Too often caregivers don’t care for themselves. As the baby boomers age, more and more adult children are taking care of their parents, siblings or other relatives. And because many homes have two-income households, the time consumption can be stressful.

At FirstLight HomeCare, we can provide “respite care”, giving you a break from your caregiver duties. With vacation time rolling around, you might need a temporary caregiver on an hourly or short term basis. And our compassionate caregivers are ready to fill in for you when you can’t be there.

You are definitely not alone. Consider these caregiving statistics:

●      A recent study by the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP found that 44.4 million Americans age 18 or older are providing unpaid care to an adult. If we had to pay for this care, it would cost approximately $257 billion per year.

●      Many caregivers fulfill multiple roles. Most caregivers are married or living with a partner (62%), and most have worked and managed caregiving responsibilities at the same time (74%).

●      The most frequently reported unmet needs are finding time for myself (35%), managing emotional and physical stress (29%), and balancing work and family responsibilities (29%).

●      About three in ten caregivers say they need help keeping the person they care for safe (30%) and finding easy activities to do with the person they care for (27%).

●      One in five caregivers say they need help talking with doctors and other healthcare professionals (22%) or making end-of-life decisions (20%)

●      Long distance caregivers miss nearly 15 million days of work each year. (Source: National Council on Aging/The Pew Charitable Trusts, 1998)

If you need reliable, bonded, insured and compassionate caregivers, consider calling a FirstLight Care location. We have more than 45 respite care locations nationwide. We can take care of you – the primary caregiver – so you can take care of yourself and your family. Our motto of “extraordinary people, exceptional care” is our commitment to you. We know that no one can take care of your family member like you can. But our caregivers don’t have the other work and family commitments you may have so their care is totally focused on the senior or chronically ill individual needing care.

Additionally, we can provide a free in-home assessment to see if there are any trouble spots in your home or a senior’s home that could cause potential falls. With some minor adjustments to the home (particularly grip bars in the bathrooms and skid-free rugs), we can make sure the home is safer.

With our companion care and personal care, we can help you with the easy parts and the hard parts. The easy parts? Companionship and listening to your senior’s stories. Doting on them , loving them and giving them all the attention they need. Listening to their ailments for the umpteenth time. The harder parts? For us it’s no sweat. Bathing them, feeding them and doing housework is part of our routine. Our dedicated caregivers can even take them to doctor’s appointments if you have to work. Or if you’re sick for a day, the FirstLight caregivers are ready to step in.

Think about respite care. You need some guilt-free time to yourself. Let our caregivers be there for you, your family and your loved one.