Respite Care

Compare the levels of senior care:

• In-Home Senior Care
• Independent Living
• Assisted Living
• Alzheimer's & Dementia Care
• Nursing Homes
• Hospice Care
• Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRC)

After an accident, many seniors need temporary support until they return home or find a long-term care solution. This temporary care is called respite care. Respite care is usually found in a nursing home or independent living facility. The big advantage to respite care is that there is no long-term commitment or contract and seniors get the care they need to recover as fast as possible.

Assisted living facilities that do NOT support temporary or respite care usually require a one-year contract for entrance into the facility. The long-term contracts make sure that the facility stays full and the business remains profitable. Based on my research for this site, staying profitable in the assisted living market is much harder than you think. Facilities go under all the time.

In many cases, a long-term commitment can be scary because a senior's health requirements are often changing rapidly after an accident. Since many seniors enter assisted living or skilled nursing straight out of a hospital after an accident, the option to have respite care allows the senior and the family to have a stable environment until they agree on a long-term care plan. Here are some special cases where respite care might be the best option:

After a Stroke

Honestly, our medical system is broken and this is very obvious for mild stroke patients. In order to reduce insurance costs, many hospitals will discharge a mild stroke victim in less than one week. At this point, many seniors still can't talk or walk without help. If the damage is minor, they can't go to a nursing home. Many stroke victims recover quickly from a mild stroke, in a matter of months, but they need intensive help during a short period. There is also an elevated risk of a second stroke during the first year after a stroke, so the protection of a temporary stay in an assisted living facility is a good investment.

Going Home Soon

Respite care can also be a good option while a home is being modified for in-home care. After a trip to the hospital, many families choose in-home care but require modifications to their home like ramps, handles in the bathroom and other modifications to make the home safe. Respite care allows for the senior to have intensive care during the most critical period after an accident.

Because moving is so difficult, many short-term residents become long-term residents. Throughout this site you can search for respite care. If you find a facility that offers both short-term and long-term care, it could be a good fit.