respite care Archives - Altogether Care

Respite Care – Because Carers Also Need to Care for Themselves

Posted on 12 July 202329 June 2023 by Access Performance

Being a carer is an immense privilege and an opportunity to show genuine care and support to someone dear to you. However, it’s important to acknowledge that juggling multiple responsibilities can sometimes feel overwhelming. Thankfully, there are ways to alleviate the strain and ensure your own well-being.

Respite care offers a valuable solution without the need for prolonged separation or residential arrangements. Opting for a care at home service allows you to enjoy occasional breaks, whether it’s a day off or an evening of relaxation. It gives you time to take a break to recharge the batteries while ensuring your loved one receives the care they need.

Respite care doesn’t have to be residential and doesn’t have to be for an extended period. Day centres and local activity groups might also allow you to take a bit of time off from caring.

Summer is the time when most of us look forward to getting away for a holiday. There’s no reason why carers can’t enjoy a week or two in the sun. You probably deserve it.

Perhaps you could consider the possibility of a brief duration of respite care within a care home as an alternative option. This arrangement can prove beneficial for all involved. It provides your loved one with a chance to experience a different environment and take advantage of the companionship and social engagements available in our care homes.

Taking time for yourself and returning refreshed helps reenergise you as a carer, making the responsibilities of caregiving feel lighter and less burdensome. It is a crucial investment in your own well-being and the well-being of those you care for.

Paying for Respite Care

In some cases you might get financial help from the council towards the cost of respite care. This depends on the care needs assessment and means testing.

If you receive carer’s allowance, you can normally take a break of up to four weeks in any six month period without it affecting your entitlement.

The most important thing is to remember to take care of yourself. Your health and wellbeing are also important and you deserve a break as much as anyone else.

If you’d like to discuss your respite care options, give Altogether Care a call, visit our website, or email contact@altogethercare.co.uk.

Is now the Right Time to Consider Respite Care for Your Loved One?

Posted on 5 August 20225 September 2022 by Access Performance

Following the distressing and turbulent times that Covid-19 brought to the UK, with its associated lockdowns and the trauma that it brought with it, this country now seems to be returning to something approaching normality.

Care homes are operating more or less normally, and the options for care for your loved ones have increased exponentially. Is now the right time to consider residential care for your older relatives?

Is a care home the best option?

Your relative might be having increasing difficulty with everyday tasks like washing, cooking or dressing themselves and taking their medication. They might be worried about falling, with no one around to help them. And they can get increasingly stressed by the little things in life.

Moving into a care home can give the elderly a new approach to life – they can meet new people with shared life experiences, and they can make new friends. Because there are highly-trained staff on hand at all times, the worries about being on their own melt away. They are fed and washed and entertained and properly looked after.

Depending on the level of care needed, their every need will be taken into account, and if they need extra nursing or dementia care, that can be arranged.

Respite care

It may be that it’s too soon for you to start thinking about full-time residential care. In which case, respite care might be a more suitable option.

Respite care can be for a short time, such as only a few hours every week, or can be overnight, or a weekend.

Even though many people take a great deal of pleasure in providing care to their loved ones so that they can remain at home, the financial, physical and emotional consequences can be overwhelming without some support, such as respite.

To be most effective, you should consider respite services much earlier than you might think you will need them. Respite is best if you use it before you become exhausted, and isolated by your responsibilities.

Altogether Care is committed to providing your loved ones with the highest possible standards of care, and is vigilant about the possible return of variants of the Covid-19 virus, se we take every possible precaution to keep residents and staff as safe as possible.

If you’d like to explore care options available for yourself or an elderly relative, give Altogether Care a call, visit our website, or email contact@altogethercare.co.uk.

Respite Care: It’s Time to Give Caregivers a Break

Posted on 11 June 2021 by dukadmin

Most people can see and appreciate the extraordinary pressures placed on NHS and care staff throughout the pandemic and can recognise the contribution they have made. But there’s another group of people whose efforts, and the strains placed upon them, have been less well publicised and may be hidden from view.

The small army of informal caregivers have always tended to be the unsung heroes. Usually, they help to care for a family member so they can continue living in their own home. Their efforts tend to go unnoticed by people outside of their social group or those who are not part of the care system. The reality is that social care in the UK couldn’t function without them.

