At Springfield Care Homes, respite care is more than just a temporary stay; it’s a comprehensive support system designed for both residents and their caregivers.
We have two rooms reserved year-round for respite care because at Springfield, we want to ensure availability when families need it most.
These stays can last anywhere from one week minimum up to six weeks, although we can be flexible if someone needs to stay a little longer.
What is respite care for?
There are a number of reasons people might need to use our respite care services. It’s often people who have recently been in hospital or they’ve had surgery and they need us to help build them back up before they can return home.
Another reason is that their loved ones are going away and they need someone to look after them or sometimes it’s just because caregivers need a break!
Looking after someone 24-hours-a-day is hard work and our respite care services allow caregivers the chance to get some much-needed rest themselves.
A lot of our respite care residents are repeat customers because they enjoy their time with us and so when their caregiver goes away, they know they are going somewhere that feels comfortable and familiar.
We have one repeat client, for example, who comes to stay with us two out of every six weeks, which means their caregiver can have some time off, while also feeling secure in the fact that their loved one is still receiving attentive care.
What are the requirements before coming in for respite care?
Prior to admission for respite care, we have to conduct an assessment to make sure that we can meet the new residents needs and that we have the resources to deal with whatever they might require.
Even after the resident has come to stay, we will continue assessing them more diligently than someone who has been with us for a while until we feel we have got to know them and we have a good understanding of their needs.
Often, while residents may initially come in for just respite care, the realisation might dawn that perhaps they need more care than can be provided by a caregiver at home and it can lead to them coming to us longer term.
What services are available to respite care residents?
We do all the cooking, cleaning, laundry, maintenance and there is someone on hand 24-hours-a-day to help respite care residents with all aspects of daily living.
If they need help building back up their strength, they get reviewed by a physiotherapist who comes in once a week.
A full care plan that is available to long term residents is the same plan we use for respite care residents and these care plans are tailored to each individual based on their needs, whether they have dementia, they’re a choking risk, they may have specific nutritional or hydration needs, but we leave no stone unturned.
Respite residents are also welcome to join any of the social activities that we put on seven days a week and all our other residents are very friendly and welcoming to newcomers.
But, should a respite care resident not want to join in because they might want some alone time or it’s just not really their cup-of-tea, that’s also perfectly fine.
Ultimately, we want to make our respite care residents feel like they’re coming to their second home, so they can bring items from home to build familiarisation with their new surroundings and we’ll help them settle in.
And at the same time, we want to provide caregivers with the peace of mind they need to enjoy a proper rest.
So, if you are in need of a well-deserved rest, or if you want your loved one to receive the best possible short-term care while recovering from surgery or illness, then don’t hesitate to get in touch and make use of our respite care services at Springfield Care Homes.