What is respite?

Family caregivers are among the most caring, loving and generous people in today’s world.  But even the most dedicated caregiver has their personal limitations. After long periods of time, caregivers can find that they are neglecting their own physical, emotional and material needs at the expense of another. This can lead to feelings of stress and strain, feeling torn between the needs of their own needs and those of their loved one.

Though family members and friends may often be able to lend a hand, assisting with even a few routine tasks can still take time and effort. For many families, these initial tasks can sometime become more time consuming as their senior family member’s needs increase with age. Paradigm’s Respite for Care Providers Service can minimize the burden on caregivers while also extending or increasing a senior’s independence.

In this service, a qualified and caring Companion is matched with a senior so that the caregiver can have some much-needed time for to tend to their own personal responsibilities or relationships, business matters or appointments. This service is provided at times selected as convenient by the primary caregiver.

Here are some real-life examples of Paradigm’s Respite for Care Providers Service:

· One Client regularly makes use of her matched Companion two times each month, allowing her daughter to visit her hairdresser and spend extra time with her grandchildren.

· A Paradigm Companion named Christian takes his Client shopping once a month, so that the Client’s own mother does not need to take him that week. This gives his mother one “longer weekend” each month.