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.

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Being a caregiver for a spouse or family member is a full-time job that can be fulfilling and rewarding, while at the same time be physically and emotionally difficult. Caregivers often balance their support for a loved one with personal commitments and career obligations. In these scenarios, short term care can be a valuable solution to provide respite and support for both seniors and loved ones.

Whether it’s a few days, weeks, or months, short term senior care lets everyone recharge and feel refreshed and renewed. For caregivers, short term care can offer time for self-care or a chance to catch up with other important people in their lives, or simply to take a break and avoid caregiver burnout. This can benefit seniors too by giving them a supportive environment that is tailored to their unique needs.

Why might someone choose short term senior care?

Recovery from an illness or injury

Short term senior care is one of the best ways for seniors to recover from a surgery or to recover from an illness. The professional supervision, easy access to physical and occupational therapies, and emotional support provide a smooth transition from a hospital to home. Five Star’s rehab and fitness partner Ageility offers classes and personalized plans inside Five Star communities so short term guests can recover and enjoy the community and comfort of senior living.

Try out a senior living community

Why not try before you buy? Seniors who try short term care can get experience firsthand with senior living services, amenities, and activities. Additionally, seniors get the opportunity to meet community team members and residents to see if the community meets their needs and preferences. Communities like Five Star offer holistic programs like Lifestyle 360 that design activities around social, intellectual, physical, emotional, and spiritual wellness.

Respite for caregivers

Caregivers receive a range of benefits from short term senior care like reduced stress, time for personal commitments, and support from professionals. The breaks that caregivers receive from short term care allow for self-care which, in turn, improves their overall wellbeing and capacity to provide long term care for their loved one.

Peace of mind

When an older adult stays in short term senior care, their caregiver can have peace of mind that their loved one will receive the best care and support from a community’s talented team members.

Seasonal stays

By scheduling a seasonal short term stay caregivers can have the flexibility to travel if needed. Seniors also benefit by getting to experience specialized activities and to explore new environments, climates, and cultures—all while getting personalized healthcare monitoring, medication management, and much more.

What types of short term senior care are available?

Respite care

Respite offers temporary relief to caregivers and provides support for seniors. It can range from days to weeks to allow caregivers to take a break while their loved one receives the care they need.

Short term independent living

This is a great option for seniors who want to take a vacation or have a home-like environment to recover from an injury or illness. Independent living features customized activities, nutritious dining, chances to socialize with other seniors, and much more all wrapped up in one stay. These stays typically last a few days or a week.

Short term assisted living

These short term assisted living stays are for seniors who may need assistance with some activities of daily living, but still live independently. These activities of daily living can range from medication management to personal care. These stays are also for a few days to a week.

Home health care

Seniors can also enjoy short term care right at home. Home health care provides skilled professionals with medical care, medication management, and therapies on a temporary basis. Services like Windsong Home Health Services can bring the best in nursing care right to your door.

Learn More About Short Term Senior Care Options at Five Star Today

Short term senior care is a valuable resource for both seniors and caregivers by offering respite, support, and personalized services for the wellbeing of everyone.

With Five Star’s short term and respite, guests can enjoy the same engaging activities, personalized care, and fellowship as full time residents. Explore our communities so you can enjoy a happier and healthier caregiving journey. You deserve it and your loved one deserves the best care possible.

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