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Healthy Aging By Sharon Johnson Program gives our caregivers a respite "Taking a break." It's a phrase we use throughout life. When we are young, it refers to a summer vacation from school. In college, it's a semester break or spring break. In our jobs, we take coffee breaks or lunch breaks. If we have difficult bosses or frustrating work environments, we may find ourselves saying, "Aw, gimme a break, will ya?" The concept of needing "a break" is part of our lives. It's that sometimes desperate desire to get away from dreaded routines or the challenges of mounting obligations, to refresh ourselves so we can tackle whatever comes next with more vigor. The word is "respite." When I moved to Oregon, I was impressed the state Legislature and the governor had, in 1997, recognized the importance of the respite concept and built it into an innovative statute. The law ensures that people who most need it can have access to respite from the extraordinary demands of providing ongoing care to elderly, disabled or medically fragile family members. The program is called Lifespan Respite Care Network (originally House Bill 2013). It is an example of a system of services that has been designed to be responsive in ways we sometimes don't believe government can be. Not a lot of money is attached to this little program, but if there were more resources to fund the respite options that are identified, well - this might just be the perfect little program. What is nearly perfect is the leadership of the Lifespan Respite Program in Jackson County. The director is Pam Swisher, a small, powerhouse of a woman with her own adult disabled son. Pam understands respite care is one of the most requested services among families caring for individuals with special needs. She knows providing such care strengthens families and allows them to help themselves. And she knows that respite services need to be individualized and sensitive to the unique needs of a particular family. Let's say I was caring for my wheelchair-using, 85-year-old father in my own home. And let's say that he had to have surgery that would require weeks of rehabilitation, including a special diet and dressing changes. And let's say that after years of caregiving, I just did not feel able to give him the intensive caregiving attention he would need for that time period. Let's say, I needed a break. I call Pam (1-541-821-8764). The telephone is answered on the second ring. Or if she is involved with someone else, there is a message and I get a call back quickly, within hours. She listens to me talk about how tired I am and how much I need a break from my dad's caregiving. She listens actively, asking good questions, sifting through my individual needs. And then she gives me options and ideas. She links me with several respite providers, one of whom even has a small apartment in a physically accessible setting that has individualized caregiving tailored to my father's needs -and at a rate we can actually afford. What was that word again? Oh yeah, "perfect." Sharon Johnson is an assistant professor in family and community development at OSU Extension and a member of the Senior Advisory Council. Reach her at [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.