Needed Respite Care
Helping Parent/Caregivers Take a Much-Needed Break

A family with a child with a developmental disability was in desperate need of a part time caregiver so they could run errands or simply take a break. With family as caregivers, the child found it difficult to connect with others, making the challenge finding someone with whom the child was comfortable. One agency – Needed Respite Care – tackled this issue by identifying the characteristics that would allow for a strong rapport between the two and bring much-needed relief to the family.

“At Needed Respite Care, we emphasize having a person-centric approach to assist families and caregivers,” says Sam Bakhoum, Executive Director.

Bakhoum has been in the field for over two decades and worked as director of a behavior intervention program. Through this prior experience, he knew that the services offered by regional centers mostly overlooked the needs of caregivers, who can easily suffer physical and emotional burnout. This was the impetus for Needed Respite Care, which offers respite to caregivers and relieves them of the stress of enrolling in a program that provides that aid.

Three regional centers refer Needed Respite Care to families and caregivers, giving them a certain number of hours every month.

The agency appoints either a person chosen by the family or a member of its own staff to care for children with autism and other developmental disabilities, enabling parents/caregivers some relief from their challenging routines.

These services are available with an exceptionally fast turnaround time, as Needed Respite Care contacts families within 20-30 minutes of receiving a referral from the regional center. It starts by introducing the family to the program and its services, and then determines their needs and who their child would be comfortable with, before assigning a respite worker. Based on these factors, a respite worker is assigned to provide respite care. For instance, if a client is looking for a Spanish-speaking respite worker, then Needed Respite Care finds a person who meets their requirements.

The respite workers provided by Needed Respite Care help with the child by maintaining the regular daily routine, assisting with self-help skills, like feeding, toileting, dressing etc. The respite worker also ensures the child’s safety by taking note of some of the child’s essential behaviors during the needs assessment and tailoring the services accordingly. For instance, if a child likes to explore and is prone to hurting themselves while playing, or has a habit of running away, respite workers ensure their safety by locking doors and preventing incidents. They also keep the child engaged through games, music, reading, or interactive activities.

Apart from in-house assistance respite services, Needed Respite Care also provides personal assistance services at afterschool programs and out in the community. Typically, an aide for an afterschool program watches over numerous children. But special needs children require one-on-one supervision, which is where Needed Respite Care comes in. Regional centers fund this specialized care between the end of the school day and parent pick up.

Needed Respite Care has built a great relationship with regional centers and is referred to as one of the go-to providers for respite care, alleviating emotional burnout and giving caregivers a well-deserved break.