If you're a caregiver in Suwanee, and need to take time for your own doctor's appointments, treatment, rest, or recovery, respite care offers planned support to help cover care for your older loved one. This is not an option to use only in an emergency. It is an option to provide planned support for your caregiving needs.
Be Proactive With Caregiving for Yourself, Not Just an Emergency
Often, caregivers put off their health needs to fit the health needs of another. A trip to the clinic is a last resort. A workout is scheduled around the next errand. A surgery is put off because someone still needs to be at home to assist.
Respite care in Suwanee could be a good solution to this problem.
With respite care, family caregivers are able to plan time away from caregiving duties, while a care provider supports the older loved one with the agreed upon, non-medical care and support. This coverage can support an appointment, a treatment, rest, or recovery.
I don't advise waiting to the last minute to decide on a care plan. Look at the hours of the day when your family member relies on you the most.
These questions can help clarify if respite care would be beneficial for your family.
Who prepares breakfast or lunch for other family members?
How much assistance does your parent need in getting dressed or completing the morning tasks?
Is there anyone who is present for the company during this time?
What tasks do you normally do during this time?
Does your family member become comfortably distressed when the normal daily routine changes?
What is your latest leaving time and earliest returning time?
The more information you can provide regarding the situation, the more effective the respite care can be for older adult clients while at the same time preserving the older adult client’s routine.
For families still exploring the appropriate support level, Suwanee’s elder care resources are available for comparison.
What the Care Pro Needs to Know Before the Family Caregiver Steps Away
The preparation for a good respite care visit should begin the moment a family caregiver steps away.
The care pro should know the care plan and the older adult’s daily routine. It shouldn’t involve a time-consuming task for the family to prepare a care plan for the care pro. It should be related to the details that actually impact a visit.
I would suggest focusing on
The routine
List the expected daily events in the expected order for your family member.
This may include, but is not limited to, the time to wake up, prepare meals, favorite activities or programs on television, outdoor walks, resting hours, or the evening routine. For some, knowing the routine that will occur every day may provide them comfort during the day.
What the person prefers
It is important to take preferences into account beyond the prescribed tasks.
For instance, what are their food preferences? Are they talkers or are they more reserved? How do they take their support (hands on, hands off)?
These preferences make a world of difference in how their dignity and choice are honored.
What support is part of the Care Plan
Let the Care Pro know exactly what they will be expected to do during your desired time of support.
For example, this could be companionship, meal preparation, light support around the house, assistance with agreed-to daily routines, or non-medical support outlined in the Care Plan. Our additional home care services help families understand what support may be available.
What has changed recently
Inform the Care Pro of anything that may have changed with the normal routine before you go.
Maybe your parents are now eating at different times, maybe they are now using different chairs that they find easier to get in and out of, or maybe they need more assistance with part of their morning routine. The Care Pro does not need to figure out the reasoning behind the new changes. They just need the new information.
How to reach the right person
Decide who should be contacted if you are unable to answer calls to the number provided.
If you are going to be in a meeting and can't receive phone calls, provide another contact so they don't have to wait and wonder what is taking you so long to answer.
How to Create a Reusable Handoff
It becomes easier to do the handoff repeatedly when respite care becomes regular.
Having one written or digital reference that you can update when necessary will be the best solution. It should be made in such a manner that a person would be motivated to follow it.
A straightforward handoff can be:
The schedule for the day: planned or anticipated meals, coming appointments, expected visitors and planned activities.
Visiting obligations: care tasks according to the care plan.
Current observations: any changes that are out of the ordinary and may affect the visit.
Preferences: the older adult's food and activity choices, the way they like to communicate, and daily routines that are important to the older adult.
Contacts: who to call and who is available to take care of the older adult if you cannot be reached.
Follow up: what the family should know when they come back.
The key is regularity.
If you have to remember 10 things when you are running to another appointment, something is bound to be forgotten. A repeatable handoff is important to avoid that.
It will also assist you in eliminating things that do not matter every time you do the handoff.
