior loved one will be well cared for in an assisted living community. This type of care can be exceptionally comforting for someone caring for a senior with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia. The professional care staff is equipped to manage the unique behaviors, personality traits, and forgetfulness that come with memory loss. Typically, the community will provide a fully furnished private apartment for your loved one to stay in. Your family member can take part in all activities, eat their meals in the dining room, and use the amenities during their stay. The staff can assist your loved one with ADLs, like bathing, grooming, or transferring. At Aegis Living, we make sure every respite stay resident feels welcome and a part of the community, even if they are there only temporarily.
Adult Day Center
An adult day center offers care for your loved one daily. As the primary caregiver, if you are working full time and need someone to look after your parent during the day, an adult day center offers safe and secure oversight of your loved one. Typically, the centers offer care 8 to 10 hours per day, and some even offer evening and weekend times. Adult day centers can either be a stand-alone building or as part of an assisted living or memory care community. Transportation and meals are usually included in the day rate. This choice is great if your loved one wants to be able to socialize with other seniors and take part in activities. Aegis Living offers day stay options for seniors in our Washington communities.
Cost of Respite Care
The cost associated with respite care will vary depending on the location or city, the services offered, amenities provided, and level of care. According to a Genworth 2019 Cost of Care Survey, the national daily average cost for respite care in an assisted living community was $133 per day, to bring in a home health aide was $144, and adult day centers average $75 per day. Typically respite care is paid out-of-pocket, but some long-term care insurance plans will cover the cost. Medicare will cover the cost of respite care if it’s associated with hospice care. And Medicaid is administered differently per state, so coverage options will need to be explored within the state where your parent or loved one resides.
Support for Families
At Aegis Living, we have over 20 years of experience caring for seniors, and many staff members have worked for our company since the start. Our staff is always available to support struggling families and willing to help anyone who is beginning their search for long-term care. In addition, our families find strength in meeting other families in similar situations. To this end, our communities may provide family support meetings, informal gatherings, and expert seminars from leading eldercare professionals to bring together and help educate families about memory loss. Offering both public and private events, we know these shared experiences can be invaluable and help to build a support network. We have online articles in our resource library, and our staff can direct your family to local resources in your community.
Safety & Security
One reason that families seek long-term memory care for their loved one is that their family member is not safe living alone. The changes that they may experience as their memory loss progresses may make it impossible for them to live safely at home, even with a family care provider. People with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia may wander or exit-seek due to their confusion. At Aegis Living, we camouflage our secured doors and delayed egress alerts staff if a resident tries to leave. Motion sensors help us to detect if a resident is up and out of their bed and may need assistance during the night. Most memory care communities, like Aegis Living, offer wearable call buttons that immediately connect a resident to staff in the case of an emergency.
Dedicated Caregivers
Caring for a senior with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia requires a unique skill set of patience, compassion, and creativity. People living with dementia can display a host of behaviors that are not typical to their personality. Well trained and experienced staff will be able to apply techniques to calm, redirect, and defuse behaviors. Our staff builds close relationships with each resident, so they can skillfully anticipate behaviors and avoid triggers. They understand that trust, clear communication, and emotional affinity can be as effective and powerful as medication in some cases.
As your family evaluates memory care communities, it’s important that you see how staff interact with residents and how the communities retain their dedicated staff. You want to find a community that embraces close ties with their residents. Your loved one will come to rely on these staff members. You want staff who will stay around so your parent or loved one has consistent care.
