Respite

What is Respite?

Respite is planned or emergency support to provide family/primary caregivers with a short break from the exceptional demands of caring for individuals with complex needs across the lifespan. 

Do you provide care and assistance to someone who needs help with daily living? Whether you provide care for a parent, child, spouse, sibling or loved one due to aging, disability or a chronic condition, you are a caregiver. You may have become a caregiver suddenly and without warning, or perhaps your role evolved slowly over time.

Do you find the care tasks prevent you from doing things you want or need to do to have a healthy and balanced lifestyle? Is it getting difficult to maintain your social and family relationships or to be involved in your community because of the care you provide? Respite can help restore and strengthen your ability to continue providing care for your loved one.

• Respite is temporary care that relieves primary caregivers from their caregiving responsibilities. The length of a respite break depends on your personal situation. It might be a couple of hours to go shopping, have a medical appointment, take a nap, visit friends, exercise, or enjoy a recreational or community activity. Or it might be a couple of days or weeks to tend to personal business, participate in a special event or take a vacation.
• Caregivers can choose between in-home respite and out-of-home respite options.
• Respite is a resource to not only help ensure the health and well-being of you as a caregiver, but also for your family as a whole. The care you provide is important. It is equally important to take a break and rejuvenate.
• The benefits of respite care are life changing when it comes to reducing stress and anxiety, strengthening and preserving families, ensuring caregivers have time to care for their own health, empowering families to stay involved in their communities and delaying out-of-home placements.