Respite Enhances Life!

Are you a  person with a disability who is thinking of hiring your own respite worker but are unsure about what the benefits of having a respite worker would be like for you?

If so, then this is the blog post for you.

I use respite to be social and have the independence of getting out and working on life skills without my parents.

Most people think of respite as a  break for the parent, or it means personal care for  people with disabilities or seniors that need someone to be with them while their primary caregiver is out doing errands. 

It can be, but respite is so much more than that.

It gives me a sense of freedom and independence, a friend to hang out with and a way to get out in the community without having to rely on getting a drive from my family.

For me as a young person with cerebral pasly, who uses a walker or wheelchair to get around, I find it benefits me in so many different ways. It gives me a sense of freedom and independence, a friend to hang out with and a way to get out in the community without having to rely on getting a drive from my family.

I have respite twice a week, usually 3 - 5 hours each time. Sometimes my respite worker picks me up and we will go out into the community. Sometimes we find adventures, sometimes I meet with friends. Other times we stay home and cook or do crafts.

Meet Lyndsay!

My respite worker's name is Lyndsay.

She is outgoing and creative and always likes to make crafts with me. She helps me be socially independant and always gives me freedom to choose to do what I want. She does so much for our family in general that she has really become part of the family.

For me, it was important to have someone who was female, could drive to pick me up and take me out in the community, and someone that was close to my age so we could be friends.

Lyndsay is perfect! She lived with us for 6 weeks during a hard time her life. I really got to know her and she got to know my needs. She would come home and spend time with me and we would craft together and chill with her cat. In fact, when she moved out and found a place it was weird not having a cat, so we actually ended up adopting one! The funniest thing is they both have the same name!

I met Lyndsay through my stepfather, but in the past I tried to find my own respite workers in community, like one of my first respite workers Ampai, who I met through my Inclusive Movement dance class.

I also worked with Autism Nova Scotia in the past to help find respite workers to hire. We did multiple Facetime interviews and found some great people, but it was hard to find someone who could take me out on a regular basis, who had the time after work or school in the evening and, most importantly, that would show up be reliable. 

It is really important to know what you want and to interview people before you hire.

In Nova Scotia, through the Disability Support Program, the government will provide funding for respite. That really helps with the cost and makes it easier to hire people.

I've had many respite workers in the past that had to stop doing respite for their own personal reasons, and that has been hard for me to cope with. But I am lucky enough to have stayed connected with past respite workers and they have become really good friends with me.

Me and Ampai are still best friends! She lives in Ontario now but visits whenever she is in town.

To me, my respite workers are not just people who support me, they are close friends and that connection is always going to be there no matter what.

When I did not have a respite worker it was so hard because respite gives me my freedom. It's a life outside of medical appointments, freedom of choice, exploring my comminity and seeing my friends. It's independence.

I now have a great respite worker for the long term. Some things that we have done together include cooking, crafts, shopping, going out to eat at local cafes and more.

Some of our favorite places have been Coffee, Tea and Sea in Eastern Passage, Xena’s in Halifax, walks by Lake Banook, Halifax Central Library, Souper Duper Soup, Ejoy Food Market, and going for bubble tea. In the summer we like to tie-dye, go to the beach and hangout on the waterfront.

We also love shopping for ingredients at the grocery store and trying new recipes. We are compiling our own recipe book!

Respite makes a world of a difference for the respite workers and the person with the disability. It's only for a couple of hours, a few days a week, but it can change someones life for the better.

If you are considering becoming a respite worker to a person with a disability, know that someone is waiting for their person to come along, and when it does it's an amazing experience. You can give someone a life-changing gift.

It's only for a couple of hours, a few days a week, but it can change someones life for the better.

If you are looking for a respite worker, I know that you will find that person, it just may take a bit of time.

Me and Lyndsay and our gnomes.