Respite Care is Key to Caregiving!

This show overviews Respite Care and how it supports Caregivers and Care Recipients. Caregiving can be very exhausting and a strain on relationships. Respite care gives both the opportunity to reset. It’s rejuvenating for the Caregiver and a much-needed outing for the Care Recipient. 

What is There's No Aging in Vegas!?

There’s No Aging in Vegas because we’re too busy living and loving life! If you don’t love AGING, how the hell you gonna love LIVING?

Unknown Speaker 0:00
This is a Kun V studios original program.

Unknown Speaker 0:03
The content of this program does not reflect the views or opinions of 91.5 jazz and more the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, or the Board of Regents of the Nevada System of Higher Education.

Unknown Speaker 0:22
You're listening to there's no aging in Vegas, a one stop shop for all things positive aging in the Vegas valley, and any place within ears reach, This show features topics relevant to adults 50 and over that help them live their lives to the fullest. Listeners will meet a variety of residents who've taken the reins of aging and are willing to share their tips and tools for creating a positive mindset and lifestyle we're starting now.

Unknown Speaker 0:58
Hello everybody. Welcome to there's no aging in Vegas. I appreciate you listening in and always giving me great emails and responses to the show. I really appreciate them. We're going to get started right away with our AARP segment, and today, our guest is Betty Lacombe, hey, Betty,

Unknown Speaker 1:21
Hi.

Unknown Speaker 1:22
Did I say your last name correctly?

Unknown Speaker 1:25
Absolutely. It's a French word that means the valley. I was married to a Frenchman for, you know, many years.

Unknown Speaker 1:32
Oh, wow. Well, you speak French.

Unknown Speaker 1:35
Oh, no, my French is awful. I can order in a that's it.

Unknown Speaker 1:39
I know I took it for years, and I don't know what happened. But anyway, Betty, tell me a little bit about you and what you do at AARP.

Unknown Speaker 1:50
Well, you know, it's interesting. When I first moved to Las Vegas, I was looking for things to do in the community, and I took the driver safety course from AARP, which gives me a discount. And my husband turned to me and said, you could really teach this. Why don't you see if, Phil, you know, let you do it. And AARP trained me, and for many years, I taught the AARP driver safety class and to help seniors learn about the laws. And so that got me started. And then I was very involved, and I saw all the other wonderful things, and I started going to health fairs and Manning an AARP table, and, you know, giving out roses on Valentine's Day with Cupid crew. And so it got me very, very involved. Well, let

Unknown Speaker 2:43
me ask you this. So when you do driver safety and I know I set up ollie to have a driver safety class over there, but it just dawned on me, are you actually getting in a car and teaching them, or you're just kind of going over the rules of the road type thing? No,

Unknown Speaker 3:01
it's more like rules of the road. It's all the laws in the state of Nevada, because the laws do change. Some people don't know that you have to be three feet away from a bike. You can't have a bike in the lane with you, with your car, things like that, things that you could get for, things that you know should be mindful of, and also, because we're seniors, I don't know about everybody else, but I find that occasionally I have to get things or, you know, I'm not as sharp as I was when I was, you know, in my 30s. And I think this is a good renewal of the rules when you should put your blinker on when you shouldn't. So it's basically that a classroom setting, and then you get certificate, and your insurance company, by law in the state of Nevada, has to give you a discount.

Unknown Speaker 3:48
Wow. Now that's some good information. You hear that people, I mean, you know, who knew I always say AARP has some nuanced opportunities and benefits, and so that's one that I think a lot of people may want to get involved with. Now let me back up just a little bit. So what do you do for AARP? Specifically, I know you're on a board and things like

Unknown Speaker 4:13
that, but what happened is, during a COVID, I thought, You know what I've been doing, driver safety for 10 years, I think I'd like to do something else that's giving back to seniors. Because, you know, growing up, everybody volunteers to help you. Now you need to help others. And I was very involved with the office that they asked me if I'd like to be on the Executive Council. And the Executive Council is like sort of a board of directors. We look at the plans for the year, what they're planning to do, make suggestions, maybe even go out and get something started, like the recycling center. I went to the recycling center and found out how to get a tour, how we got going and everything. And now, about twice a year, we go and give tours of the recycling center. Here, but being on the board, I get to see what they do for the whole year, next year, what they planned, and maybe give some input. Wow,

Unknown Speaker 5:08
that's great. What what is your what do you love doing the most? For AARP, because I know you dip your toes in just about everything your knowledge crosses everything that they do. What's your favorite thing?

