Respite Care To The Rescue

I just ordered respite care to provide help while one of our caregivers is on vacation. I requested help from 6PM till midnight for two consecutive evenings. The State of Illinois Department on Aging provides every household with 80 hours of respite care at no charge. Typically, I order the service during the holidays to give a break to our caregivers.

Fortunately, the agency who provides home health care service for us is one of the qualifying respite care agencies. Therefore, they send a caregiver who is already trained to know my parents’ needs and the household set up.

Assisting the 50 million Americans who provide unpaid help to family members, Respite Care has become the most widely requested form of help by caregivers is.

What is Respite Care?

Respite is defined as "an interval of temporary relief or rest." Respite care provides the primary caregiver time away from their care duties to promote well-being for both the caregiver and person with ALS and helps prevent caregiver burnout. It allows the primary caregiver time for rest, an opportunity to participate in social activities and/or to take care of necessary business, so that they can return to caregiving with a renewed sense of well-being.


According to the AARP Family caregivers provide 80% of long-term care in the US, a level of care valued at $350 billion a year, more than what is spent on nursing home and paid home care combined. Even though most families take great joy in providing care to their loved ones so that they can remain at home, the physical, emotional and financial consequences can be overwhelming without some support, such as respite. Respite provides the much needed temporary break from the often exhausting challenges imposed by constant caregiving.


Fortunately, The Lifespan Respite Task Force, a coalition of over 170 national, state, and local organizations, succeeded in signing of The Lifespan Respite Care Act of 2006 (HR 3248) into law. The new law would authorize $289 million over five years for state grants to develop Lifespan Respite Programs to help families access quality, affordable respite care. Lifespan respite programs are defined in the Act "as coordinated systems of accessible, community-based respite care services for family caregivers of children and adults with special needs." Specifically, the law authorizes funds for: development of state and local lifespan respite programs, planned or emergency respite care services, training and recruitment of respite care workers and volunteers, and caregiver training.

Develop a Respite Caregiver Checklist


Before bring a respite worker into your loved one’s home, develop a caregiver checklist that helps guide them on the best care and on how respond in case of emergency.


You may want to include the following categories in your checklist:
--Emergency Contacts
--General Medical Condition Information
--Medication Requirements
--Advanced Directives
--Food and Feeding Preferences
--Medical Equipment in Use
--Household Rules

Good Luck!