Rest and Respite: Options for You and Your Family
If you are among the millions of Americans who care for children at home as well as parents who need assistance, you know how difficult it can be to plan a family vacation. Holidays or the end of the school year can mean a change in schedules, and such changes can be difficult to juggle.
Even if you don’t have children at home anymore, vacationing away from your parents can seem like a source of stress rather than a time of restoration. It can be difficult to relax when you’re constantly wondering if Mom is okay.
Choosing Respite
The term “respite care” is well understood by senior living providers, but many consumers do not realize what respite care is or how it can benefit them.
“Respite care is a short-term stay in a retirement community, an assisted living community, or even a skilled nursing facility,” explains Jackie Terpstra of Victorian Village, a Providence Life Services community in Crete, Illinois. “It can be a big help for families who have summer vacation plans that require travel, and they’re worried about leaving Mom and Dad on their own.”
Providence Life Services offers respite care at our locations in Michigan and Illinois. “Guests have access to all our amenities and activities,” says Jeff Zylstra, Community Manager at Royal Park Place and Royal Atrium Inn in Zeeland, Michigan. “The fitness room, any scheduled entertainment, and services from our staff — these are all available to respite guests. It’s actually like a vacation for Mom or Dad while you’re away!”
For Yourself and Your Family
Providence staff recognize that respite care is a ministry — important for the good of the caregiver as well as the rest of the family. And it doesn’t have to be an extended vacation in order to begin seeing benefits. A few days of relief may be all you need to restore perspective, catch up on sleep, and come back to caregiving renewed and refreshed.
You Come to Us, or We’ll Come to You!
At most Providence locations, respite care in a retirement or assisted living community includes:
- a stay in a gracious private room
- restaurant-style meals prepared by on-site chefs
- social activities
- personal attention from care staff
Providence also offers in-home respite care through our Providence At Home division. A trained caregiver can check in on your parents for an hour or two each day, or as a full-time, live-in aide while you’re away.
Just What You Need
If having your parents travel with you this summer (or during any holiday season) is not an option, respite care may be just what you and your family need. But interested families should call as soon as possible, since a limited number of respite rooms are available at each location.
