Aging comes with its own share of
problems, the primary being failing health and battling a number of age-related
health concerns, which could range from arthritis, mobility issues to heart related
illnesses to failing physical vigour and facing physical handicaps to loss of
memory to conditions, such as depression, dementia, or Parkinson’s disease or
Alzheimer's disease. These age-related disorders and health conditions can
hamper the daily living of the elderly population by making them incapable of
performing everyday mundane activities, such as bathing, clothing oneself,
moving around the house, cooking, getting out of the house to buy basic
necessities or even moving around the house or to washroom. Most of the elderly
require a caregiver who can either be a loved one, a family member or a caring
friend or it could even be a professional caregiver appointed to be of service
and assistance to the elder member at all hours and for all their needs.
However, the caregivers also require a
break from caring for the elderly either to attend to their own
responsibilities or to take a holiday or simply to take some off time from
their daily duties and responsibilities.
For situations like these, places such
as respite
care Camberwell are present, which can
step in to provide some respite to the caregivers and also ensure the elderly
are given the needed care and attention they require. Respite care centres are
places that act as a home for the elderly when their own caregivers are away
for whatever reasons. The elderly can either stay there for some part of the
day, a few days or even several weeks depending on the situation. These care
centres have trained nursing staff and attendants to provide the care and
attention that the elderly require.
Advantages
of respite care
● A winning situation for
both the elderly and the caregivers
Looking after the loved ones at home can
be a rewarding and satisfying experience for the caregivers, but at the same
time it can be a very challenging and demanding experience that can leave the
caregiver exhausted. Respite centers provide the much-needed rest and downtime
from the daily routine for the caregivers and at the same time ensuring that
the loved elderly family member is given the same loving care in comfortable
living conditions.
● Attend to other
responsibilities
The time away from caring
for the elderly family
member can help the caregivers with the time and energy to attend to their
other responsibilities whether it is their children, a part time job or any
other responsibility which might not be given the needed time and attention
while caring for the family member.
● Social interaction and
engagement
For both the caregivers and those who
require the health
and age care, they are quite cut off from the outside world. The elderly are
unable to get out on their own and the caregivers are made to curb their
interactions outside owing to the time and attention that the elderly require.
A respite care center provides opportunities to engage socially for both the
parties. The elderly can meet similar aged individuals and feel invigorated by
meeting and socially interacting with others and also by participating in
activities, such as board games, discussions or even an assisted picnic. The
caregivers on the other hand can interact with the outside world without the
niggling worry of the elderly member. These are some advantages of respite care
facilities.
