How to Ease Yourself into Accepting Respite Care Help from Others

Home Care in East Quogue NY

You’ve finally decided to accept some respite help from others, and it’s time to make that happen. Whether you’ve accepted help from other family members or you’ve hired experienced home care providers, you may be tempted to back out. Instead, try using some of these tips to make the experience a little easier on you and on your elderly loved one.

Start Out Slowly

Some people might tell you that it’s your first time away from your loved one in a while so you should make it count. This can be harder on you than you think, though. There may be times when you’re first time away may have to be an overnight trip due to other emergencies, but that’s not ideal. Try instead to start out with a short bit of time away, say an afternoon to yourself, so that you and your loved one can get used to this new situation.

Give Respite Caregivers a Cheat Sheet

Before you leave, give your respite caregivers a cheat sheet that lets them know important details about your elderly loved one. This can include medication times, what she enjoys eating for snacks, and some of her favorite activities. Preparing the cheat sheet helps you to feel more at ease because it’s a “user’s manual” of sorts that can help your loved one to have a successful visit with others.

Make Sure You’re Doing Something for Yourself

Respite care is all about reducing stress for you, so make sure that you’re doing something that is relaxing for you and that relieves stress for you. If this is your first time getting any time away from your elderly loved one, you might not even know what to do. Even if you wind up sitting at home reading or watching a favorite TV program, that’s fine. You’ve taken the first step and you can get more creative on another occasion.

Don’t Rush Into Anything

When it’s time to come back to your loved one, you might feel tempted to race back to your regular routine. Instead of racing headlong back into your tasks, try to spend some quality time with your loved one. You’ll likely be more relaxed than usual and it can lead to a wonderful time with your loved one.

Respite care is something that you definitely need to incorporate into your regular schedule.

If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring home care in East Quogue, NY, call the caring staff at Artful Home Care today at 631-685-5001.