How To Transition From Home-Based Care to At-Centre Respite Care

As a caregiver, deciding to transition from home-based care to at-centre respite care can be a big step. This decision isn't an easy one and requires careful planning and preparation. In this article, we'll help you understand this transition and help you decide if it's right for you.

At Entrust Disability Services, we understand that the transition from home-based care can be complex. If you decide to make the shift to at-centre respite care, we're here to help support you and your family. We'll help to make sure everyone involved in the respite care transition has a positive experience.

Understanding The Differences Between Home Care and At-Centre Respite Care

Home-based care (for our purposes here) means that care is primarily provided in the guardian’s home by the guardian. 

At-centre respite care means that the individual receives support at a care facility outside the home. These facilities are specifically designed to provide care and support to individuals with special needs.

There are a few key differences between these respite care options:

• Care Environment: Home care happens within the home setting, while at-centre care is in a new environment. 
• Structured Programs: At-centre respite care often includes structured activities and programs. 
• Expert Oversight: At facilities like the Entrus Centre for Supports, these programs and experiences are created and overseen by experts and trained staff. 

People choose to transition from home-based care to centre-based care for various reasons. Sometimes, the full-time guardian requires a short break. Other times, the individual may benefit from the social interaction and activities available at a care centre.

Learn more about our at-centre respite care options at Entrust. 

What day programs offer beyond home care settings

Centre-based respite care offers some unique advantages. These programs often provide:

• Specialized Experiences: Centres may have equipment that isn't available at home, which can help with specific care needs. At Entrust, we have a number of different rooms with tactile features to help your loved one learn skills. These rooms include the Builders Block Room, Sensory Room, Apartment Room, and more!
• Peer Interaction: At-centre care allows individuals to spend time with others. This promotes social engagement, builds social skills, and helps them make connections outside of the family.
• Structured Activities: Centre programs usually include planned activities that support skill development and provide a routine.

These features help provide opportunities for social engagement and skill development. Additionally, at Entrust, our programs, physical spaces, and activities are designed by trained professionals. These rich experiences might be harder to accomplish in a home setting. 

If you’d like to learn more about our programming or at-centre care options, we’re here for you! Contact us for a consultation.

Recognizing When At-Centre Care Becomes Necessary

So, how do you know if at-centre respite care is the right move? It’s not always obvious when the time has come for at-centre care. To help you, here are some things you can ask yourself to determine if it’s time:

• Changing needs: Is the level of care needed getting harder to manage at home?
• Family circumstances: Are there changes at home making caregiving tougher, such as divorce or an illness in the family?
• Individual development: Could the person grow more with the support and activities at a centre?
• Care requirements: Does the care needed go beyond what can realistically happen at home?
• Caregiver well-being: As a caregiver, your needs may have dropped down the priority list over the years. If your mental health is suffering, it may be time to seek at-centre respite care help so you can focus on your wellbeing.

By thinking about these changing needs and family circumstances, you can consider the best path forward for you and your family.

Questions to Ask When Considering At-Centre Respite Care

Before making the decision to transition to at-centre care, it's helpful to evaluate if your loved one is ready for centre programs. Here are some questions to ask yourself to ensure they can succeed with at-centre care:

• Are they comfortable in social environments? Social skills play a key role in successful integration into centre-based care. Consider if your loved one can interact with peers and comfortably be in a group setting.
• Are they able to communicate needs? Being able to express needs, preferences, and concerns is important for at-centre care. Evaluate their verbal and nonverbal communication skills, as well as their ability to understand and follow instructions. 
• Are they able to adjust to a new environment? Make sure they can adjust to new surroundings, routines, and caregivers. Consider their flexibility, resilience, and ability to cope with change.

Organizations like Entrust Disability Services prioritize a thorough individual assessment process to ensure that each respite care transition plan is tailored to the unique needs, preferences, and strengths of the individual. 

How To Transition to At-Centre Respite Care

You’ve decided that at-centre respite care is what’s best for you, your family, and your loved one requiring care. Great! Now what?

When making the move from home-based to centre-based care, there are a few steps to follow. In this section, we'll lay out the process, so you can feel confident each step of the way!

• Evaluate readiness: As we discussed in the last section, the first step is evaluating if the individual is ready for at-centre care.
• Contact the facility: Reach out to your chosen respite care facility for a consultation. Make sure to ask questions about their programming, ratio of care providers to members, and care model.
• Book a facility tour: If you're comfortable with the initial consultation, book a tour! Visit the facility, care providers, and get more information about the programming to make sure it's a good fit for you and your loved one.
• Get an assessment: Your respite care facility should conduct an assessment of your loved one to make a tailored plan for their needs. At Entrust, our assessment process begins right from our very first meeting with a client. Our Behavioural Support Director and Residential Services or Community Access Supports Director will meet with you and the individual requiring care to determine fit, needs, and care plans. There is no commitment needed at this point!
• Care coordination: After the respite care begins, good care coordination is crucial. This means that everyone involved – family, home care providers, and the centre staff – are all talking to each other and sharing information.

For more information on transitioning on the first day, read our blog post Tips for Making The First Day of Respite Care a Positive Experience.

Building a Transition Timeline for At-Centre Respite Care

Changing a routine is a big adjustment for you and your loved one with a developmental disability. By having a realistic timeline, everyone can adjust gradually and confidently to this change.

Here is an example timeline on how to gradually adjust to this new routine. Because comfort levels with new environments can be drastically different, use this as a guideline only.

