What is a respite worker?

A respite worker provides short-term assistance for families that care for loved ones full-time at home. Caring for a sick or elderly family member is exhausting and may have a physical and emotional toll on the primary caregiver. Families hire respite workers to give these caregivers a break from health care responsibilities and allow them to recharge. As a respite worker, you may be scheduled to work with a patient for a few hours or for as long as a whole weekend. Your job duties may include driving the patient to doctor appointments, picking up medications from the pharmacy, helping the patient with personal hygiene routines and meal times, administering medications, and assisting with physical therapy exercises.