Unknown Speaker 5:20
Well, I

Unknown Speaker 5:21
joined the speakers bureau two years ago. They started a speaker's bureau where we learn lectures that AARP national headquarters have prepared on fraud, downsizing, being more healthy, how to stay in your home longer, what things you can do. And I love that that's my favorite thing to do. Is when a community center or senior center says, hey, send someone over to talk about fraud. Then I volunteer for that. Go over and spend an hour with people of what to watch for, what to do if it does happen, etc. And I just love that you get involved in the community.

Unknown Speaker 6:01
Okay, well, you know, I know you do a lot of things, and I am going to give out the information. If anybody wants more information, it's available by calling 866-389-5652, or you can go to AARP, www aarp.org, forward slash local, that'll take you right to the Nevada stuff. Betty, thank you so much for I know you've got a class going on, so I really appreciate you taking time to talk with me, and I will speak to you again soon.

Unknown Speaker 6:38
Okay, thanks for having me. Appreciate it. No

Unknown Speaker 6:42
pride. All right. Bye, bye.

Unknown Speaker 6:43
Sponsorship of this program is provided by Olli at UNLV. Did

Unknown Speaker 6:48
you know UNLV has a learning community of more than 1200 retired and semi retired adults? Hi, I'm Dr Rob Lovecraft, director of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, better known as Olli. Our program offers more than 250 classes a year, featuring over 100 volunteer instructors offering topics from artificial intelligence to yin yoga. More information about Olli is available at O, L, L, I dot, U, n, l, v.edu,

Unknown Speaker 7:18
All right, everybody, let's get to my fabulous guest. She is calling in all the way from Maryland, and she's got some great content to share with you. Her name is Joan Jackson. She is the founder and content creator for the website balanced, abundant living.com this website is geared toward the informational needs of the family caregiver and their loved ones. She has a lot of stuff out there. Informational email. You can sign up for her newsletter, balanced, abundant living. And she is all about respite care, family caregiving. She's done a lot of things in that space. She is a retired public reference librarian. She's the third librarian I've had on the show that's kind of interesting, and she's had a business, a non medical in home care business. She's just done a lot of stuff, but her unwavering commitment to empowering seniors and family caregivers is the driving force behind her information sources, resources, education and public speaking engagements. And like I said, she is an expert in all of the areas of caregiver, self care, abundant aging in place, respite care, take helping others, inspiring others, I should say, to take charge of their caregiving journey. So like I said, she's got a tool kit. I will get all of that information to you. She is a fellow certified senior advisor, and a whole lot of other things that she does as well. She's on some senior networks back in Maryland, and everything anyway, you know, didn't need, I say more I mean, and she's, we're gonna have a great conversation. Hey, Joan,

Unknown Speaker 8:55
Hello, Pat. Thank you so much for having me.

Unknown Speaker 8:59
Oh, you're so welcome. I was excited to have you, because this is true. Talk about, you know, probably one of the things that we deal with in our industry, the most is caregiving and things like that. So I'm happy to have you. So go ahead and just frame up what is respite care. What

Unknown Speaker 9:15
I call respite care is short term relief with long term benefits, not only for the family caregiver, but for their loved one. It's short term relief for family caregivers, especially those who are the primary caregiver, and it has multiple benefits for the family caregiver and for the loved one being taken care of.

Unknown Speaker 9:40
Yeah, I was gonna say that I know that sometimes, you know, they go to an adult daycare or something like that, to get a break too, you know, and be around and maybe get some activities in there. But let's start with preventing caregiver burnout. So let's chat a little bit about Absolutely

Unknown Speaker 9:55
So, as you all know, family caregiving. Is a demanding 24/7 responsibility, and that often leaves the care family caregiver physically and emotionally drained without regular breaks, you can quickly experience burnout. It can lead to exhaustion, irritability and resentment. So respite care a crucial form of self care, provides you with the necessary time off to rest, to recharge and return to your duties as a caregiver with a clearer mind and renewed energy. This not only benefits, as I said before, the caregivers health, but also ensures that the caregiver can continue providing the best possible care to their loved one without compromising their own well being.