For example, "Dad likes his lunch at noon" can stay in standing notes, but "My sister will arrive at 2:30 today" can stay in the daily updates.
This makes the handoff simple and easy to follow.
When the Long-Term Care Plan has to Change Because of the Caregiver's Health Needs
As well as filling inconsistent needs, respite care can address regular and predictable gaps, too. However, care needs that become regular, predictable and consistent can also warrant a holistic review of the current Care Plan.
For example, plans should be reviewed again if your care need used to be just a single occurrence and now is happening twice a week over many weeks. Similarly, if your recovery means you cannot perform your previous roles and responsibilities, plans should also be reviewed again.
I would particularly observe the following:
You are consistently cancelling healthcare appointments because you are unable to arrange coverage.
Your short respite care visits are no longer adequate, and have to be extended multiple times.
Your other family members are leaving work to manage the gap in your care.
Your parent now requires care that you were providing solo previously.
Your health practitioner has placed restrictions on the physical activities you are allowed to perform.
You now rely on last minute arrangements, instead of a planned and predictable schedule.
These changes will not indicate an automatic need for full day care. Maybe just a few planned visits over the week will guard against the gaps.
The aim is to provide the support that is actually needed, instead of doing what is assumed.
When working with our Home Instead team in Gainesville, we encourage the Caregiver to outline their schedule as it stands, and make sure the Care Plan addresses the Older Adult's preferences.
Like with all forms of care, it is important to know the boundaries of non-medical home care, and respite care is no exception. Respite care is not a substitute for a nurse, home health care, or medical care. Should the person you care for require services of a clinical nature, it is the family’s duty to arrange for those services as needed, while the non-medical home care is available to provide much needed daily support.
FAQ About Respite Care in Suwanee
Can respite care in Suwanee be scheduled for a doctor’s appointment?
Yes. As long as the respite care visit is arranged to provide the older adult support when the family caregiver is going to be absent (for instance, to go to the doctor), the Care Plan will need to outline the non-medical support to the older adult during that period of time that the caregiver is absent.
Do I have to wait until I am exhausted before arranging respite care?
No. Respite care can be arranged way before you are absolutely exhausted or at the burnout stage. Scheduled coverage for your family member's appointments, treatments, exercise, rest, or recovery can make your family member's care more predictable.
What should I leave for the Care Pro before I go?
Your normal routine, Care Plan tasks, changes to the routine, the older adult's preferences and any special instructions, as well as contact information, are standards to leave with the Care Pro. Keep your care plan instructions to the older adult as brief and as consistent as possible.
Can a Care Pro manage medical treatment while I am away?
Non-medical home care is not a substitute for home health care or nursing care. Care Pros are to follow the Care Plan agreed to, and are not expected to provide clinical care, nursing, or medical services which require a licensed health care professional.
Our case managers are able to make Case Plan adjustments to meet the needs of households if your recovery takes longer than anticipated to take up to several weeks. If your recovery will extend beyond your ability to fulfill your usual caregiver role for several weeks, a change in schedule or provision of additional care may be warranted.
Should my parent be engaged in respite care arrangement?
Engagement in planning for respite care is advocated for if there are no contraindications. You could assess their routine, their care required, and the desired visit structure. Respite care should align with both the care preferences of the older adult and the resident's care needs.
What if I just require respite care infrequently?
It may be sufficient to some extent for some households. The ideal schedule will balance the older adult's care needs and your availability to cover those gaps. It does not need to be an all or nothing decision.
Due to your health needs, if you are unable to fulfill your commitment to caring responsibilities throughout the day, please reach out to our Gainesville office to inquire about respite care services available in Suwanee. We can discuss potential support that may fit your family member's routine. Non-medical home care services may provide the support you need while you are able to take care of your appointments, treatment, or recovery.
About the Author
Matt Cohn has spent more than 25 years helping older adults and families think through care at home. As a Home Instead owner serving Lawrenceville and other communities, he shares practical guidance about senior care, family caregiving, and building support around each person's routines and preferences.