• 6 weeks before: Research respite care options near you. Contact the facility for information on programs, services, pricing, and eligibility criteria.
• 5 weeks before: Visit the facility and staff. Make sure that you're comfortable with their programming, care model, and staff.
• 4 weeks: Complete an assessment to make sure it's a fit for both sides. Provide input and share insights on the care plan.
• 3 weeks: Start communicating with your loved one that the change is coming. Our trained staff can help offer strategies on how to approach this conversation in a positive and appropriate way.
• 2 weeks: Begin bringing your loved one to the facility for short visits with you present. Make sure they're interacting with the staff who will be part of their day at the centre.
• 1 week: Bring your loved one to the facility for short visits, but leave them alone. This will help them adjust to not having you around for brief periods of time.
• First day of regular care: By now, your loved one should be familiar with the facility. They should recognize and be comfortable around the staff and their peers, aiding a smooth transition.

It's normal for the first few weeks of regular at-centre care to be a bit bumpy. Our staff will provide updates on how they're doing and offer strategies to support at home. Once they're settled into their routine, they can begin their journey to developing skills and being part of our community!

Preparing Individuals for At-Centre Respite Care

With proper preparation, you can make the adjustment to at-centre respite care a comfortable - and maybe even exciting! - transition.

To do this, you need to help your loved one feel safe, informed, and comfortable. Here are some ways to do this:

• Communication strategies: How you talk about the change is HUGE. By using clear, simple language, positive vibes, and lots of room for questions. Visual aids, like pictures of the centre or social stories, can also be super helpful.
• Anxiety reduction: Unpredictability or new experiences can sometimes cause anxiety in individuals with developmental disabilities. If you notice they're becoming anxious, create a sense of safety. Familiar objects, like a favorite blanket or toy, can go a long way.
• Gradual introduction: Visit the centre for brief visits in the weeks leading up to their first day! Maybe just an hour at first, and then slowly building up the time spent at the centre.

Trial visits are going to be the most important part of preparing for the transition from home-based care to at-centre respite care. Read on for more information about trial visits and how they help with this adjustment.

Using Trial Visits for Successful Care Transitions

Trial visits help everyone get a feel for the place, the people, and the routine. By slowly getting adjusted, you can help pave the way for a smoother, more comfortable transition.

The first day in a new environment can come with some stress or fear. Trial visits help reduce that stress by letting the person explore the centre, meet some staff, and see what a typical day looks like.

Trial visits also help build confidence - every successful visit is a win! It shows the individual (and their family) that they can do this. They can handle being in a new environment and interacting with new people.

Coordinating With Care Providers During Transitions

Moving someone into a new care setting is a team effort. Between the family, the current home-based care providers, and the new at-centre care team, everybody needs to be on the same page. 

Why is this provider collaboration so crucial? Because everyone has a piece of the puzzle. The home-based providers know the individual's likes, dislikes, history, and routines. The trained experts and centre staff know how to interact with and contribute to skill development in individuals with developmental disabilities. When everyone works together, we get a much clearer picture of how to provide the best care.

At Entrust, we believe that strong collaboration with families is a cornerstone of providing care. We want families to feel comfortable asking questions and knowing the details of care and skill progress.

Documentation to Prepare for At-Centre Respite Care

Centres need certain information and documentation to provide the best possible care. To help you prepare, here are some key pieces of information to get ready for the facility.

In order to provide the best care, the facility will typically request:

• Care documentation: This can include medical records, medication lists, and any existing care plans.
• Individual information: Details about the individual's daily routines, habits, likes, dislikes, and more.
• Care history: Information about any past care or support the person has received. These can include other respite care programs, what worked well, what didn't work, etc.
• Assessment details: Reports from any recent assessments or evaluations, which help the centre understand the person's current needs.

There may be additional documentation relevant to your loved one’s care, so use this list as a guideline only. It’s better to provide too much information than not enough!

What Happens After the Transition to At-Centre Respite Care?

After the individual has begun at-centre respite care, the journey really begins! Moving to centre-based care isn't just about finding a place for care; it's about making that place work for everyone.

Also, care plans aren't set in stone. At Entrust Disability Services, our team is constantly adjusting and optimizing. Here's what happens after beginning at-centre care:

• Program engagement: With our 1:2 care provider to client ratio, we're keeping a close eye on progress and comfort. If an individual isn't enjoying or progressing in their program, we make the necessary adjustments. We want our clients to be comfortable and confident, not just being present.
• Progress monitoring: We keep track of progress in our facility, but we want to know how our clients are doing at home! At-home feedback and observations can help us understand if our programming is working or needs adjusting.
• Care optimization: Care plans should be flexible and adaptable, as needs can evolve over time. If a client stops enjoying an activity, or their needs change, we optimize care plans to suit them.
• Ongoing assessment: This is the big picture check-in. Is the person happy? Is the care effective? Are there any concerns? Regular ongoing assessment from both our trained staff and families help us keep track.

When it comes to at-centre respite care, the programs are never set-it-and-forget-it. We are constantly adjusting to contribute to the best outcome for our clients!

Read more about our supportive care model, or contact us to speak to a team member.

Embracing the Next Chapter with At-Centre Respite Care

The choice to transition to at-centre respite care marks not an ending, but a new chapter. It's a decision rooted in care, aiming to enhance the well-being of both the individual and the family. While change can feel daunting, remember that you're not navigating this alone.

This transition requires careful planning and open communication. However, if done thoughtfully, it paves the way for positive transformation. By evaluating needs, creating personalized transition plans, and maintaining strong collaboration with care providers, families can confidently embrace this transition.

At Entrust Disability Services, we stand ready to support you every step of the way. Our commitment lies in providing guidance, expertise, and a compassionate approach, ensuring a smooth and fulfilling experience for all.

When you’re ready, we’re here to support you during this transition!