No one plans on burning out. You knew caregiving might be stressful, but you did not expect to feel helpless, disillusioned, or completely exhausted. Your parent does not plan on falling, either. Yet when a fall happens, it can mean a trip to the emergency room, then a stay at a rehabilitation facility–then what? Often the home where the fall happened is not the best place to recover from a broken hip or a fractured pelvis. That is where respite care comes in.
What is respite care?
At the most basic level, respite care offers family caregivers a temporary break from caregiving duties. Respite services are provided in different settings, including in-home support, adult day care centers, assisted living communities, nursing home facilities, and group homes.
A short-term stay at an assisted living community, also called a respite stay, is an especially useful option for both planned and unforeseen events, such as a much-needed vacation, emergency situation, or health crisis.
With a respite stay, your loved one can move into a private furnished apartment in a comfortable environment for a few days or a few weeks. They’ll receive help with personal care and daily tasks, enjoy a choice of activities, and be part of a community of peers.
Respite care gives both you and your loved one time to plan next steps.
Respite care can give you space to:
- Get to your own medical appointments or other responsibilities
- Care for other family members
- Take time for self-care and mental health
- Simply rest and rebuild your support network
Respite care can help your loved one:
- Receive consistent personal care, regular meals, and private accommodations
- Join peers in exciting daily activities and social events
- Work with a care team to maintain and enhance well-being
- Receive regular visits from their medical providers if recovering from an injury
Respite care in Westfield, MA
Families often need fast solutions after rehab or a hospital discharge. If you are searching for respite care in Westfield, MA, a short-term assisted living stay at The Arbors in Westfield can provide quick move-in options, a home-like environment, and peace of mind while you plan next steps. Respite care helps stabilize routines and provides assistance with daily living.
Respite care in Stoneham, MA
If you are looking for respite care in Stoneham, MA, short-term assisted living can bridge the gap after an injury, during planned respite, or while the primary caregiver is away. At The Arbors at Stoneham, respite care services connect your loved one with neighbors, activities, and supportive staff, so you can regroup and manage your own needs.
How The Arbors supports families
At The Arbors, respite care services are designed to lower stress for family caregivers and provide a comfortable environment for each care recipient. While every stay is personalized, here is what is commonly included during a respite stay in our assisted living communities:
- A private, fully furnished apartment, ready for a quick move-in
- Help with personal care, such as bathing, dressing, and medication reminders
- Three prepared meals daily plus snacks; also a kitchenette for fixing meals as desired
- Housekeeping, linen service, and help with personal tasks of all kinds
- Enriching activities, social programs, and community events
- Help arranging transportation for scheduled medical appointments
- Coordination with your loved one’s home health aide, physical therapist, or occupational therapist
- 24-hour staff presence, so you can have peace of mind
Learn more about our respite programs and the services provided during a respite care stay.
Quick move-in and 24/7 care
Families often need respite services on an emergency basis. Our teams help you gather essentials fast, coordinate with respite providers such as home health professionals, and set up the apartment with any needed medical devices. The focus is on care, comfort, and connection.
Coordination with your caregiving team
Respite care can help maintain continuity when a loved one is dealing with a chronic health condition, recovering from a fall, or living with Alzheimer’s disease. We coordinate with your existing care team and respite providers, and we help you plan for what comes next.
The staff embrace respite stay residents as if they’re a new resident. Our resident care assistants will walk them to the dining room. We knock on their door to get them to come downstairs. We pull them out into the community.”
— Alicia Dessereau, Marketing Director at The Arbors at Westfield
Stories from The Arbors at Westfield: Holly and Janet
Holly’s and Janet’s stories illustrate how respite care services help families in two of the most common caregiving situations.
Rehabilitation respite care
Holly was just trying to check the mail, but winters in Westfield, Massachusetts, are brutal, and her long, steep driveway was slick. She slipped and fell, injuring her wrist and knee. After a trip to the hospital, Holly was transferred to a rehab facility, where a social worker told her son Andy that returning home was not realistic unless they made major accessibility modifications. Holly was about to be discharged from rehab, and the social worker suggested a respite stay at an assisted living community. That is when Andy and his wife, Stacy, called The Arbors at Westfield.
“Stacy and Andy were really stressed,” recalls Marketing Director Alicia Dessereau. “They had been casually thinking about assisted living but didn’t realize how close they were to needing something until they got slapped in the face with it. It was a wakeup call that it wasn’t a good idea for her to be home alone anymore.”
