Finding the best short term respite care for loved ones is a delicate decision. There are times, especially in later years, when we need someone to step in for a short period, to provide care and support for a partner, friend or parent.
If this sounds familiar, you have probably wondered - what are the steps to find a provider? Which short term respite care is best suited to your circumstances? What questions should you ask? Are you in safe hands? Read on, and discover the criteria for finding the best possible short term respite care.
Medical and Aged Care Group offers top tier short term respite care that sets a gold standard for aged care and relief. Read on to learn about our dedicated homes for short term stays and specialised services in a homely environment.
What is short term respite care?
Short term respite care is a service that helps those who need care for a few days a week, or for a few weeks at a time. MACG also offers long term care, however in many instances short term care is perfectly adequate for temporary relief and vital support.
Importantly though, it is essential that short term respite feels friendly, safe and homelike. For this reason, our short-term visitors have the same benefits as permanent residents.
This includes things like onsite cooked/dietitian approved meals, an excellent selection of lifestyle activities and a committed, professional team of quality caregivers.
Those joining MACG for a shorter stay are a wonderful and valued part of our care community. Accommodating the needs of visitors for this type of stay is absolutely imperative for us.
Steps to find your home away from home
In order to find the right provider for a short-term respite stay, you may wish to consider the following steps:
- Make a list of providers based on your location. MACG has eight lovely homes in Melbourne and Victoria, so find one which one is close to you.
- Research the website, testimonials or news. At MACG we offer regular updates of our visitors’ activities, which gives visitors and carers confidence in our service delivery.
- Call the provider and chat to the team to ask specific questions. MACG have excellent staff who you can contact anytime either by phone, or a message via the website.
- Visit, have a cuppa, and say hello. At MACG we love to meet new people and expand our family.
We are firm believers that the quality of short-term respite care should match our high standard for long-term care.
Services for short term respite care
A large part of the decision for short term respite care is often the services on offer. Services you can expect at MACG include:
- Specialised care to suit your needs
- Social and lifestyle activities
- Delicious meals that are cooked on-site and dietician approved
- Fantastic staff available 24-hours a day
Activities including gardening sessions, arts and crafts, music and films or celebrating various festivities. Those are just some of the creative ways MACG homes enable visitors to stay active, improve their well being and socialise during their stay.
Due to the smaller number of beds at MACG homes across Melbourne, we are able to offer a more personal experience. It also means the services we offer we can be delivered in an environment that feels similar to home.
More questions about short term respite care?
If this is your first time exploring the best short term respite care, you likely have lots of questions. You should definitely ask them, and be confident the care provider is a good fit for your needs.
While there are general questions about how short term care works, you may also have more specific questions that will help you choose the most suitable option. For example:
- Can you talk me through the timing of the meals and the menu including dietaries or preferences?
- Can you tell me about the rooms?
- Can you tell me about laundry services?
- Can you tell me about the weekly activities?
Building relationships between our staff, visitors, residents, and their families is key to a successful, connected and vibrant community. For this reason, the kettle is usually on and a cuppa is never out of the question.