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And over the last 15 months of social distancing and with placements for new residents being slowed down, informal caregivers have been called on to do even more. There’s no doubt that this will have placed enormous strain on some individuals.

Taking Care of Yourself is Also Important

Perhaps now is the time for caregivers to give themselves a break. This isn’t a case of rewarding yourself. It’s more about taking care of your own health and wellbeing after a very difficult time.

If you’re looking after an elderly relative who has been fully vaccinated, their risk of infection and illness is extremely low. They can very safely book a short period of respite care so that you have the opportunity to take a break and recharge your energy levels.

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Perhaps it’s also worth thinking about regular support from a care at home or day care service. These services offer help with everyday health or personal care and could make caring for a loved one much more manageable. Just a few hours each week could help share the workload and give you a little more free time.

Find out more about holiday care, day care and your other care choices by visiting our resource centre. Or to enquire directly, contact 01305 206 140 or email contact@altogethercare.co.uk.

It’s Time for Unpaid Caregivers to Recharge their Batteries

Posted on 1 January 2020 by dukadmin

‘Batteries not included’ used to be common wording on the packaging of Christmas gifts. Years ago, when shops were shut for the whole of the holiday period, this could cause problems. Partially discharged batteries were pulled out of torches, remote controls and who knows what else to extract the few final hours of energy from them. Toys could be played with and new gadgets used.

Being an unpaid caregiver at Christmas, whether you’re providing care for a family member or friend, can feel a lot like being one of those batteries. Your resources have been slowly drained over the year and you’re called on to give up one more burst of energy to hold everything together over the holiday. When it’s all over, you’re left feeling as flat as a bottle of fizz uncorked since Christmas Eve.

Burnout

Your batteries are not so easy to replace. January means back to normal, and back to the routine of daily unpaid care duties. Little wonder that December and January are the months when many caregivers experience burnout. That final burst over Christmas, when there is so much else to take care of on top of the care duties, took the last bit of energy.

It’s easy to convince yourself that everything will be fine once you’re back into the normal routine, but is it healthy? Everyone needs a break – carers more than anybody, especially if you work full-time alongside providing care for a loved one. But, of course, you’re responsible, and you’re taking care of somebody who is important to you. You can become trapped by feeling guilty if you take some time out.

Respite Care

It’s important to take some time out to look after yourself. After all, if your health fails, who will take over your caring duties in the longer term? Fortunately, you have options.

Respite care can be either residential or day care and is available at Altogether Care’s three Dorset care homes. It can allow you to take some time off to rest and look after yourself. It can also provide a welcome break from routine in a safe and caring environment for your loved one. A few days or a week can make all the difference and leave you feeling refreshed and recharged.

If you don’t wish to leave your loved one at all, Altogether Care’s Care at Home team are also on-hand to assist with your daily care duties, by lifting some of the work off from your shoulders when you need it most. Our Care at Home staff can help you with flexible day care assistance, getting out and about, help throughout the night or domestic support.

Contact us at 01305 206 140 or email contact@altogethercare.co.uk for more information about our services and care homes.

Respite Care – Time to Rest, Recharge and Rethink

Posted on 21 May 2019 by dukadmin

June 10-16, 2019 is National Carers Week. Organised by Carers UK, it recognises the contribution made by the 6.8m unpaid carers in the UK. Carers Week encourages them to become better connected and to take better care of their own health.

72% of unpaid carers reported that their mental health suffered as a result of stress, lack of sleep and financial concerns. 63% also said that their physical health had suffered as a consequence of their responsibilities. Many of these carers are delivering elderly care, sometimes alongside a regular job.

Being a carer takes its toll. It is frequently demanding, and it can be lonely. Many carers become socially isolated because they lack the time or energy to go out and meet people or because they worry about leaving the person they are caring for.

If this sounds like a familiar story, then respite care is worth considering.

Respite Care Gives Everyone a Break

A short spell of respite care in a care home can allow carers to get a break while being confident that their loved one is receiving round the clock personal or nursing care. They might take a short holiday or just enjoy a bit of space and time to recharge their energy. Relief from the anxiety of constantly looking out for the welfare of another person can reduce the mental strain and offer a chance to get some proper rest.

