Family bonds are some of the strongest relationships that exist, and for many of us there’s nothing we want more than to care for our aging parents in their own homes. In some cases family members can share responsibilities and spend the time necessary to check in on loved ones, monitor prescriptions and be there for transportation needs. But sometimes the amount of care necessary can become too burdensome for one or even more than one family member to take on themselves.

Respite care is a great way to provide your loved ones with quality health care assistance while allowing them the comfort of staying in their own home. Piedmont Home Care has a friendly, compassionate staff of qualified professionals ready to help your loved ones and ease some of your burdens. You might be ready to reach out for professional help if any of the following apply to your situation.

You’re not able to leave your loved one alone. For people suffering from Alzheimer’s or dementia, as those diseases progress it can be more and more dangerous to leave loved ones at home alone. There’s the chance they might turn on the stove to make a meal and then walk away from the kitchen and forget the stove is on, or go out for a walk and not find their way home. Or you might be caring for a loved one who is suffering from osteoporosis to the extent where any risk of fall could be dangerous. Respite care is designed especially for these situations, to give you a break from the responsibility of 24-hour care. You’re only a good caregiver if you are also taking care of yourself, and it’s better for your mental health to get out and socialize or run errands and spend some time away from your loved one.

You want your loved one to maintain dignity in aging. Respite care not only provides companionship and services such as meal planning and transportation, our skilled CNAs can also help with medication management, personal hygiene and continence care. Every case is different, sometimes parents would rather not have their own children helping them in and out of the shower or worrying about catheter bags. When a home health professional can help with those duties, it frees you up to spend time doing things you enjoy with your loved one, such as putting puzzles together, watching ACC games on TV, or preparing meals.

You’re feeling impatient or depressed. Being on-call 24 hours a day is stressful. When the commitment is full time, it’s not unusual for caregivers to find themselves getting short on patience and exhibiting frustrations with their loved ones. You might even feel depressed, brought on by isolation and frustration in your caregiver role. If you’re showing signs of depression such as fatigue, trouble sleeping, feelings of sadness or emptiness, loss of interest in normal activities, change in appetite or weight loss or guilt about things that aren’t your fault, it might be time to seek help. Getting someone to share the burden of caring for your loved one is just the first step. You should also schedule time with a counselor to get professional help for your own mental health.

If you’re interested in learning more about the services provided by Piedmont Home Care, call us today at (336) 724-1197 for a consultation. We provide convenient, compassionate care for families in Winston-Salem, Greensboro, and throughout the Piedmont Triad region.