Within four days, Holly moved into a fully furnished apartment. She continued to see a physical therapist and occupational therapist, who stopped by regularly to work on strength and daily activities. She became a fixture in the lobby, the social hub of the community. “My lobby is always really busy,” Dessereau says. “Holly comes downstairs and reads the paper and does the crossword puzzle and gets in on the small talk. She’s doing really great.”
Andy and Stacy are doing better, too. “The panic is gone from their faces,” Dessereau says. “They’re not frantically trying to figure out what’s going to happen next. That time crunch is gone.”
They extended Holly’s respite stay another three weeks. Andy is hopeful that spending time in a welcoming environment, connecting with others, and joining social activities will make the transition to assisted living easier on his mom.
Respite care can help you find a good assisted living fit by letting your loved one try out life in a specific community short term before moving in.
Caregiver burnout respite care
Lynn worked a full-time job as an accountant, and she was driving over an hour to her aging mom’s house once a week. Her mom, Janet, struggled with finances and bill paying, and she was not eating well. When dehydration and an untreated urinary tract infection sent Janet to the emergency room, Lynn knew her mom should not return home alone. Lynn also knew she could not keep up as the primary caregiver.
“My stress level was through the roof,” Lynn says. When Janet was discharged from rehab, she moved into a short-term respite care apartment at The Arbors at Westfield. This allowed Lynn to arrange a long-term plan without risking her mom’s well-being.
“The respite stay was great because I didn’t have to worry about moving her furniture or setting up her phone, or getting her mail transferred right away,” Lynn says. “The room was furnished, and she was in a place where she was getting taken care of while I was doing all the behind-the-scenes work. I moved all her health care providers from Athol to Westfield. I got her mail forwarded. I had the Athol newspaper forwarded to her so she still has a connection to home. Respite care really eased the transition.”
Today, Janet is a full-time resident at The Arbors at Westfield. She enjoys playing the piano, joining new friends in card games, and going out to lunch with her daughter. Lynn enjoys a short drive to visit, playing cribbage, and having part of her life, and her mom, back.
Planned respite and emergency respite care
Respite care generally falls into one of two categories: planned care and emergency care.
Planned respite care
Planned respite gives family caregivers a break for a few hours, a few days, or a few weeks. It’s used for vacations, work projects, medical time off, or just time to focus on your own needs as the caregiver. Planned respite might take place in home with a home health aide, at adult day services, or at out-of-home settings like an assisted living community.
Emergency respite care
Emergency respite care helps when a caregiver is sick, hospitalized, or called away, as well as when emergency situations arise with the loved one they are caring for. Short-term stays in assisted living can provide immediate support, 24-hour care, and supervised activities on an emergency basis. Emergency respite care is often helpful for stabilizing routines after a crisis.
What is included in a respite stay at The Arbors?
While care is tailored to each guest, general services provided during a respite stay include:
- Personal care, such as help with bathing, dressing, and grooming
- Support with medications and medical appointments coordination
- Help with personal tasks and light housekeeping
- Three daily meals and snacks provided
- Social activities tailored to their interests
- Coordination with your existing care team
- Frequent check-ins and help with mobility or medical devices
Respite care can help when someone is living with a chronic health condition or terminal illness, when memory changes are present, or when the family caregiver needs time to rest and rebuild a support network. If a loved one has developmental disabilities or Alzheimer’s disease, talk with us about specialized care approaches and how we provide assistance during a short-term stay.
Who pays for respite services?
Respite care is often paid for privately, though there are sometimes ways to offset costs. Funding and eligibility requirements vary by state and program.
- Veterans Affairs: Some veterans may qualify for respite programs through the VA. Check with your local VA office.
- Government programs: Depending on your state, Medicaid waivers or long term services and supports may help pay for certain respite services.
- Area Agencies on Aging: Your local area agency may share financial options and connect you to aging organizations and community organizations that provide respite.
- Community organizations: Faith communities or nonprofits sometimes offer respite providers or grants.
Respite care can help families bridge gaps while they explore coverage, benefits, and next steps. If you have questions about services or costs during a short-term stay, we are here to discuss options so you can feel confident in your next steps.
More reading on respite care
Here are some additional resources for learning about caregiving and respite care:
- The ARCH National Respite Network has a national respite locator service to find information about respite programs near you.
- The National Institute on Aging explains respite care options and costs in plain language.
- Our helpful educational guides cover all aspects of caregiving and related topics.
Explore respite care in Westfield or Stoneham today
If you are caring for a loved one and feel stretched thin, a short-term stay can give you time to breathe while your family member enjoys expert care, social activities, and compassionate support. Respite care can help prevent burnout and support long-term well-being for the whole family.
Reach out to talk through your situation, discuss planned respite or emergency respite care, and create a plan that works for both you and your loved one.