Finding Respite and Other Care
“Without respite, you'll burn out.”
Attempting to be on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week is an impossible task. Respite care is an opportunity for you to get away from caregiving duties for a few hours or a few days. Persons can come into the home, or the care-receiver can be taken to another location to receive care.
Often you can locate respite programs and other services for cargivers by contacting hospitals, nursing homes, home healthcare agencies, senior centers, religious organizations, caregiver support groups and other agencies. Or you can locate the caregiving programs in your area by contacting:
- The Eldercare Locator for caregiving services anywhere in the U.S. Phone the Administration on Aging Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116. Their hours are Monday-Friday, 9 am to 8 pm. The web address is www.eldercare.gov.
- The Illinois Department on Aging Senior Helpline at 1-800-252-8966 or www.state.il.us/aging. In the left column on their website, click on "Illinois Family Caregiver Support."
- The Area Agency on Aging serving your area or county. To locate the Illinois AAA serving you, go to www.state.il.us/aging. On the left column of their website, click on "Illinois Area Agencies on Aging." You can also get the phone number of your Area Agency by calling the IL Dept. on Aging Senior Helpline at 800-252-8966.
Take time to create a list of options for respite and other services in your community.
Don’t be afraid to request assistance from friends and family when you need to take a break. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness. Your well-being is important. Even a 20-minute break each day will reduce some stress and prevent burnout.
