Caring for the Carers: How Temporary Relief Revitalises Families

Behind every person living with a disability or age-related needs, it is a carer giving tireless support. Carers are often family members, partners or friends who give it all emotionally, mentally, and physically to give the individuals they support the best quality of life they can. While caring can be a wonderful thing, it can also be a lot of hard work and can be tiring, draining and stressful. These feelings shouldn’t be a surprise. Having access to temporary support is key, not only for the betterment of the individual receiving care, but the care worker as well.

In this article we will discuss relief, which is something that is often overlooked when it comes to care giving. We will explore in detail how short term breaks can have a marked impact on the long term outcome of care, we will discuss the various forms of support, and we will highlight how services of this kind ultimately empower carers and community.

The Conditions of Everyday Carers

Carers are often juggling multiple roles, particularly informal carers. They might be a nurse, companion, driver, and coordinator all at once. The answer to that is probably yes if you ask whether they will arrange and coordinate appointments, manage medications, assist with personal hygiene, provide emotional support, and also go to work, or look after family or household responsibilities.

Yet for all the abuse of caregivers, their recognition and support is often absent. Caregivers may deny their own needs out of guilt or obligation, which can have the following consequences:

• Mental fatigue and depression
• Physical exhaustion or health problems
• Social isolation
• Strain in relationship with others

Carers Australia research indicates that about 40% of caregivers experience high levels of psychological distress. These numbers highlight a critical need for support solutions at a systemic level.

Breaks Are Not A Luxury. Breaks Are A Necessity

It’s understandable to feel that time off is perceivingly ingrained when someone depends on you. More importantly, supporting breaks for caregivers is paramount for sustainable care. Supporting breaks for caregivers can provide many benefits:

• Improved mental clarity and decision making
• Renewed energy to provide quality care
• Strengthened family connections
• Lowered healthcare risks for both caregiver and intended

More importantly these breaks send a vital message; you care enough to qualify the care you offer, caregivers are seen, supported and valued.

Recognizing Short-term Care Options

There are many types of support available for caregivers, from a couple of hours to a couple of days or weeks. Services differ by provider, location and level of care required. A few common formats are explained below.

1. In-home Care

A professional support worker will go to the person’s home and take over care for a set time. This option is useful when someone receiving care is more comfortable in that environment. Depending on the person’s needs, the support worker can provide personal care, offer companionship, prepare meals, or facilitate medication use.

2. Day Centres

Day centres are community options that offer people with disabilities and seniors a supervised atmosphere for activities, social interaction and if necessary, medical care during the day and can allow time for caregivers to either pay bills, run errands or simply take a break from caregiving.

3. Overnight or Weekend Services

There are occasions where the person being cared for may need supervision 24/7. In these situations, overnight services will provide services that offer 24/7 coverage and provide care without leaving the caregiver to care for extended periods. Overnight or weekend services can be provided in the home or in a separate facility.

4. Residential Stays

When a caregiver requires extensive time off for reasons such as travel, health, or burnout, respite is used in a residential setting, where rent is paid for full-time accommodation and care. This is where short term respite care is vital to achieve comprehensive and safe support.

How These Services Assist in Strengthening Care Plans

Asking for temporary care support in a care plan long-term i.e., for lifelong does not mean it is less effective, it means it is more effective. Such services create time for caregivers to meet their needs, meaning that they can provide better quality long-term care. In the meantime, care recipients gain value from engaging within different environments, professionals, and peers.

This is beneficial to both parties creating independence and development in care recipients whilst empowering carers to thrive in their capacity for a long time.

Funding and Access Considerations in Australia

In Australia, the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and My Aged Care provide a number of different funding packages which can cover relief for carers. Although eligibility for funding relies on the participant’s individual plan or needs assessment, many participants can access this support under Core Supports or Social and Community Participation budgets.

Also, many nonprofit sectors and community centres may also offer subsidised or even free service for care, so people requiring short breaks can utilise these options.

Making the Right Decision for Your Circumstances

Every care journey is different, and the kind of relief that satisfies one family may not satisfy another. Things to think about when selecting a service include the following:

• What level of care is needed: Do they require only basic supervision or medical care?
• Familiarity with the carers: Do they adjust better with a support worker already known to them or are they able to adjust to strangers and new environments?
• Length of break required: Is this just a few hours, overnight or a week?
• Desired location: Would staying at home be less intrusive and more comforting, or would they prefer to get away somewhere new?

These considerations will assist you to determine what is a suitable solution for both the carer and the person in care, so both can feel safe and enjoy the time away.

Barriers & Misconceptions

Despite the clear benefits both from a carer perspective and a care recipient perspective, many care givers remain reluctant to engage temporary solutions. Some of these include the following common barriers.

• Guilt: They may feel they are abandoning their responsibilities.
• Judgement: They fear others will think they can’t cope.
• Distrust: They are concerned about leaving their loved one with someone else.
• Ignorance: They simply don’t know that such services exist or don’t think they are financially accessible.

It is important to dispel these myths and normalise asking for help. Asking for help does not mean the caregiver is failing, it means they are committed to being able to care sustainably.

Role of Providers in the Delivery of Compassionate Support

Quality matters. Families do not only require a transactional service, they want a partner. A provider delivering support similar to respite care service should:

• Use trained-accredited and empathetic staff
• Offer flexible support to ensure individual support can be tailored
• Provide quality of service that includes safety and hygiene
• Be transparent in communication with both caregivers and participants
• Develop ongoing relationships to continue trust and continuity of care.

These underpinning values are behaviours that underpin service for their carers and participants with dignity and respect.

Stories of Inspiration

Let’s use the story of Margaret, a full-time carer for her husband with early-onset dementia. For three years, she did not take one day off. Three years later, Margaret is now attending yoga classes, reading and volunteering in a local library, only having enrolled him in a community day program two days a week. Margaret says “it was the best thing for me and my husband. It made me a better wife and carer. And I can breathe again.”

Or take Jake, for example, a young adult with autism who uses a weekend residential program. His mother, Fiona, indicates this has provided her with peace of mind while Jake has gained social experiences in a new environment. These examples highlight the life-changing ability of short-term support.

Conclusion

Being a caregiver is one of the most complicated and caring roles anyone can take on. It is not meant for you to do this journey alone, and including short-term support options in your care plan enables you to maintain your ability to care, while also improving the quality of life for everyone.

Remember, asking for help is not a sign of weakness but a sign of wisdom, love, and strength. Taking a break is not stepping down from your role, but stepping up for your own wellness.