by Mary Ann McGuirk
Educating oneself on where to look and how to get the best respite services for your child with a disability is essential. Asking the right questions and gathering information helps in making the right decision when choosing a respite provider. Respite care is a priority if you can answer “yes” to several questions:
- Is it essential that you and your spouse enjoy an evening out on the town without the responsibility of taking your child with a disability?
- Do you need a break from everyday commitments to relax and refresh?
- In the case of an emergency, do you worry about leaving your child with others?
- Do you avoid going out because you don’t want to ask friends and family to care for your child?
For many, the challenge of caring for a child with a disability is part of daily life. It can be a demanding and difficult job and asking for help is essential for your health.
Planning for Respite Care:
Don’t wait until you feel isolated, exhausted and totally overwhelmed to look for respite care. Your choices may be quite limited at that point if you are in a critical situation. As a parent/caregiver, you must analyze your needs as well as those of your child.
- Do you need help with transportation?
- Assistance with medical issues such as eating and giving medications?
- What part of the day is most important to receive respite?
- Is exercise and social outings necessary for mental stimulation?
- Should I hire my own respite provider or go through an agency?
Answering these questions will help you when exploring respite possibilities.
Types of Respite Services:
Services can vary depending on the provider, the needs of the family and monetary resources.
- In-Home respite care: Family members and friends may be your first choice, but it can also be overwhelming for them. If they are able to help out when you run an errand, go away for the weekend, or spend time with your other children, let them know how much you appreciate them. A trained employee of an agency can come to your home on an ongoing basis, sit with your loved one and assist with daily living skills such as bathing, dressing and feeding. Some agencies also provide skilled health care to help with medical needs.
- Out-of-Home respite care: Camps and day centers can be a positive experience because of the social stimulation. Also, some agency employees may be able to take your child to restaurants, movies and other community outings. Some residential facilities (such as group homes and apartments) have a certain number of beds set aside for short-term respite.
Respite care not only affords caregivers a break, but also gives the child a change in his or her daily routine. It can provide the child opportunities to build new relationships and move toward independence (NICHCY, 1996).
The type of respite that is a good match for your family depends on what is available in your community as well as your family’s individual needs and preferences. Families often are concerned about who will be caring for their child as well as the quality of that care. If your family is to have peace of mind when leaving your child in the care of a respite provider, it is important to take the time to find the right match for your family. Always include your child in the screening process to ensure that everyone is comfortable and that your child’s needs are respected.
Questions to ask when looking for a respite provider:
- Do you provide in home respite and out of home respite?
- What trainings do your providers receive? Does that include CPR/First Aid Training?
- What qualifications are required for respite workers?
- Can I suggest additional trainings to meet specific family needs?
- Am I able to interview the provider prior to signing on?
- Can I hire my own worker?
- Can I request the same respite person every time?
- What procedures do you have in place for emergencies?
- Can the provider care for my other child (ren)?
- How are employees screened? Are they required to provide references?
- How, and by whom, are the respite providers supervised?
- What is the cost of the services?
Paying for respite care:
Respite care can be very expensive and some families may think services are unattainable, especially in today’s challenging economy. However, thinking creatively can uncover significant resources:
- Contact high school and college professionals. Students who will be majoring in fields such as education, nursing and psychology often relish the opportunity to gain experience.
- Ask the local Rotary or Lions clubs if they know of anyone who might want to volunteer to sit with your child.
- Some programs operated by non-profit organizations receive donations which can be accessed.
Many programs receive public funding for their services. Some use a sliding scale to charge the appropriate fees based on the income of the family. Some traditional funding sources for respite care are:
- Insurance: Medical insurance typically only covers respite care if nurses or other medical professionals are involved. Long Term a gift of time that will be most appreciated.Care policies can fund services but usually have restrictions on the amount of time used as well as a dollar limit.
- Medicaid: Medicaid does not fund respite directly, but some states use waivers to utilize federal funds to make up for respite costs for residents with specific disabilities, such as and Intellectual disability.
- SSI: Patients with disability coverage could be eligible for respite care. Call your local Social Security office to verify.
Finding and implementing good respite care takes a lot of time and effort … you’ve just taken the first step in educating yourself by reading this article!
