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Respite care London

Take advantage of a short term stay in a retirement home

Families in London giving care to senior loved ones can find short term relief by using respite care stays offered by retirement homes. Inside these communities, families will find professional care staff and an environment that combines clinical care with a suitably homelike atmosphere.

The benefits of respite care in a retirement home

Typically, families are giving care to a senior loved one in early to middle stages of dementia, who requires significant care from family and/or home health care services. Of course, there are other reasons families provide care, but in all cases, you will have contacted the Home and Community Care Support and received a recommendation for a respite care stay. (Learn more about case management and other services offered in our overview of  LHINs.) 

Acquiring respite help can be critical to avoiding caregiver burnout, and can make you a better caregiver in the long run. Aside from simply taking a breather, this can improve caregiving in other ways: 

• In the retirement home, your loved one receives professional care from trained staff. Staff may be trained in specific techniques such as the Gentle Persuasive Approach, a technique for dealing with responsive behaviours, such as agitation due to sundowning.
• Families can observe and communicate with professionals and learn from them.
• Families can gain insight into the value offered by the senior care home, and see staff and community in action, with an eye on caregiving options in the future.

Other short term senior care and short stay options

Convalescent care may also be offered by the retirement residences listed above. This phrase is used interchangeably with respite care, though we think there’s a necessary distinction. When any older London resident is recovering from surgery, convalescence in a retirement home is worth exploring. Learn more about this in our bigger look at convalescent care stays. 

Two other short stay options are likely also available at retirement communities listed above: 

Guest stays give people a luxury-hotel-like experience to call their own, if a suite is available. This kind of short stay is typically taken by a friend or family member of a senior already living in the retirement home.

Trial stays are a popular way for seniors to test out life in a London retirement home that piques their interest. These are, as implied, a commitment-free stay of one or two weeks (the longer the better). During this time, you get a feel for the daily rhythm of the community, make new friends, try the food, take part in activities, and get a firsthand look at retirement living. Find London communities listed in our fuller look at trial stays.