Respite Care
Respite care volunteers offer quality companionship to a person with memory impairment so that the primary family caregiver (or other informal caregiver) can enjoy a few hours off to attend to their needs. This has several benefits as it gives the primary family caregiver time
- To enjoy other activities like lunch with a friend or a walk around the lake
- To run errands or make appointments without feeling rushed
- To spend time with other family members
Please note that respite care providers do not provide any hands-on personal care, which includes medicating, toileting, or bathing.
Training
Specialized Alzheimer's Care Workshops are offered quarterly to train respite volunteers and family caregivers, and include:
- A basic understanding of Alzheimer's disease, including the three different stages of Alzheimer's
- How memory loss affects behavior
- How to interact with people who have memory disorders
Respite care providers are scheduled 2-4 hour weekly or bi-monthly visits to their assigned family.
Matching Process
The Center for Volunteer Caregiving takes great care to match a volunteer and family. The volunteer should feel comfortable handling the care receiver's level of functioning. The care receiver should feel comfortable and respected by his/her new volunteer companion. The family and volunteer will work out a weekly or biweekly schedule. Both volunteer and family are expected to contact each other if they need to cancel or reschedule a visit.