Limitations Of Respite Care

As much as respite care workers enjoy their interactions with patients and their families and are more than willing to lend a helping hand, there are some items that are not covered as part of...

As much as respite care workers enjoy their interactions with patients and their families and are more than willing to lend a helping hand, there are some items that are not covered as part of the respite care agreement.

* Hospice care is not provided by a respite care worker. There is the option of having respite care under the umbrella of hospice care, but the functions performed by a respite care worker are dramatically different from those that are offered by a hospice nurse or caregiver. Respite care will only provide the basic kinship care that you would normally provide and is never interchangeable for any aspect of hospice help that the patient would normally receive.

* Nursing is not part of respite care. This includes in most cases the administration of shots, measuring out of medication, or the running of tests, such as diabetes related blood glucose tests. Medication administration is a touchy subject and in a few cases it may be made part of the respite care, but usually this is not the case. The nursing component may enter into respite care arrangements if the care is provided at an adult daycare facility or a specialty location, such as a nursing home or other venue where highly specialized caregivers are trained to deal with a primary health concern a patient may have.

* Emergency medical care is not the same as respite care and should not be factored in when interviewing possible respite care providers. Even though all respite care workers are trained in CPR and first aid, there is no emergency medical care provided as part of their service. If the need for this kind of care occurs, the respite care worker will contact the appropriate medical responders who will then transport the patient to an emergency room.

* Child daycare services for parents who are working are not considered respite care. If you have a child with special needs who requires specialized care while you are at work, you may need to enlist the help of a specifically outfitted daycare center.

* Respite workers are not handymen or housekeepers. While they will gladly change a light bulb or wash a plate, they should not be relied upon to do any kind of home repair or housekeeping.

Limitations of respite care vary from agency to agency and in some cases you may be able to individually contract with a trained respite care worker who is not working for an agency but who is taking on clients individually. Yet even in such cases the limitations are determined by the liability insurance carrier that is covering the respite worker and also the agency.

If you do choose to contract with an individual, make sure you spell out in detail the expectations of the care you have well in advance. In addition, request a copy of the insurance policy covering the liability of the respite care worker to ensure that you are not setting up yourself, the worker, or the patient for a liability lawsuit.

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