Vacation for the Caregiver?

Posted by nana59 @nana59, Jul 14 5:47am

I need to be present at a court hearing for my Ward's Trust. It will be a hearing for 3 days in another state. I have to be present, no other option, and I can't take my ward with me. So it's not technically a "Vacation". No other family support that can step up for 7-10 days. What have other caregivers done when their absence is required, for whatever reason. Is there a temporary nursing home situation available, do the facilities normally accommodate a short stay? Is it detrimental to the ward, who has dementia, moderate decline state? Does it accelerate the decline if we have him change his environment? I am contemplating getting an in home caretaker, like visiting angels, or a similar organization, but again, do they provide these services on a temporary basis? All these questions, and I will check them out to find my own answers, but I am wondering what others have done. Some alternative suggestions that perhaps I am not thinking about. Anybody care to help me "think outside the box" with suggestions?

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judimahoney | @judimahoney | Jul 15 8:08am

I saw an ad on TV last night for New Horizons visiting in-home caregivers: nhcares.com
I have not used them.
Good luck! 🏵

mm180 | @mm180 | Jul 15 8:28am

@nana59 one option to explore is someone that you can trust to stay at the house with him. Offering to pay the friend of family member (or friend of a friend, etc.) might help increase the likelihood of a “yes”. I haven’t used them but Care.com might be an option to explore for respite care in your area also?

thereaklenb | @thereaklenb | Jul 15 6:28pm

I know that some memory care facilities offer ‘respite care’ which is open ended (days, weeks, months). The one where my wife was staying provided all of the apartment furniture and would dispense her medications. Good luck.

Fred | @fred1 | Jul 16 8:25am

As was recommended by "thereaklenb" above, depending where you live, as in NJ, where I am, there are a number of facilities that do accommodate short term stays. Your best bet, I think, would be to contact your county or state senior citizen office for recommendations, save you the time of looking up and contacting local facilities. Of course you could always hire a professional agency to take care of your ward, if possible. All the best to you, hope all turns out positive.

marie | @jeanmanning | Jul 16 9:11am

Absent family or friend who can step up, you have 3 options: Assisted Living facilities, private caregiver, and agency in-home caregiver. Assisted Living Communities have “respite care,” and often there’s a minimum stay of a week or 2. For the 2 in-home caregiver options, the private one will be less expensive, but they will not be vetted, and you’ll need to file paperwork for taxes and pay the requirements. Agencies will handle that, but they’re more expensive, and most of them vet their employees. In either case, I suggest that before you allow a caregiver to stay overnight, you should have the person stay with your spouse for 4 hours as a test case. It’s best to get recommendations from someone who has used the caregiver. If you can, install cameras in your house so you can watch what’s going on. Ceiling cameras are best because they can’t be moved and they capture the room, but table cameras are cheaper and are an option. My experience is that yes the person declines in assisted living but bounces back about 80% after a few weeks at home. There are no perfect options for your spouse, but you need options for yourself also.

nana59 | @nana59 | Jul 19 7:17pm

In reply to @jeanmanning "Absent family or friend who can step up, you have 3 options: Assisted Living facilities, private..." + (show)

@jeanmanning My DIL volunteered to step up and care for Dad while I was absent. I just have to show her how to give the insulin injections (she does her dog's insulin injections) so it's not going to be a big learning curve. In addition I will arrange for visiting angels (or something similar) to come in for 4 hours every day to take care of the bathing, dressing, etc to get the day started. I think I've got it covered, absent any last minute changes. Thanks for all the suggestions.