Important items to Take to Respite: Parkinson’s and Dementia

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Respite care is vital for allowing a much needed break for carers. Most wonder what should be taken when their loved one goes into respite care. The most important items to take to respite care for someone with Parkinson’s Disease and Dementia we will look at here.

Most respite care homes provide the basics for their respite stay. You are often responsible for providing the rest. Many vary on what they provide and its important to discuss with them what that is.

When respite care is being arranged, it is normal practice in UK that they will arrange a home visit. This is so they can assess your loved one’s needs to ensure they can meet their needs. This is a great opportunity to ask them what is provided and what is not.

Despite what they do and do not provide, it is always important that you take some personal, familiar items that can help make their room comfortable and feel homely. Items that they are familiar with from home that they like is essential in helping them settle. The more they settle the better it makes you as a carer feel so that you can enjoy your much needed break.

Considering and arranging respite care for a loved one is one of the most guilt tripping decisions we can make. Carer’s (me included) feel that you have let them down; feel a failure; guilt that we want to enjoy ourselves and adjusting to doing things without them. It is normal to feel this way. It took me a while to accept that I need a break too. To look after ourselves is helping to look after them. Self care is vital.

Clothes for Respite Care

The choice of clothing to take is best based on what makes them comfortable during their stay and time of year. Their favourite clothes will help make their stay more settled. Choosing their clothes each day with the care staff they will see their clothes that they remember. Night wear, slippers and underwear and dressing gown. All the usual stuff that they would wear at home.

All clothes should be clearly labelled to withstand a lot of washing. General practice in many homes is that all residents clothes get washed together unless you take them home, so clear labelling is a must. You can buy labels that iron on and sewn on. Iron on labels are not that durable (from experience). Sewn on labels last forever and are a good choice. You can also use sharpie pens to write names on the clothes labels and have found them to last for the duration of respite.

Toiletries and Personal Care

Just as if you are going on holiday, you need to take enough toiletries and personal care items to last the duration of respite.

Think top down. Hair shampoo, shower and/or bath smellies, deodorant, soap, toothbrush and paste, shaving kit, dentures kit and supplies, hair brush etc.

Personal care; think special creams needed and incontinence pads or pants that they usually wear. Do they wear any special clothes? These need to be taken too.

All these items need to be clearly labelled too. It helps to think about their normal routine at home and what they use regularly. If unsure you can always speak to the care home and they can advise.

Mobility equipment and Accessories for their Respite Care

For any respite care for Parkinson’s and Dementia, they need to take any mobility aids that they use at home. If they use a walking frame, walking stick or rollator then it needs to be clearly labelled and taken too. If they use a wheelchair they usually need to take their own clearly labelled. Its amazing how many things can disappear into other residents rooms and get mixed up.

Using their own equipment that they are measured for and are familiar to them makes their stay much easier for them and the care staff.

Personalising their mobility equipment such as walking frames with accessories, for example a walking frame bag. A walking frame that is personal to them can help store personal items to take around with them so keep safe. Walking frame bags can be a lovely addition to brighten their stay.

Medications for Respite Care

Its important to talk to the manager of the home before the respite stay to check how they handle medications and inform of any ‘time specific’ medications prescribed and ensure that they understand what this means. One of the main issues found for those with Parkinson’s Disease who are commonly prescribed time specific medications is that it is not dispensed as prescribed causing symptoms to worsen when in care homes and hospitals.

Making sure that this is highly important and that they understand Parkinson’s is paramount and often the decider as to whether this home is right for your loved one’s respite care.

Keeping medication together in a pill bag when going into respite is good practice. Often someone with Parkinson’s and dementia have many medications. A pill bag can help keep medications together. It is important that all prescribed medication is clearly labelled with dispensing instruction.

Homely items for Comfort

Taking personal items from home to make their room more homely can make a huge difference to their stay. Familiar possessions such as framed pictures for the wall or shelves that they like. A few familiar ornaments and hobby items. Making their room more familiar with items from their home can be reassuring. Again making sure that they are labelled is important.

Important Information for Respite Care

Make sure that the care home has all the important information that they need such as contact details for family members and point of contact. Copy of Power of Attorney is often a requirement and is very important document to be in place before capacity is lost and makes a say in decision making for your loved one much easier.

Background information about your loved one in respite care is important. Information such as their daily routine, likes and dislikes. What works in times of distress. What their hobbies and interests are. Favourite foods and information on any specific utensils or equipment that they use such as weighted cutlery, scoop plates or lidded cups. As much information you can give can make their stay much more enjoyable and easier.

Payments for Sundries

Some respite care homes have shops, bars, hairdressers, chiropody and other amenities. These all come at extra cost. It is worthwhile sending money that they can put in the safe for such things. If they want their hair cut or want to buy something in the shop then they will have the freedom to enjoy the little extras.

Generally in the UK the manager of the home you choose for respite will do a home visit to undertake an assessment with yourself and your loved one to go over a lot of the essentials to ensure that they can meet their needs. It will also be the opportunity for you and your loved one to ask any questions and discuss much of what I have talked about in my blog. I found it helpful to have a list of questions before their visit and have a chat with loved one about their wishes too.

I do hope that you have found my suggestions, all based on experience helpful. Please sign up to my newsletter so that you can keep up to date with my blog and future posts. I would also love to hear your feedback and of your own experiences of respite.