Unknown Speaker 10:48
Well, that's and that's the key. I mean, you know, as a caregiver, I've been a caregiver five times. One was my husband. He suffered and passed away from brain cancer and and it's, it's tough, and it's even more tough when it's a family member, you know, you can't be as you know, all your emotions are totally involved, and you can't really step away from those so I think it's really important for people to understand what caregivers go through. I think a lot of times that the assumption is that, oh, you know, this person's taking care of their mom because she's sick, and they don't realize that what that person is going through. And then, you know, even realize that, Hey, maybe I should just go over there and give Nancy a quick break so she can go and have a cup of coffee or take a shower. You know, there's a lot of things folded into that burnout and everything else, but, you know, a lot of it has to do. It really affects your mental and emotional health, doesn't it? It

Unknown Speaker 11:40
certainly does one important thing about the beauty of respite care, it helps maintain your mental and emotional health. Care. Giving can be emotionally taxing with with caregivers, often feeling isolated. You're overwhelmed, and this is a big one, you feel guilty of wanting a break. Guilt is a it. I've heard it said so many times by caregivers, I feel guilty if I don't do X, Y and Z, and, you know, they burn themselves out. So this constant emotional strain can lead to anxiety, depression or feelings of hopelessness. Respite care by allowing you to step back breathe in what I call Catch your breath and seek mental health support, if necessary, plays a crucial role in preventing these long term mental health issues, whether it's taking a day to see a therapist or engaging in meditation or enjoying a stress reality, these moments of respite are vital, absolutely vital, for maintaining emotional stability for

Unknown Speaker 12:47
you well, and it helps improve the care you're able to deliver. Because if you're burned out, you're gonna make some mistakes. You know, if you're too tired, your patience is gonna be reduced. I mean, you know, talk about some of the fallout from not getting the rest you need. Okay,

Unknown Speaker 13:03
some of the fallout can be, as I had said before, feelings of exhaustion, short tempered burnout, and I will say burnout, physically, emotionally, socially, all of that comes into place. Not only will you be on edge, it will also reflect into the one you're caring for, say, for instance, they have dementia, okay, and they're not cognitively aware of what you're truly going through when you're on edge, they're going to be able to sense that. Then what happens in there, on edge, and then you're on edge, and it's a, it's an, it's a round robin, and it just evolves, and it's no good for anyone, yeah. And one of my sayings is, if your health goes down the tubes, then who'll be there to take care of your loved one,

Unknown Speaker 14:00
exactly, and that's part of that guilding you were talking about. You have to hang in there. You're, you know, you're telling yourself, I gotta hang in there. This is my mom, and I feel guilty about another to help her. And you know that kind of plays into like when you have your child or relative or whomever, close friend providing the caregiving, it could put a strain on relationships. What do you recommend to prevent that?

Unknown Speaker 14:23
Okay, what I recommend and this, this happened to be in the book that I have healthy boundaries for the family caregiver, setting limits with love and respect. You have to set up healthy boundaries. Normally, we think of boundaries as negative, not if they're healthy. So for instance, with your family members, you're going to get those loving 11 family members that want to give you all this advice on what you're doing wrong or what you should do, and they may not step up. To the plate. That happens all the time. However, if you're blessed enough to have family who will step in as caregivers, I recommend setting a family meeting, setting, having a schedule of what needs to be done, who can do what, when and where will that? Will that not go, you know, according to plan all the time. Of course, that's going to happen, but having that in place helps to keep things on track. You have to say, I have a boundary. There's certain things I cannot provide, but there are other things I certainly can provide, because the majority of caregivers either work full time or part time, and you have to set up a schedule for that time. Yeah, isn't Yes,

Unknown Speaker 15:51
yeah, boundaries. I love that you mentioned that, because that's so important. Because again, you feel guilty. You don't want to set boundaries. You feel like you have to just give it all and do it all and not care about yourself. So that's really an important, you know, thing to communicate to our listeners who are dealing or are providing caregiving to someone. Now, you know, there's a lot of health risks with being a caregiver, because we do kind of stop focusing on ourselves and focus on the the patient. And so there's so many things that could go on. If you're stressed, you're gonna have high blood pressure, you might have some sleep deprivation, weakened immune system. And that's why respite care is so important, because, you know, you can go somewhere and get some exercise, go be around other people, you know. So that's really important. And that kind of is why social connection, which often for caregivers, they become isolated along with the patient, and so now, you know, they've lost that connection, their social connection. Talk a little bit more about that exactly.

