Family caregivers and dementia care providers, we salute you! We know what a selfless lifestyle you’ve undertaken to provide ongoing care for your senior loved one at home, and the many benefits he or she is enjoying with the opportunity to age in place where it’s most comfortable. But we also know how trying it can be at times, and how crucial it is to ensure that you’re not only taking good care of your senior loved one – but of yourself, too.
Very often, family members feel as though they’re the only ones who can provide the best care for an older adult. After all, they know the person better than anyone else, the ins and outs of his or her personality, likes, dislikes, and interests. The idea of entrusting that person’s care to someone else can involve a variety of feelings: guilt, trust, uncertainty, anxiety, just to name a few.
At Compassionate Nursing Services, we understand that emotions can run high when managing care for a loved one, and in deciding whether to allow another to share in care responsibilities. We also know how important it is for caregivers to build a strong network of support, carving out regular, ongoing time for self-care. There’s a reason airline personnel tell us to put our own oxygen mask on first before helping another – the better care we take of ourselves, the better equipped we are to care for another.
That’s why we offer trusted, professional respite care for family caregivers, customized to each family’s specific needs. In some cases, the family’s primary caregiver needs just a couple of hours each week to pick up groceries and run other errands, to take care of personal medical appointments, or to relax over lunch with a friend or simply a chance to sit outside with a good book. Others, particularly those providing care for specialized needs like dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, may benefit more from daily respite, especially during the nighttime hours if sundowning or other sleep issues come into play.
Compassionate Nursing Services of St. Louis partners with families – never “taking over,” but providing a seamless level of high quality care by adhering to what works best to keep older adults safe, comfortable, and thriving. We listen to each family’s specific needs, create a plan of care to address those needs, and update ongoing as needs change.
If you’d like to explore ways to improve quality of life for your senior loved one by allowing much-needed time to care for yourself, call Compassionate Nursing Services at 314-432-4312 for a free in-home consultation and learn more about the best respite care St. Louis has to offer.