Connecting Family Caregivers to Respite Care Providers
Free Respite Care Provider Training
Rewarding Work is pleased to offer the National Respite Care Provider Training designed for people who are interested in providing respite care to individuals with varying disabilities and ages across the lifespan. The online course has 10 modules and can be taken at your own pace. After completing the training, you will receive a certificate of completion.
We are in the process of transitioning to a new learning management system for this training. *Access to courses in TalentLMS will not be available after 12/18/24.* However, you can enroll and finish the training in the new system as soon as it is available. Contact support@rewardingwork.org with any respite training questions. Updated 12/20/24
Free Respite Opportunities for Massachusetts Family Caregivers
Family caregivers affiliated with RewardingWork.org are encouraged to learn more about free respite opportunities available through Toward Independent Living and Learning, Inc. (TILL) - Rewarding Work's parent organization.
This respite programming is available to Massachusetts Family Caregivers thanks to grant funding from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services.
Learn more at: tillinc.org/respite_innovation
What is Respite?
Respite is planned or emergency support to provide family/primary caregivers with a short break from the exceptional demands of caring for individuals with complex needs across the lifespan.
Do you provide care and assistance to someone who needs help with daily living? Whether you provide care for a parent, child, spouse, sibling or loved one due to aging, disability or a chronic condition, you are a caregiver. You may have become a caregiver suddenly and without warning, or perhaps your role evolved slowly over time.
Do you find the care tasks prevent you from doing things you want or need to do to have a healthy and balanced lifestyle? Is it getting difficult to maintain your social and family relationships or to be involved in your community because of the care you provide? Respite can help restore and strengthen your ability to continue providing care for your loved one.
- Respite is temporary care that relieves primary caregivers from their caregiving responsibilities. The length of a respite break depends on your personal situation. It might be a couple of hours to go shopping, have a medical appointment, take a nap, visit friends, exercise, or enjoy a recreational or community activity. Or it might be a couple of days or weeks to tend to personal business, participate in a special event or take a vacation.
- Caregivers can choose between in-home respite and out-of-home respite options.
- Respite is a resource to not only help ensure the health and well-being of you as a caregiver, but also for your family as a whole. The care you provide is important. It is equally important to take a break and rejuvenate.
- The benefits of respite care are life changing when it comes to reducing stress and anxiety, strengthening and preserving families, ensuring caregivers have time to care for their own health, empowering families to stay involved in their communities and delaying out-of-home placements.
“Family caregivers need support. If you are not taking care of yourself, how can you care for someone else?”
— Family Caregiver
Respite Provider Screening Questions
Do you know what questions to ask when you are interviewing a respite provider? We provide you with a list of standard questions to help preview you for an interview.