Unknown Speaker 16:53
Pat, so isolation is a common problem among caregivers. They often miss out on social gatherings. You know, their hobbies and interaction with friends and that can lead, as you said, feelings of loneliness. Respite care provides opportunities for caregivers to reconnect with their social circle circles, pursue hobbies and engage in activities that bring them joy and fulfillment, where they're going out for lunch with a friend, attending a social event, attending a worship service or joining a support group, these moments of connections are crucial, crucial for maintaining mental health and a sense of normalcy outside of caregiving, yeah,

Unknown Speaker 17:39
And that's really challenging, you know. I mean, like, especially when I was caregiving for my husband, you know. I mean, I feel guilty about every time I even went to take a shower, you know, because you just, you want to be there, and you push your you're observing, you know, everything too, that's going on. But, you know, I think that caregivers don't understand that they have rights, like you said, that they can create boundaries, that they can speak up and say what, what they want. So how would you what would you recommend for empowering the care recipient? So you know, they get to go out and be around other people and maybe a different caregiver who might, you know, add something to their experience, or whatever that is, but talk a little bit about some of the ways that a caregiver can benefit both themselves and the patient with rest, sure,

Unknown Speaker 18:29
sure, while respite care primarily benefits the caregiver, it can also enrich the care recipients experience interacting With a different caregiver, for instance, can provide a variety and routine it can introduce new perspectives to the care recipient and encourage them to engage more actively in their own care. So that's empowering the care recipient. This change can foster independence, particularly if the recare is provided in a group setting where the care recipient can meet others and participate in social activities, it also helps the care recipient adjust to the idea that other people can be trusted with their care, reducing feelings of dependency on a single family caregiver, this empowerment can instill a sense of confidence in family caregivers as well as the care recipient. It's so important because many care recipients, they are struggling with a sense of losing their independence when they are in a situation like that, they get a chance, if they're able to, if they're able to, cognitively able to pitch in and have a say in their own care.

Unknown Speaker 19:51
Yeah, and you know this, a lot of people are just now finding out that they could get paid a family member could get paid to take care of their. Loved one. Here in Nevada, they actually have a program, I think it's PCs, and the caregiver is actually able to get paid for their service. Now, you talk about some guilt. I come with some guilt, don't it, when you tell mama, I'm gonna make some money caregiving for you, but you know you, you've earned it. That's a job. Isn't even if it's your if it's your family member, that is a job. It's taxing. You have to go everywhere. A lot of times, caregivers are coming out of their own pockets to pay for stuff as well.

Unknown Speaker 20:27
A lot of the times they do. And there are great free and for fee or private respite care services, depending on final financial assets, medical status and or disability status. For instance, Medicare Part A is available for hospice care patients. You go to one 800 Medicare, you can talk to them about that. And so your state's family caregiver support group program, there is a an organization called the arc, national respite network, A, R, C, H, national respite network and Resource Center. It has an interactive map that's a great resource for locating funds within your state. Another one, if your loved one happens to be on Medicaid, there's the Medicaid waiver program, and there are specific Medicaid related waivers available in your state for respite care financial assistance. So if you contact your local Medicaid office for contact information, and by searching the respite care locator link, so you check under your state's resources by searching on their state's waiver list, and there are specific ones for specific needs, like the Alzheimer's Association.

Unknown Speaker 21:51
Yeah, they have a lot of resources like that, and I do know that here for that patient care system I was talking about, where you can get paid, they I think you have to be a Medicaid recipient to receive that. But yeah, so, you know, look, nobody's looking for the upside or the benefit to being a caregiver, but it's nice to know that you have those resources, because that takes away a lot of the strain right there. If you know that, you know you can go in and shop for them and yourself and not be concerned, because people don't realize caregiving can be a real drain on the caregivers. Pocket. Now, go ahead, I

Unknown Speaker 22:29
just asked something Pat really quickly, especially since we just celebrated Veterans Day, for those who are veterans or spouses of veterans, there's a resource through the VA called hidden heroes. It's respite relief for military and veteran caregivers. This is through the Elizabeth Dole Foundation and the US Department of Veterans Affairs. They jointly created the respite relief for military and veteran caregivers. So this program offers family caregivers of veterans or service members access to free, free short term relief with the help of in home care professionals. Also TRICARE has extended air health, the Extended Care Health Program and the military exceptional family member programs. There's also the VA Caregiver Support Line, and that number is 855-260-3274, that's for all veterans and their families. Wow, and this is so I wanted to just put that out for our veterans and their families who are so important to us. Yes,

Unknown Speaker 23:42
absolutely, and, and, you know, people just don't know that all this is out there, because when you begin caregiving, it's almost like you're thrown into it. Suddenly, mom goes to the doctor and she's got something, and now she needs somebody to help her, and, and so you're kind of often thrown into it. But let me close I'm gonna just read this encouraging community and professional support. So respite care also serves as a gateway to accessing broader community resources and professional care services. Caregivers who initially seek respite care may become more open to utilizing additional support, such as adult daycare, which I mentioned earlier. I mean, a lot of people, that's how they the caregiver gets their rest. It is by taking the patient over to adult their every city has one. There's also,

Unknown Speaker 24:27
for those who are working, they can drop their loved one off at a certain time in the morning and arrange to pick them up after work.

