Vacation is a time to break from the daily grind and unwind. But as a caregiver, you may wonder, "Am I selfish to want to leave my parent at home?"
No matter how guilty you feel, a break from caregiving may be just what you need to recharge your life. Making arrangements to ensure your loved gets excellent care while you're away will help to alleviate some of that guilt.
You may not have a friend or relative who is able or willing to take over caregiving duties while you're away. However, there are other options for elder care. AgingCare.com spoke with two elder-care experts on two of these options, home health care and a temporary stay in an assisted-living facility.
Home Care. Home health care workers can live-in while the caregiver is away, or simply visit the home for a few hours a day, depending on your loved one's needs. This can be the best choice for a parent who is most comfortable in a familiar home environment.
Renata Gelman, a registered nurse and clinical manager for Partners in Care, an affiliate of The Visiting Nurse Service of New York, said that home health care services can help with bathing, meal preparation, medications or transportation. If your loved one needs skilled medical care, such as infusion therapy, catheter care or injections, make sure the agency has licensed nurses.
Ms. Gelman recommends an in-home visit with the home health agency before leaving for vacation. The agency can assess the elder and create an appropriate care plan. "Interview several aides, and choose the ones you feel would be a good fit," she said. "You're not just hiring an agency, you're hiring the person."
The home health agency should provide a list of all the information they need from you, such as cell phone numbers, hotels where you will be staying, contact information for a backup person who lives nearby, medication information and allergies.
The average cost of a home health aide is $21 per hour, according to the 2010 MetLife Survey of Long-Term Care Costs. Fees vary depending on your location and the services provided.
Temporary stay at assisted living. Many assisted living facilities throughout the country offer temporary stays in fully furnished apartments. Seniors need only bring clothes, toiletries and a few personal mementos to make them feel at home.
Atria Senior Living calls its temporary stays "retreats." "The senior enjoys the same amenities as our full-time residents, including restaurant-style meals, social activities, scheduled transportation service, in-room emergency call systems and around-the-clock staff availability," said John Hartmayer, Atria's regional vice president. Atria also does the same assessment of the senior's personal needs that they would do for a full-time resident.
However, there are some limitations. The minimum stay at Atria is 30 days, and the fee is not covered by Medicare. Daily fees for temporary stays range from $170 to $300, depending on the care plan, location and size of the apartment, Mr. Hartmayer says.
Whichever option you choose, if you keep in touch-- by phone, video phone or Skype--you will have more peace of mind. Also, make sure that the agency or facility has a clinical manager on-call 24/7, so you can check on your parent whenever you feel the need.
Then, relax and enjoy your break.