If you are caring for a loved one with dementia, chances are you find yourself struggling each day just to grab an hour or so for yourself when you can. It isn’t easy finding the time to attend to your personal needs. Whether it’s a doctor appointment or a long overdue visit to the dentist, time is not on your side.

Taking time to recharge and tend to your own health and social needs is not only important, it is a necessary part of caregiving. Serious issues, such as caregiver burnout, can sneak up on you and take a toll on your physical and emotional health, forcing an unplanned disruption of your caregiving duties. When that happens, everyone suffers.

That’s why it is important to schedule your own caregiver’s respite this summer. While that may seem like an impossible feat, you should know that there are resources to help. It is not only possible to take needed time off, it is necessary to do so for your health and wellbeing.

One way to carve out time for yourself is to schedule a couple weeks’ respite stay for your loved one at a local memory care community.

You may have heard of respite care, but there are benefits you may not be aware of:

1. It also gives your loved one a break. You are not the only one who will benefit from a well needed rest. You should know that your loved one with dementia can benefit greatly from a change in scenery and opportunity to socialize with new people. The Alzheimer’s Association urges caregivers to provide as many opportunities for socialization and variety as possible. A respite stay at a memory care community can provide a safe and caring environment for those with dementia to interact and engage with others.
2. It is a great opportunity to see what living in a memory care community is like. In some memory care communities, such as Anthem Memory Care, your loved one will be able to enjoy full dining privileges as well as partake in all activities. It will also expose you to the many benefits associated with professional memory care.
3. It costs about the same as the nightly cost of a hotel room. Many people think that respite care is expensive. It needn’t be. Most are reasonable and affordable. And the cost includes all meals and activities, as well as around the clock professional care.

After your respite comes to an end, you will be surprised at the increase in your energy levels as well as having a more positive, healthy attitude towards your loved one and yourself.

All of our Anthem Memory Care communities provide respite care. Now is the time to plan ahead for the summer. You and your loved one will benefit greatly from it.