Respite Care Ministry
What Happens After a Request for Respite Care Is Made?
1. Home Visit is scheduled with the family. I gather information through discussion and our In-Home Assessment to learn more about the needs of both the family caregiver and the loved one who receives care and to determine eligibility for visits. This initial visit is usually one of one and half hours in length. It also offers a time for the family to ask specific questions about Respite Care visits.
2. Following this home visit, I write up a confidential “Family Profile” which is a summary of the In-Home Assessment information. The focus is on information that will be helpful to and relevant for volunteers, known as Respite Friends, to know. This Family Profile is then sent to the family for their review and approval and that so changes/updates can be made. The caregiver then returns the Family Profile or verbally communicates approval or the need for changes.
3. A Respite Friend or a team of Respite Friends is then contacted and asked about being matched with a specific family. A volunteer(s) is given a copy of the confidential Family Profile to review. The Respite Friend and Respite Care Coordinator may visit on the phone or meet in person to talk about the match.
4. If family and Respite Friend(s) agree to the match and if a compatible schedule can be developed, a time for a Get Acquainted Visit is set. This introductory get-together is for the volunteer(s,) caregiver, care receiver, and Respite Care Coordinator to meet; this takes approximately one hour. This meeting provides an opportunity for Respite Friend(s) and family to be introduced, share, ask questions, talk about needs and interests, and become familiar with the home setting (including any pets.) This introductory visit helps to increase everyone’s comfort and confidence levels. We also identify where emergency information is kept or posted in the home. It is also a time to confirm a schedule, whether the day and time for visits will be the same each week or if visits are preferred on a flexible, occasional, or as-needed basis.
The family is given a Respite Care Ministry Folder, which includes the confidential Family Profile, contact information for volunteers, Village Church telephone numbers, “Family Guidelines,” and “Do’s and Don’ts for Volunteers.” The volunteer receives a Respite Friend Folder, which includes the confidential Family Profile, timesheets/logs, envelopes, reminder tips for visits, and a list of Respite Care Team contacts if applicable.
5. Visits begin! Follow-ups and monitoring are done with family and with volunteers through telephone calls, e-mails, and review of logs/timesheets.
Contact: Gayle Yelenik, Respite Care Coordinator: 913.671.2370 or e-mail.