What is Respite Care?
Respite care is a short-term care option for older adults primarily at assisted living communities who require assistance with daily activities. Lasting from a few days to a few months, respite care offers family caregivers a chance to attend to personal needs and other responsibilities knowing their parent or loved one will receive the highest quality care in a warm and welcoming environment.
Who is Respite Care For?
Respite care services primarily cater to family caregivers who need temporary relief from caregiving responsibilities. Caregiving for a loved one is rewarding, but can also be challenging and lead to burnout. Respite care also benefits seniors by providing them with a supportive, safe, and empowering community where they can receive care from skilled team members, join a variety of activities, and maintain the independence and level of care they’re used to.
Benefits of Respite Care
With respite care, seniors can maintain their preferred lifestyle while getting support tailored to their needs. Care plans are personalized so each day aligns with the person’s values and choices. Caregivers can pursue their own goals and focus on their wellbeing while seniors can explore new activities and meet other people.
Respite Care Examples
There are several different types of respite care for seniors based on a senior or caregiver’s preferences or needs.
- In-home Respite Care: trained caregivers provide temporary relief to primary caregivers. They assist with medication management, companionship, daily activities, and more.
- Hospice Respite Care: This kind of care provides relief for caregivers of terminally ill seniors in hospice. This allows the primary caregiver a break while the senior receives specialized end-of-life support.
- Respite Care for Caregivers: This type of care offers caregivers the opportunity to take vacations, focus on personal goals, or enjoy time off from the responsibility of caregiving. Caregivers can catch up with friends and other family, recharge, and maintain their health and wellbeing. Caregiver burnout and guilt is all too real. Giving the gift of respite to a family member can give them a much needed break.
- Residential Respite Care: Seniors who use this type of care will stay in an assisted living community for a short-term period. Seniors receive 24/7 care, support, and have the ability to participate in social and recreational activities.
Short-term Respite Care vs. Long-Term Respite Care
The length of a respite care stay can vary depending on the needs of the caregiver and the senior they care for. Short-term respite is temporary relief for a caregiver to rest or attend to personal matters. Seniors receive the high quality of care they’re used to with the added bonus of scheduled activities and socialization. Long term respite refers to week or month long stays at a community that allow a caregiver extended time to focus on other parts of their lives.
Paying for Respite Care
Depending on location and duration of stay, respite care costs can vary. For reference, independent living stays start at $85/day, assisted living at $140/day, and memory care at $200/day. Unfortunately, respite care assisted living care costs are not considered medical in nature and are therefore not covered by Medicare. In some states, Medicaid can be used to cover housing-related costs for low-income seniors who meet eligibility requirements. You can get more specific information on these benefits and other coverage details from your state’s Department of Health or Department of Aging.
What’s Included in Five Star Respite Care Services?
As a caregiver, you may need to plan a trip, attend to personal matters, take care of your health, or take a much-needed break from the mental and physical demands of caretaking. Respite care with Five Star Senior Living guarantees you or your loved one a sense of autonomy and empowerment. Respite stay guests have the same access to dining, Lifestyle 360 events, Five Star’s Montessori-based Bridge to Rediscovery dementia care program, and more that full-time residents enjoy.
Don’t wait to take time for yourself—find a community with respite care near you.
Contact Us Today
"*" indicates required fields