Caring for a family member or friend can be hard and it is important to continue to ensure that you make time for yourself.
If you decide to take some time out for a day, an overnight break or even a week away (or longer!), not only is it important to have care in place for when you are away but also that the respite carer is fully up to speed with the care plan you already have in place to control the potential for disruption.
Why do you need to let your respite carer know your care plan?
Consider who you are caring for. You need to ensure that before you go away, you have employed the services of a reputable carer with all the relevant qualifications and security background checks.
It is also important that to minimise disruption further you let whom ever you are caring for know what is happening if possible so it isn’t going to distress them further.
What should you leave your respite carer before you go away?
There are plenty of things to consider before going away when it comes to what to leave your respite carer, but here are a few things that we feel are essential:
- Medication
If there are specific medication needs for the person that you are caring for, a schedule of times and the names of the medicines is extremely helpful. It is also worth nothing how the different medications, if applicable, make the person feel i.e. sleepy, agitated etc.
- Daily routine
If there is a specific daily routine that you have with the person you care for, a schedule or rough breakdown would be beneficial for the respite carer, so they can ensure the days are kept as normal and to the routine as possible.
- Likes and dislikes
If the person you are caring for has specific likes and dislikes, make sure you let the respite carer know to say any upset or difficulties when you are away.
- Contact details
It is always a good idea to leave your contact details behind so that you can be reached should an emergency happen, or the respite carer needs to speak to you for some reason. If you are going to be uncontactable or out of the country, contact details for another family member or friend would be a good idea.
