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Level Four Hospice: Respite Care

The fourth of four levels of hospice care is called Respite Care.  Its purpose is to offer those who have taken on the role of caregiver for a terminally ill friend or loved one a break from the daily cares and requirements of that role.  Since caregiver burnout is a real concern, Respite Care is included with the Medicare Hospice Benefit for patients and caregivers enrolled in hospice care.

Respite Care is carried out in a hospice facility or hospital as inpatient care when the caregiver needs time to regroup from burnout, to heal from illness, or to attend an important life event.  It is provided as a five consecutive day period which includes the day of admission but not the day of discharge.  This benefit is limited to one request per billing period and must meet the Medicare Hospice Benefit requirements. 

There are numerous advantages for both the patients and the caregivers during Respite Care.

Benefits for Patients

         Physical:  Many patients experience some improvement in completing tasks such as self-dressing or self-feeding because they are under more professional care during Respite Care and under less caregiver stress.  Some even report a feeling of physical well-being that motivates them enough to attempt new tasks.

         Psychosocial:  Patients tend to interact with one another—hospice patient to hospice patient—on an equal and empathetic level that allows for comfortable socializing.  This encourages a sense of normalcy seldom found with the terminally ill.  The guilt of putting their loved ones under so much pressure and responsibility eases during Respite Care because they know the break allows their caregivers time to relax and recuperate.

         Emotional:  Often the hospice patients who participate in Respite Care verbalize a more positive outlook.  The change of scenery and rotation of staff revitalize curiosity and anticipation. They describe feeling refreshed and able to continue with their caregivers in Routine Home Care which is the first level of hospice.

Benefits for Caregivers

         Physical:  The demanding schedules on caregivers often deprive them of quality sleep.  Without enough sleep caregivers are vulnerable to illness limiting their effectiveness in their role.  Sometimes the effort of lifting and supporting a patient causes strain on the caregiver’s own body.  Respite Care offers the caregiver time to mend and reestablish healthy sleep patterns which enables them to return to their duties refreshed and physically strong.

         Psychosocial:  The role of caregiver is often carried out in relational isolation.  Without essential contact and interaction with friends and acquaintances caregivers can lose perspective and self-value.  Respite Care provides time for socializing and engaging in activities that bolster self-worth, giving them a renewed outlook that carries into the role of caregiver with positivity.

         Emotional:  Losing the desire to care and the motivation to help with energy and kindness are traits of caregiver burnout.  Respite Care affords time to refresh and refocus the mind to validate and affirm the caregiver as an individual with genuine feelings of concern for their loved one suffering from terminal illness.

A shared blessing for both the loved ones and for their caregivers is a renewed ability to connect with each other.  Often the stresses of hospice create friction between them, but Respite Care can help relieve the tension and reestablish the friendship and mutual respect they once shared.  Knowing and understanding the difficulties each role presents encourages empathy and healthy regard for one another. 

The value of level four hospice care should never be underestimated.  The goal of hospice is to allow the terminally ill to live as fully as possible while being treated with dignity and compassion until they pass.  Respite care helps to ensure that their positive care remains intact to the end.

Gifted Hearts Hospice and Palliative Care in Seguin, TX, is a fully staffed facility available to patients who call South Central Texas their home.  It is nestled in the beautiful New Braunfels area as the best hospice near San Antonio, Texas.  It offers palliative care for patients of any age in any stage of illness.  It also offers all four levels of hospice care and maintains its motto: “Live until you Leave.”