Alzheimer’s disease is an illness that has been known to cause fear and loathing in the hearts of family members and patients alike. There is little way of preventing it and even less way of figuring out if one person will be affected with this ailment in the future or not. Perhaps worst of all is the fact that there is known treatment for Alzheimer’s disease and all that truly may be accomplished is to either temporarily slow down the progression of the ailment or keep the patient comfortable for the remainder of her or his life.

Caregivers need to come to terms not only with the end of life issues that will be facing their loved one but also their family, but in addition to the foregoing the gradual decline into dementia is oftentimes hard to handle for someone who knows the loved one as a vivacious and highly intelligent individual. Avoiding admission to a long-term care facility is often a cited primary goal of a patient diagnosed with the illness and also loved ones are trying to avoid this step whenever possible. Such in home care, although praiseworthy, is not without its share of difficulty and to this end there are five reasons the Alzheimer’s Association suggests caregivers utilize respite care.

1. Cases of Alzheimer’s disease are on the rise. Even as it is still uncertain exactly how the disease picks and chooses its victims, the increase in numbers makes it virtually certain that more and more families are going to be affected, in some cases with more than just one patient! This creates an urgent need for respite care so that caregivers may split their time between patients and still have the option of taking care of their own households.

2. Even only temporary respite care makes it possible for a kinship caregiver to tend to their homes and family members and in so doing still look after the ailing patient. This of course is instrumental in keeping the patient in her or his own home as long as possible.

3. A group by the name of JAMA suggested that quite possibly more than 50 percent of American citizens are affected by Alzheimer’s disease once they reach their 85th birthday. This places an enormous strain on blended families where the possibilities of having multiple family members succumb to the illness at one time. Respite care takes off the pressures that result from this new familial development.

4. As people are living longer, the possibility of having to tend to an elderly patient while the caregiver is also reaching senior age is greatly increased. Respite care permits for dealing with her or his medical and physical needs in addition to those experienced by the loved one.

5. Fiscal responsibility is another reason why respite care may come into play for kinship caregivers: the added need for a paycheck requires retirement to be pushed back, in essence necessitating the respite care provision simply to make more money to pay not only for the loved one’s care but also for the caregiver’s own expenses.

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