Caregivers Should Grab a Bit of Respite this Summer

For many caregivers of elderly loved ones, summer brings renewed hope and energy that the long, cold winter months sapped. Just the sunshine and warmer temperatures alone are enough to boost their energy and refill their wells so that they can continue to provide the care and love their elderly loved ones need as they help them age in place.
But for other caregivers, summer opens up a whole new responsibility – children. Many caregivers also are raising families and summers mean that kids are out of school and often need more care with daily activities like eating, playing, and supervision if they’re younger. If the kids are older, they might need transportation or have sporting events to attend. All of these are wonderful, but when a caregiver is trying to also care for their aging parent, it can quickly become overwhelming,
and that long-awaited summer turns into a stressful three months that loses most of its shine.
Why Respite Care Is Important for Caregivers
The definition of respite is “a delay or cessation for a time, especially of anything distressing or trying; an interval of relief.” As a caregiver, you often can feel like every moment of your day is spent taking care of someone else’s needs and while wonderful memories are being created and you wouldn’t change it for the world, it can become difficult for many caregivers who never have time to themselves to withdraw from their responsibilities.
A caregiver who is overwhelmed can easily be overcome by negative health consequences which will, in turn, make her ability to provide care even more difficult. Overburdened caregivers often suffer from increased illnesses, mental health concerns such as depression and anxiety, and even an increased risk of developing unhealthy addictive coping behaviors. All of those will not only derail your desire to be a loving and supportive caregiver but can also have serious health consequences for you as well.
Five Steps to Build Respite Care Into Your Summer Schedule
Since summer does often create more flexible schedules, summer can be a great way for you to be proactive and schedule some times for respite care so that you can recharge and focus on your health. Respite time can be as short as a few hours or as long as several days. Finding what’s right for you and your loved one is important to make sure you can fully enjoy your respite time and reap all of the benefits.

Here are five steps to creating respite time for yourself:

1. Find someone to provide respite care while you take your break. While family members can help sometimes, a trained respite care professional can provide reliable care for your elderly loved one. Respite care providers can come for a few hours or help you plan for being away for a couple of days.
2. Determine what you want to do. Do you need time to complete projects or completely unplug? Choose what’s most important to you.
3. Put it on the calendar. Don’t let yourself back out. Make it not optional.
4. Fully immerse yourself. Let yourself completely by in those respite moments
   without thoughts or worries about your caregiving.
5. Do it again. Once is not enough. It’s a start, but make respite care for yourself a routine so that you always have a little time for yourself.
   If you or an aging loved one are considering respite care in Golden, CO please contact the caring staff at FirstLight Home Care of Central Denver today at (303) 953-9575. FirstLight Home Care of Central Denver provides exceptional home care for seniors in Denver, Littleton, Westminster, Wheat Ridge, Arvada, Lakewood, Golden, Centennial, Greenwood Village, Aurora and surrounding areas.
   Source: https://www.dictionary.com/browse/respite