Respite care — temporary care designed primarily for an overworked at-home caregiver that has been covered in previous posts for this blog — was the subject of a front-page article in the August 19 New York Times.

The story profiles several families in serious need of time to relax and rejuvinate before they could fully re-engage with full-time caring for an elderly relative with Alzheimer’s disease or or another form of dementia.

The article notes common characteristics of many caregivers — being tired and stressed, not having free time, trading duties with a spouse to always have somone at home — coupled with feeling guilty about the idea of needing time away from caregiving.

“In an aging population, nine million people take care of someone with Alzheimer¹s or another form of dementia, and for many it is a responsibility without a break,” the article says.

“But as health professionals and the federal government have recognized the strain on these family members, including higher rates of depression, hypertension, diabetes, sleep disorder, heart disease and death, a growing number of facilities now offer short-term respite stays. In its simplest form, respite might be a home aide a few hours a week or use of an adult day care service. To caregivers at the end of their rope, real respite means a short time away, what for anyone else would be called a vacation,” the Times reports.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed with caregiving, the article may help you see that you’re not alone, and that there are some ideas out there for you to consider.

As a separate matter, the article notes that Congress passed the Lifespan Respite Act in 2006 to provide support for respite programs, but so far it has not appropriated any money to finance the act.

Perhaps advocating for financing this much-needed program should become a 2008 goal for caregiver or senior groups.

– Lori Woehrle