Unknown Speaker 24:36
Yeah, no. I mean, that's such a valuable opportunity, for both of the individuals home care agencies, there's counseling services to help the caregivers, and all of this external support is crucial for caregivers struggling to manage all aspects of caregiving independently, which usually kind of you realize in the middle of the caregiving like, oh my gosh, I might need to speak to somebody, because, again, we're throwing in. To it. We are not prepped. We don't have a book that we walk into the caregiving scenario with so encouraging caregivers to seek help. And this is for everybody out there who knows somebody who's caregiving, you know, foster a healthier caregiving environment that acknowledges the importance of shared responsibility and professional expertise. So I think if you know somebody, those of you who may be either caregiving or know someone encouraging them to seek help, because a lot of people don't even know there's resources. I mean, AARP has a ton of caregiving resources that they do in a ton of other organizations, like the ones you've mentioned. But yeah, you know, I didn't I tell you this time was gonna go by fast. Girl, it goes by so fast it does.

Unknown Speaker 25:41
And folks, there's so many resources out there. Don't feel alone. I would dare say most caregivers have been in the reactive instead of the pro act. And I want you out there, if you have not been a caregiver yet, just wait. You're either going to be a caregiver. You're gonna need a caregiver, or you're, you're going, you're gonna, you've just been a caregiver. And please, please, please, be proactive. Now, if you're in the throes of it, there are resources out there. One of is my website, free to you.

Unknown Speaker 26:18
I will put all that information out there for you, Joan, you do have a great resource, balanced, abundant living.com Correct? That is, when you go there, you'll be able to find she has a tool kit for you. She has a book that she's written. There's a lot of resources, and so I'm going to make that information available as well for you TA, you can contact Joan, like I said, She's a fellow certified senior advisor, and she has really been in this particular area of senior stuff, I should say, for a long time. And you know she's what she's doing with respite care, and end up giving you know, because I know you do a lot of stuff doing in the community and everything, and especially with communities of people who may not even be aware of the resources out there. So that's so important. And I am so happy that you were able to come on the show with me this morning. Well, it's probably afternoon where you're at, I'm sure, right?

Unknown Speaker 27:17
Yes, it is, yes, it is three hours ahead of you. It is in my absolute pleasure, Pat and an honor to be able to share valuable information with millions of people, millions of people in this country who are family caregivers. And I will dare say, it's not just me. I'm a baby boomer. You have got juveniles who are caregivers to their parents. You've got parents who are caregivers to their special needs children. So it goes across the gambit, not just for seniors, but for so many people. There are so many resources. Yeah, I

Unknown Speaker 27:56
am so glad you made that point. Because I think when we think caregiving, we think of somebody old, even if you have somebody in the house who's, you know, kind of, you know, has to relax or be in a bed or whatever it is, confined to the home for a certain period of time. That's caregiving. But we don't think about that. You know,

Unknown Speaker 28:15
family forgiving can be very short term, or it can go on for years.

Unknown Speaker 28:19
Well, I'll tell you what. This has been such a valuable conversation, and I'm sure the audience will love it. And everybody's now thinking, wow, I never thought about that. And if you have a family member, you know, your siblings and your mom is going your dad's going through something, you know, please understand that they need your help. Even if they act like they don't want your help, they need your help. Figure out a way to have that conversation and let them know that you're there for them as well. Because a lot of times the frustration for a caregiver comes from the lack of help, disagreements in the family about the help. So I will people ask

Unknown Speaker 28:51
for help. You cannot be a lone ranger caregiver. And I'll say this as the definition of a family caregiver is anybody taking care of anyone that is considered, quote, a family caregiver. You could be taking care of your best friend, significant other, neighbor, church member. It doesn't matter. Under the same pressure and you need respite care. Yeah,

Unknown Speaker 29:16
wow, you are so amazing. I'm definitely going to have you back when we talking about all the different things that we do as certified seniors and senior advisors. So thanks again, Joan. I appreciate you so much.

Unknown Speaker 29:27
I do you too. Pat. Thank you, my dear. Okay, I'll

Unknown Speaker 29:31
talk to you soon. All right. Then, right. Thank you. Joan Jackson, everybody. This

Unknown Speaker 29:34
program is underwritten by AARP Nevada, currently seeking volunteers for a variety of roles, including speakers for meetings, tech support for member events and people who just want to meet and greet others. AARP Nevada offers training and support to help individuals help AARP Nevada. More information is available at states.aarp.org/nevada

Transcribed by https://otter.ai