By: Beth Jarrell, Heritage at Dover Assisted Living & Cheryl Stover, Heritage at Milford Assisted Living

Millions of baby boomers are treading water — holding down full-time jobs, taking care of kids, and watching over aging parents. But Dr. Penny Wolfe, neuropsychologist at the National Rehabilitation Hospital, says that assuming the role of caregiver should come with a warning label: Caution. Too much caring for too long can be dangerous to your health!

“When someone is your responsibility 24/7 it takes a toll, physically and emotionally,” Wolfe says. “It can exacerbate your own health problems, wear down your immune system, and build anger, anxiety and depression.”  Taking a break — a respite — is the best thing you can do for yourself — and has unexpected benefits for your loved one.

When you nurture yourself, you are less likely to feel resentment about the loss of personal space and time — and less likely to react with anger, she explains. And a respite for you can actually be a happy change of pace for your family member, too.  “Interaction with different people is a great way to stimulate the mind and acquire new interests,” Wolfe adds.

“I advise people to plan a regular respite in order to create normalcy and calmness for themselves,” she says. “That can mean anything from a simple coffee break with friends, an afternoon shopping once a week — or a short walk. Of course a week’s vacation could do wonders to recharge your mental and physical batteries — although it may not be possible for everyone. You can either have someone come to your home to relieve you — or find an appropriate short-term, outside placement for your loved one,” Wolfe adds.

Here are some tips to help you find your “required respite:”

For short-term in home respite:

*Solicit the help of a responsible teenager or college student in your neighborhood for an hour or so a week.
*Don’t be afraid to ask other family members for help. Use the senior version of Facebook, at CarePages.com, to keep them up to date and to enlist their support.
*Look for volunteers at your local faith based, community, and other non-profit organizations.
*If your loved one needs professional services, contact local home-care businesses that provide trained staff to cover in home care for short intervals.

For day services outside of your home:

Check out your local social services office or agency on aging for a list of adult day care centers — centers specialize in specific services from health care, dementia services to social activities.Or visit www.eldercare.gov for more information. For short term solutions:
*Check with your nearest Genesis Assisted Living Community or Skilled Facility.

For more information on reducing caregiver stress, and resources for respite care, Wolfe recommends visiting www.helpguide.org. Or contact Genesis at 1.866.745.CARE to inquire about respite facilities in your area.

Heritage at Milford and Heritage at Dover will welcome your questions and offer assistance by providing written information and tours of our facility. Just give us a call. Contact Cheryl Stover at the Milford location at (302) 422-8700 or Beth Jarrell at Dover (302)735-8800. We look forward to seeing you.