Q and A: Respite Care (Short-Term Stays)

Q and A: Respite Care (Short-Term Stays)

Question: My sons are coming home from college for the Christmas holidays and the family plans to take a ski vacation. However, my 80-year-old mother doesn’t want to go. I’m concerned about leaving her alone. She regularly takes a number of medications and her routine is somewhat complicated. I’m usually the one who reminds her about what to take, when. Also she had a fall not too long ago and I’m afraid it might happen again. Is there some service available to look after my mother while we’re out of town?

Answer: You are among the 22 million Americans who are caring for senior loved ones at home. But there are times when that choice just doesn’t meet the whole families’ needs.  Caregiving responsibilities are time-consuming as well as physically and emotionally demanding. That’s why informal caregivers need to take a break every now and then.

If you and your mother where just uncomfortable with her being alone, you could consider inviting in one of her friends, a neighbor, other family member or a trusted acquaintance. But her complicated medications regime makes a health care professional more desirable.

You could contact a home health agency or “visiting nurse” program. But expense may then become an issue. At a cost of $35 to $85 a visit, home health care may or may not be affordable for you. And it doesn’t relieve your worry about your mother falling unless you have a worker with her during her waking hours. That is why many assisted living communities offer a program commonly referred to as “respite care.”

Through a short-term respite stay, your mother would become a temporary resident in an assisted living community. She would be able to participate in scheduled activities, enjoy companionship with peers and receive health care monitoring along with personal care, such as assistance with dressing, grooming, bathing, and other daily living activities.

While you and your family take a vacation, your mother can stay in a furnished room and access all of the amenities and services that the senior community you select offers. You can relax, knowing your loved one is receiving individualized attention. Costs vary, of course, but $100 to $175 a day is common in the larger assisted living communities.

To meet California assisted living licensing requirements, even temporary residents are required to have a current evaluation by a physician, that includes tuberculosis screening, and an assessment by the community’s staff. That is why most respite care programs recommend that families make a reservation two to three weeks in advance of the stay.

You can locate senior communities in the Yellow Pages under such headings as “Retirement,” Assisted Living, and Alzheimer’s/Dementia. Additionally, senior housing and care directories, such as New LifeStyles, list service options available in specific geographic areas. You can request a free copy of the Sacramento edition by calling 800-869-9549 or visiting their website at www.newlifestyles.com.