Respite care is also a valued service for people recovering from illness or perhaps adjusting to having reduced mobility or physical capabilities. Some use it for a few days while their home is being adapted to make it easier for them to live in, and some use it as an opportunity to sample life in a care home while they are assessing their options.

There are many reasons for using replacement or temporary care (as respite care is sometimes called). It might simply provide a bit of space to reassess care needs and make decisions about the future without being overwhelmed by day-to-day concerns.

Beautiful surroundings at Steepleton Manor provide a lovely environment for the period of respite care. Alternatively, our home in Weymouth provides a peaceful environment for residents, ideal for a few days or a week or two’s stay.

To find out more about how Altogether Care can help you and your loved one, contact us directly on 01305 300 161.

Weymouth – A Care Home Near the Sea is a Wonderful Place to Be

Posted on 2 May 2019 by dukadmin

Thirty years ago, Weymouth became our first care home. As a family-run business, this will always make it a special place for us, once our family home, today it is where our Head Office is still based so we all still have a daily connection with the home, residents and staff. It’s also a special place for the many residents who have stayed with us over that time, and for their families who’ve had the peace of mind of seeing their loved ones well cared for.

We know there are many considerations when people choose a care home. The first of these is to make sure that the home offers the range of care and services you are likely to need. Weymouth care home offers nursing care, holiday or respite care and assisted living.

Above all, a care home has to be inviting, both for potential residents looking for a suitable home and for families and friends when they come to visit. The first impression should always make you feel welcome and at home. Friendly staff and a good standard of both living and communal accommodation are important factors when you make your decision.

Family values still shape our care and the home from home atmosphere we cherish. Each resident has the opportunity to have favourite photos and keep-sakes as a reminder that they are an important part of their own family as well as ours.

Staying Active and Engaged

Our welcoming communal spaces and garden are all about encouraging residents to be as active and engaged as possible. And our location, not far from one of Dorset’s finest beaches and seafronts, is another incentive for people to get out in the fresh air.

Dorset also has a wealth of local places of interest for days out and visits, either on one of our organised trips or with your visitors. Because of our location our residents are never stuck for something to do or somewhere to go.

Weymouth has proved to be an excellent location for a care home. It’s a pleasant place to live with plenty to do. It’s also easy for visitors to get to. We work hard to make sure our home lives up to the rest of the experience. If you would like to find out more about Weymouth Care Home or even spend the day with us, please contact us.

Respite care for you and your carer

Posted on 8 June 2016 by dukadmin

Respite care is for people who need to stay in a care home temporarily. It might be because you need extra care for a period of time or to give your regular carer a break from their responsibilities.

It’s different from residential or nursing care, which is for people who need a more permanent arrangement, or require more in depth nursing care.

Respite – or replacement care as it’s sometimes known – might be planned or used to help you through a difficult time.

For instance, if you’re recovering from an injury or illness and it’s not safe for you to stay at home, a short stay in a care home might be the answer. You’ll get the specialist, around-the-clock care you need whilst you recover, and can then move back home when you feel ready.

Or if you’ve recently become disabled, you might need temporary support while you adjust to your new lifestyle. It would also provide some time away from your home while special adaptations and aids are fitted.

It can also be an opportunity to experience a home. So that should you need residential care in the future it can help you choose somewhere you feel comfortable, adjust to life in care and get to know the staff.

Caring for someone – whether it’s a family member or loved one – is a big responsibility and can be stressful. So taking a break is important for you and the person caring for. Respite care allows you to go on holiday, catch up on sleep or simply have some time alone with peace of mind that your loved one is being well looked after.

Which home you choose for respite care will depend on the person’s needs. For instance, you may need somewhere that provides specialist nursing or dementia care.

Some residential homes provide places for people who need to stay temporarily, while others are specialist respite facilities. They’re set up to provide a balance between independent living and professional care; offering activities and events to give residents an enjoyable and refreshing break.

If you are considering respite care for a loved one, Altogether Care provide a range of services to cater for individual needs, from care at home services to care homes such as Steepleton Manor. A stay at Steepleton Manor provides an individual with the finest accommodation, alongside professional care and a wealth of activities to ensure it is an enjoyable break.

To find out more about how Altogether Care can help you and your loved one you can visit the website or contact us directly on 01305 300 161.