No matter how dedicated you are, you can't be there for your parent all the time, and you shouldn’t have to be. You need to attend to your own life as well, and caregiver burnout is a real danger if you don’t make time for some rest and relaxation for yourself. Some ways friends and family can provide respite:
- Take your parent to a movie or out to dinner.
- Be "on call" for a day or night to handle everything but a dire emergency.
- Stay with your parent for an evening while you go to a movie or out to dinner.
- Sit with your parent for an afternoon while you go for a walk.
- Move in with your parent for a weekend while you get away with your partner or spouse.
- Take your children to the movies or on other outings if they're not getting enough attention.
- Drive your children to school so you can sleep in.
