For many of us, family makes up the central relationships in our lives. As older family members age and face new challenges, it’s not uncommon for adult children or relatives to step in to help support them and ensure their safety. While you may not see your frequent trips to Mom’s house or daily phone calls to your uncle as “caregiving,” it certainly is. Caregivers are those who regularly look after a child, or a sick, elderly, or disabled person. If you find yourself regularly caring for a senior you love, you’re far from alone.
Today, more than one in five Americans — or 53 million adults — are caregivers. This work can be, at times, immensely rewarding and, at other times, tiring and complex. Read on to learn more about how our Caregiver Respite Services are here to support you as a caregiver, preventing burnout, improving satisfaction, and helping you support the overall health and happiness of the one you love.
The Many Challenges Caregivers Face
Caregiving is an act of love for many, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t come without challenges. A 2020 report funded in part by AARP, Caregiving in the U.S., reported the following statistics about caregiving:
- Nearly one in five (19%) are providing unpaid care to an adult with health or functional needs.
- More Americans (24%) are caring for more than one person up from 18% in 2015.
- More family caregivers (26%) have difficulty coordinating care up from 19% in 2015.
- More Americans (26%) are caring for someone with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia up from 22% in 2015.
- More Americans (23%) say caregiving has made their own health worse up from 17% in 2015.
- Family caregiving spans across all generations, including Boomers, Gen-X, Gen-Z, Millennials, and Silent.
- 61% of family caregivers are also working.
Why Caregivers Deserve Support
Regular caregiving, when combined with the responsibilities and pressures of your daily life, can lead to fatigue and stress for many caregivers. That’s because caregiving is a task that demands time and energy that must be balanced with so many other responsibilities in life.
How Home Health Services Can Bring Needed Respite
At Dignity Home Health & Hospice, we see firsthand the incredible value caregivers bring to so many seniors. We know that supporting the caregiver(s) is often the first step to helping the aging senior, too. By offering skilled care wherever your loved one calls home, we help reduce the stress that comes with caregiving, improve the quality of life for caregivers, and give seniors another friendly face and helping hand.
Caregiver Relief Services We Offer
Caregiver support isn’t one-size-fits-all. We understand that every senior and their caregiver(s) has a unique situation and requires different levels of support. Home health care support from Dignity Home Health & Hospice gives you peace of mind your loved one is well-cared for while giving you time to tend to your own needs and schedule.
Your loved one will be well taken care of through any or all of the following services:
Physical Therapy
Occupational Therapy
Speech Therapy
Wound Care
Skilled Nursing Services
Medication Management
Respiratory Services
Intravenous and Nutrition Therapy
While Dignity Home Health & Hospice does not offer personal care services, we can connect you with trusted providers who do. In addition to helping you ensure your loved one is cared for, our team can help connect you to caregiving resources such as support groups, counseling, tools for financial assistance, and more. While time away from the daily work of caregiving can immensely help reduce burnout, we know that the emotional toll of caregiving can’t be ignored. It’s important to seek out support from organizations and peers who understand your sacrifice and the effects it has on your life.
When is the Time Right to Seek Caregiver Relief?
Caregivers should seek support as soon as they find caregiving is interrupting their ability to keep up with their other tasks and responsibilities in life. While personal care services are not often covered by Medicare or Medicaid, many supplemental insurance plans offer financial assistance for this service.
Additionally, if your aging loved one requires skilled nursing care, has just been discharged from the hospital, or faces certain health conditions you are unable to handle on your own, it’s time to seek out professional home health services right away. Caregivers can help cover many of the non-skilled daily needs of seniors — such as meal prep or laundry — but support for advanced conditions requires practiced and knowledgable care that’s best left to home health professionals.
