MISSION STATEMENT

To enhance the quality of life for the frail and impaired elderly and to give the needed respite to the caregivers, in cooperation with other community agencies serving the elderly.

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Paul's Peer's Respite Care is a mission outreach program of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Maumee, Ohio, that provides supervision and assistance in the activities of daily living (ADL) to twelve to sixteen functionally impaired adults during daylight hours.

Respite care assists and supports its participants, thereby giving families and other care givers a break in the stressful care giving. The care giver is given freedom to leave the home and do whatever needs to be done - Freedom to even have recreation or participate in community activities.

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In recent years, much attention has been directed toward increasing opportunities for the nation's frail and impaired. Opportunities that will improve the quality of their lives and assure them freedom of choice and independence to the extent that conditions and circumstances permit.

Respite care programs provide the frail and functionally impaired with the opportunity to partake of a program of services and activities that stimulate and promote social interaction.

Respite care is a distinctive service in its approach and focus. It approaches each person as a unique individual with strengths and weaknesses, yet with a potential for growth and development. Respite care assumes a holistic approach to the individual, recognizing the interrelationship among the physical, social, emotional, and environmental aspects of well being. It promotes positive attitudes toward the self-image, restoring, maintaining and stimulating capacity for independence while providing supports for functional limitations.

Respite care is a flexible program of services and activities designed to provide an individualized plan of care. It affords new opportunities for personal enrichment and provides a setting for group involvement outside the home. It reduces the isolation and prejudice often associated with frail and impaired adults and ensures continued relationships within the community. By easing the load on the care giver, respite care also enables the individual to maintain his or her role within the family structure and remain at home for as long as possible.

While families usually are the primary providers of care to the frail and impaired adults, they are seldom able to provide all of the needed physical, social and emotional support. Respite care shares providing of the care and thus supports the care givers. It seeks to create an atmosphere that enhances the value of human life and affirms the dignity and self-worth of the individual. The uniqueness of respite care stems from its individualized approach and its ability to meet the individual's needs. It must, however, always be viewed as a part of a larger array of community-based services that assist the frail and impaired adult to achieve the quality of life that makes living worthwhile.

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• Provide respite and support for families and other care givers.
  
• Maintain the participant's present level of function for as long as possible.
  
• Foster socialization and peer interaction.
  
• Serve as an integral part of the local network of social service agencies caring for the frail and impaired
  
• Promote the participant's maximum level of independence.
  
• Maintain the participant in the community for as long as possible, avoiding premature or inappropriate institutionalization by providing support to the care giver.

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• Adults whose care givers need respite during part of the day
  
• Adults with physical, emotional and cognitive impairments requiring supervision and/or assistance in the activities of daily living

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• Seek compliance with state and local building regulations, applicable zoning laws, fire codes, health codes, and safety codes. As a minimum fire detection measure, the building should be equipped with smoke detectors.
  
• Have barrier-free access to building with direct access to parking area.
  
• Have the same well defined and reserved area for respite care when the program is accomplished in a facility which has other uses.
  
• Have minimum of forty square feet of program space per guest to include space for dining, group and individual activities, and area for rest and privacy.
  
• Have a minimum of one handicapped accessible toilet for every ten guests.
  
• Have posted emergency phone numbers for emergency medical service, fire, and police.
  
• Procedures for fire safety and emergency evacuation are to be posted and periodically reviewed and rehearsed.
  
• Have kitchen space and appliances available for food storage and/or preparation.
  
• Have securable areas for files and records, supplies, and guests' personal belongings.
  
• Have at least some shared office space.
  
• Furnishings should be selected for safety and comfort with at least one straight-back chair per guest. Tables and dining service should be sufficient for all guests, staff, and volunteers to be seated at once.

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• Respite care is to be provided on weekdays which are currently Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 8:45 AM to 5:15 PM.
  
• It will not be provided:
  
  
  1. During extreme weather conditions respite will be closed if Maumee schools close because of weather conditions.
     
  2. Transportation of the guest to and from the respite care facility is to be primarily provided by the care giver. However, respite care volunteers may be sought to provide transportation for guests who can adequately communicate and locomote.
  
  
• Next month's calendar of planned activities should be available during the last week of the month. The current day's schedule should posted at the beginning of the day.
  
• Guests should be capable of some self locomotion even if they require a cane, walker, or wheel chair. They should be capable of communicating with respite care personnel, and should require only minimal assistance during eating and with personal hygiene.
  
• Intake procedure requires an interview with the guest and care giver by the respite care director. During this interview the guest and care giver are made aware of respite care policies and procedures and the guest's records will be initiated.
  
• Basic services provided are:
  
  1. Personal care - Supervision and assistance with activities of daily living
     
  2. Nutrition - Minimum of one well-balanced meal with adherence to any special dietary requirements
     
  3. A reminder to guest to take medication if needed.
     
  4. Advice - Appropriate referrals suggested to other social services made possible by networking
     
  5. Activities - Planned individual and group activities providing social, mental, physical and recreational stimulation and designed to meet the specific needs and interests of guests
     
     
• Guests are enrolled in respite care and space is reserved for them in the program
  
  1. The enrollment is predefined for specific days of the week
     • Every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday Friday, or any combination of previous stated days
       
       
• Guest are charged an enrollment fee to partially cover respite care operational expenses.
  
  1. The enrollment fee will be based on level of care. (This rate may be lowered if the respite care director deems it beyond the guest's ability to pay.)
     
  2. Enrollment fee payments are generally not refundable.
     
     • If respite care is not provided because of a holiday, an activity of the church, or extremely bad weather, a credit will be issued toward future respite care.
       
     • Refunds of paid enrollment fees may be made at the discretion of the respite care director when sudden changes occur in the guest's status making it no longer possible his or her continued enrollment.

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• An annual evaluation of the respite care program should be conducted to determine if guidelines are being followed.
  
• A written report of these evaluations should be maintained on file.

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• Positions are to be consistent with program goals and would always include a respite care director, an optional assistant respite care director, client care coordinator, an optional respite guest care assistant, and volunteers.
  
• All respite care personnel should be readily identified with badges giving name and position.
  
• There should be a minimum of one respite care person for each five guests. This should increase depending on the level of guest impairments and type of program activities.
  
• A minimum of two respite care persons should be available for guest assistance. At no time should any guest be without the presence of at least one adult respite care person.
  
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1. Report to respite care director.

2. But immediately take direction from the respite guest care assistant concerning matters of direct care of our guests.

3. Attends volunteer briefings given by the respite care director.

4. Assists the guests with activities of daily living (ADL) and respite care activities.

5. Encourages social interaction especially during breaks in activity and lunch time.

6. Monitors and reports physical or behavioral changes observed in participants to the respite guest care assistant and respite care director.

7. Volunteers need not be parishioners of St. Paul's Episcopal Church. They may be nursing students or high school volunteers.

8. Volunteers should give respite care director advance notice of upcoming absences due to appointments and vacations.

9. See Volunteer Guidelines.

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