The holiday season is here! This means that it’s time for spreading holiday cheer, doing beloved celebratory activities, and spending time with family and friends. However, this can also be a very stressful time of year, especially if you are the primary caregiver to a senior loved one. This can mean that you have all the same duties and responsibilities while also trying to get all of the shopping done, prepare holiday meals, and even plan for various festivities. This can feel like a lot, which is why short term respite care in Oceanside can help.
The first thing you should know is that you don’t have to shoulder everything alone! Whether you need a break for a few hours or a whole weekend, keep reading to how Heritage Hills can assist you this holiday season.
1.) Flexibility for you to travel.
The last two years have made travel extremely difficult in light of the pandemic. However, now that more restrictions are being lifted and travel is now easier, it is understandable if you want to fly or drive to visit family and friends this holiday season. If you are the primary caregiver of a senior loved one, traveling can be difficult. This is especially true if they have health issues or mobility restrictions. Utilizing short term respite care in Oceanside can allow your loved one to have a safe, secure place to stay so that you are free to spend time with other relatives.
2.) Your loved one gets to socialize with others.
For some folks, the holidays can be a lonely time of year. As much as it is to participate in festive activities, for seniors, it can also make them feel alone. This is due in part to the fact that they feel disconnected from their loved ones due to their age. When using respite care services, your senior will have ample opportunity to spend time with others their own age! They can connect on various levels, socialize and talk, and even participate in various planned activities around the community.
Here at Heritage Hills, we offer residents and respite care visitors the opportunity to participate in our community activity calendar. This robust calendar features a wealth of fun opportunities, including going on group walks, playing board games, holiday movie nights, holiday crafts, and so much more! Your senior will never be bored while you are away and will really enjoy their time in our community.
3.) Drastically reduce caregiver burnout.
Have you ever experienced caregiver burnout? It is that feeling when you are just so overwhelmed with everything on your plate that you just want to shut down. It causes increased feelings of anxiety and depression, can impact sleep and the quality of your mood, and even have a negative impact on your health – both physically and mentally. While caregiver burnout can happen at any time, it is especially prevalent during the holiday season.
If you can, try to avoid feeling guilty about needing to ask for help. This is almost always easier said than done, but it’s no less important. You are a single person who sacrifices so much to help out your senior parent, aunt, uncle, or grandparent. Preventing caregiver burnout – and at the same time, holiday burnout – should be your priority.
4.) The opportunity to focus your efforts elsewhere.
As fun as the holiday season is, it is also a lot of work. Between decorating, cooking, and coordinating a multitude of schedules, you have a whole list you need to be able to get through. If you are having to manage your caregiver responsibilities on top of all of that, something is going to suffer. The holidays only come once a year, and if you want to focus on them, you should be able to! That is where short term respite care in Oceanside comes in handy.
You can have peace of mind knowing that your senior loved one is loving their time spent at Heritage Hills. Not only are all of their needs being met, such as enjoying nutritious meals and getting all of their necessary medications, but they are also having a lot of fun! Being able to socialize with other residents their own age and do hobbies they love will surely get them in the holiday spirit.
5.) Short term respite care allows them to preview senior living.
One of the best parts about utilizing short term respite care in Oceanside is that your senior gets a chance to preview a senior living community. If they have a full time caregiver right now, the time may come where they will need to live somewhere with 24/7 monitoring. This is especially true for seniors with memory care concerns, such as Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. Their safety and well-being will grow compromised with time, and it’s vital to have a plan.
By introducing them to a senior living environment on a part time basis, they can become familiar with the facility, the other residents, and especially the staff. This will help ease the transition down the line, as they will know exactly what to expect. By minimizing anxiety around moving and misconceptions about senior living communities, you will be more prepared for the move once it’s time.
Contact Heritage Hills Today!
This holiday season, allow our short term respite care in Oceanside to take one less thing off of your already jam packed schedule. We would love to host your senior loved one while you take care of your holiday to-do list. Whether it be for a few hours or for an entire week, we promise to give you peace of mind and keep your loved one in good hands. To get started with Heritage Hills, simply contact us today! You can even set up a time to schedule a tour and meet with our incredible staff face to face. And because we specialize in memory care services, should this be a concern for you, you can be at ease knowing that we’ve got that element covered.
