I am in the process of arranging respite care for my father, Donald, with his trust officer. Respite care three of four times a year is important to me so I can get away without worrying.
Dad is quite comfortable in his own home, despite a number of medical problems, but I don’t feel good about leaving for more than a day without making some extra plans. In the past, I’ve asked my daughter to stay at his home with his paid caregiver for the weekend. But now that she’s accepted a promotion and is moving to Calgary, there’s no one but me.
Thankfully, dad is okay with the concept of respite and is treating it as a little vacation for himself. We’ve picked a nice care facility about 10 minutes from his home. While I’m away, he’ll stay there with professional care around the clock.
He’ll also have the chance to catch up with a number of his friends who now live there on a permanent basis. I’m looking forward to the break, and I’ve promised my husband that I’ll only call in every second day to check up on dad.
The home’s administrator jokingly told me about another family who found that their mom was too busy to chat with them because she was having so much fun. I hope it’ll be the same for dad.