What is Respite Care?
Caregiving for an individual that has an ailment can be draining; however, when that individual is in their later stages of life, caregiving takes on a whole new level of challenges. Care requirements are typically intensified, and the patient might require more frequent medication, specialized wound care and help with feeding and using the bathroom. The uncertainty of when death is going to happen additionally puts emotional stress on the caregiver.
All of this can lead to caregivers losing sleep and living in isolation and concern, which can cause depression, anxiety and fatigue, also known to as “caregiver burnout.” Some caregivers that face especially intense burnout might think about quitting, a choice that could require the patient to be moved into a retirement community or other facility.
It is vital for those that are taking care of someone near the end of life also to take care of themselves by getting plenty of rest and trying to make time for themselves away from the requirements of caregiving.
Individuals Requiring Caregiving
End-of-life individuals that receive hospice care are qualified for “respite care,” established and covered by the Medicare Part A hospice benefits. Hospice respite care enables a family caregiver to take a break of up to five subsequent days and nights from caregiving responsibilities while the individual is cared for in a Medicare-approved inpatient facility.
These facilities are typically nursing homes; however, hospice providers have provisions with a number of suitable twenty-four-hour long-term care communities that can provide respite care. Some hospice service offers in-house inpatient hospice teams for infrequent respite care.
What Exactly Is Respite Care?
Medicare has established respite care as, “… temporary inpatient care provided to the individual only when required to release a family member or the individual caring for the person at home.”
Qualifying circumstances include:
- Some caregivers might be struggling with mental or physical exhaustion from taking care of a patient 24 hours a day
- Caregivers that would wish to attend a family event like a wedding, graduation, birth, funeral, etc.
- Caregivers that become ill and can no longer take care of the individual.
Who Receives Respite Care?
Members of the hospice service team, that are in a position to detect the signs of caregiver burnout, can request the team physician to provide an order to check a patient into a Medicare-endorsed facility. Caregivers, on their own volition, can also request respite care for an individual to take a little time for themselves. Many caregivers are apprehensive to do so; however, this is reckless.
Caregivers that take time for themselves come back better able to take on their responsibilities. Respite care can additionally be beneficial for the patient. The fact that their hospice team can call on a day and night facility to fulfill their needs provides some patients with a sense of autonomy, and a reaffirmed appreciation of their caregiver following the break.
To acquire the most from respite care, plan in advance. Subject to your hospice agency, there could be a minimal cost, maybe 5% of the expense of care. Ask questions ahead of time. After that plan on how you are going to use your respite time. It is recommended that caregivers take regular and adequate respite periods and make this an essential and meaningful break from the caregiving routine.
Continuing Care
Through respite care, the hospice service team is going to continue to accelerate the patient’s care plan, while the facility staff still provides the care that would have been provided by the family caregiver. This type of care can be offered periodically, guaranteeing that the caregiver can rest and enjoy time away with knowledge that their loved one is well taken care of.
Not every caregiver requires up to five days and nights to appreciate a break in caregiving responsibilities. Relief can usually be found through shorter breaks. Whereas a hospice care team member or trustworthy friend is visiting a patient, the patient’s caregiver could use that time for running errands, taking a walk or meeting up with friends.
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