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Respite is a well that caregivers need to drink from early and often.

If you wait until you are thirsty to take a drink, you are already dehydrated. And if you are a family caregiver who waits until you are craving a break to seek out respite, it's very likely that you are already physically, mentally, and even spiritually depleted.

Whether you are caring for an infant with special needs, a child with Autism, or a spouse or parent with Alzheimer's, at Butterfly Effects, we believe that respite care needs to be part of the treatment plan and not merely an afterthought.

Respite care is not about replacing you. You are irreplaceable. Nor should respite care be looked at as babysitting,

Instead, respite should be regarded as an opportunity to strengthen your team.
Respite gives you the opportunity to refresh your batteries without worry or anxiety. It allows you to take care of chores, spend time with the rest of your family, or simply get the me time or rest you need.

And while respite is a service, at Butterfly Effects, we measure respite outcomes in terms of human connection. Any respite worker we access must be a compassionate, skilled, and empathic professional.

• A compassionate respite worker provides your loved one connection with another caring human who is a friend, a teacher, an advocate, and even a role model.
  
  
• A skilled respite worker provides your loved one's treatment team with a fresh perspective.
  
  
• An empathic respite worker provides you with someone to talk with who knows the details of your specific situation.

Not taking adequate respite is one of the greatest problems effecting family caregivers.
All research indicates that family caregivers experience higher levels of stress and higher rates of illness and chronic ailments than the general population (several studies). Without respite, perspective can become lost, so that caregiving becomes the central and all-consuming function of a family. That sort of situation serves no one. It can destroy marriages and detract from relationships with children. It can even turn the most well-intentioned effort into a self-defeating one. Consider these frightening facts: inadequate respite contributes to higher levels of institutionalization (Kosloski and Montgomery, 1994; Catholic Charities, 2005) as well as a greater propensity for abuse both with children and seniors. (APA, 2011 and U.S. DoHHS, 2011).

As a caregiver, you are certainly not alone.
There are at least 50 million family caregivers in the U.S. alone, and recent research says that number may be closer to 65 million. (National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP, 2009).

Family caregivers present a dramatic influence on the economy. They provide at least $375 billion dollars of uncompensated service across the United States. Conversely, according to a study by Metropolitan Life Insurance Company and the National Alliance for Caregivers (2006), family caregivers cost U.S. businesses anywhere from $17.1 billion to $33.6 billion per year in lost productivity. That study concludes that providing adequate respite to working family caregivers could save employers countless billions of dollars.

Recognizing the importance of respite, led to the Federal government's creation of The Lifespan Respite Care Act of 2006. The act is designed to "enable states to better coordinate existing respite services, identify service gaps, and create and monitor new respite services while providing opportunities to recruit, train and support paid and volunteer respite providers and raise public awareness about the need for and importance of respite services." (AoA, 2010)


Though respite is a need they request more than any other, caregivers are often hesitant to enlist respite support because they:

1. Think it means they are not living up to their responsibility and need to be replaced
2. Fear that a respite worker won't be skilled, trustworthy, or compassionate enough
3. Assume respite isn't affordable or attainable

If you are not providing yourself with regular and adequate respite for any of those reasons, please give us a call today.

1. You Can Never Be Replaced, But You Can Become Worn Down.
As discussed above, caregivers are prone to high levels of stress. They are more apt to ignore their own health and suffer a disproportionate amount of serious and chronic illnesses. In the long run, lack of respite can lead to deteriorating family relations and will ultimately impact the level of care you are able to deliver. For everyone's benefit, you need to make certain that your family life doesn't revolve around caring for one individual.

2. Our Respite Workers Are Highly Skilled and Caring Professionals.
When you come to Butterfly Effects for respite services, we will match your loved one with a trained professional. Our network includes workers who are experienced with infants and children, as well as adults affected by any number of developmental or acquired disabilities. All of our respite workers are:

• Screened thoroughly with regard to background as well as personality
• Educated in all aspects of the condition affecting your loved one
• Well versed in treatment plan strategies for anyone with whom they are matched
• Certified in First Aid and CPR and / or Infant and Child First Aid and CPR
• Trained in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), an approach to intervention, which replaces problematic behaviors or teaches new ones through the use of continuous encouragement and positive reinforcement

3. We Can Help You Find the Money.
Respite monies can come from a number of sources. Our team includes experts in insurance and alternative funding who can handle all the paperwork while helping you access respite funding whether it comes from state or private grants or through government or private insurance.

At Butterfly Effects, we think that respite is absolutely essential for all family caregivers. Whether or not you are receiving other services with us, we will help match you with the right respite worker.

You never need to wait. Call Butterfly Effects today, so that we can develop and staff a respite plan long before your well runs dry.

Once you work with us, you will learn that a good respite provider is that friend and professional whose arrival is always welcomed -- by you as well as by the loved one for whom you are caring.



References:

AoA, 2010. "Family caregivers to receive federal respite support." AoA NEWS, U.S. Administration on Aging. Department of Health and Human Service. Retrieved from http://www.aoa.gov/AoARoot/Press_Room/For_The_Press/pr/archive/2010/September/09_07_10.aspx

APA, 2011. "Elder Abuse and Neglect: In Search of Solutions." A report by the American Psychological Association. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/pi/aging/resources/guides/elder-abuse.aspx#

Catholic Charities, 2005 ARCH National Respite Network and Resource Center Fact Sheet. Reported by Catholic Charities Support Services. Retrieved from www.cccaregivers.org/costsaved.pdf

Kosloski K, Montgomery R J V, 1994 "The Impact of Respite Use on Nursing Home Placement." The Gerontologist, Volume35, Issue1, Pp. 67-74. Retrieved from http://gerontologist.oxfordjournals.org/content/35/1/67.abstract

MetLife Mature Market Institute and the National Alliance for Caregiving, 2006. "The MetLife Caregiving Cost Study: Productivity Losses to U.S. Business." Retrieved from www.caregiving.org/data/Caregiver%20Cost%20Study.pdf

National Alliance for Caregiving in collaboration with AARP, 2009.
 "Caregiving in the U.S. 2009. Retrieved from www.caregiving.org/.../Caregiving_in_the_US_2009_full_report.pdf

U.S. DoHHS, 2011. "Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA), 2010." U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Retrieved from http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/laws_policies/cblaws/capta/capta2.htm