There is no doubt in the fact that caring for a loved one can be a very rewarding and pleasant experience. But at the same time it can also be a bit difficult and exhausting too. Whether you are caring for a baby or an elder person, as a care taker it is important for you to take short term breaks so that you can fulfill your duties without any stress and problems.

Respite care is a term used to describe such short term breaks. There are many different models of delivering respite care. Adhering to the right model is very important for both the patient and the care taker. In the absence of proper respite care it has been noticed that care takers tend to neglect their duties. In contrast to this if the care taker is allowed adequate time-off then the whole experience turns out to be a positive one.

• In-home respite:

A lot of people prefer in-home care for their loved ones. The reasons are obvious. The patient is saved from the inconvenience of transportation and unfamiliar environments. But in-home care also poses some problems. The care taker might have a job to go to or some other matters to attend. So what can be done in such a situation? The in-home respite model answers this question.

As a care taker if you find yourself in a difficult position where you are not getting enough time for yourself then you can hire a professional or call a friend or a family member to look after the care receiver while you are away. Depending on the state policies, Medicaid or Medicare can also be used in order to cover up the costs of hiring a temporary caregiver.

• Specialized respite facility:

At times, due to your work or some other pressing matter, you might be required to go out of town for some time. So who will look after the care receiver? Of course you can ask the temporary caregiver to fill in the spot until your return but a lot of people are uncomfortable with the idea of allowing an unknown person to stay in your home in your absence.

In such situations you can shift the care receiver to a specialized facility that will look after the care receiver until your return. Shifting the care receiver to a specialized facility is definitely going to be a bit expensive as compared to in-home respite. But it has the advantage of having professionally trained care takers and access to better health care services.

• Therapeutic adult day care:

What if you have a small nuclear family and a full time job to take care of? In such a condition it’s not possible to be present with the care receiver at all times. You can ask for leave from your boss but this is not a permanent solution. Sooner or later you’d be required to return to your job. For such people Therapeutic adult day care is the only solution. In this model you hire a professional who looks after the care receiver during your office hours.

This article is written by Tom Samuels. Tom is student in South Boston. He also works part time as a caretaker. In this article he shared his views on respite care.