Respite is Care for the Caregiver!

Anyone who takes care of a loved one knows what it means to get a welcome break – no matter how dedicated they are!

This is what we mean by respite-supporting the person who gives care as much as the one receiving it.

We’d like our community, especially the many dedicated caregivers, to know about our 24 hour overnight respite care center.

St. Ann Center offers this care (from 1-20 days) to frail elderly and adults with disabilities. This gives caregivers a chance to take a few days off, go on a vacation, or maybe stay at the hospital worry free while their loved one is in good hands.

We often say St. Ann Center is someplace you have to see to believe, from the beauty of the center to the care shown to the clients. The nine bed respite center is set up like a European village with each private respite room decorated to look and feel like a bed and breakfast room. The bed and breakfast feel lets the clients who stay in there feel like they are on vacation, comfortable and surrounded by beauty.

St. Ann Center currently has room in its respite center and is always accepting new clients. Even if you don’t need respite – you might know someone that does. We are happy to answer your questions or offer you a tour any time, just call Sarah at 414-977-5033.

Below is a testimonial from the family of a respite client.

“What can I possibly say to express the refuge that I have found at St. Ann Center over the past few weekends? I even think that I could do a commercial testifying to the personal care and concern that you and your staff have shown to my dad. Checking once and sometimes twice for accuracy of the meds dispensed, to the gentle care in the respite center only confirms all the wonderful things I had heard prior to his stays. Thank you and St. Ann Center for an outstanding care center.” Kathy Anderson

St. Ann Center is open to the public 6:00 a.m. – 6:00p.m. Monday – Friday.

A Visit to the Respite Center

There are so many different units and services here at St. Ann Center that if you were walking in for the first time, you probably wouldn’t know where to begin. One of the, the respite center, is a place where people can bring their loved ones, usually frail from age or challenged with a disability, when they need someone to care for them for a while. Stays are no longer than 20 days. The respite area has 9 rooms, each with distinctive décor and cultural theme. Guests may stay in the Irish room or the Polish room, for example. Guests are invited to "feel at home" during their stay, and are treated like family. A departing guest recently remarked, "I loved my stay and can't wait to return!"

Marian, one of the respite staff, said “St Ann's is a wonderful place to work. This job is a blessing to have, for more reasons than one. I was able to bring my daughter to work when she could not be in childcare. When my car was snowed in and they were able to come get me. The spirit is wonderful here.”

Now, if you can name a place where not only the service is excellent, but the people providing that service genuinely enjoy being there, then I'll be happy to say that I was wrong when I thought “there's no community in the world like St. Ann Center!”

Written by St. Ann Center staff

St. Ann's Bed and Breakfast?

When Eleanor heard she would be spending a few days at St. Ann Center while her son and wife had to be away on a trip, she thought maybe she was going to a nursing home. Or she secretly wondered if this wasn't the first step in that direction. She was feeling very uneasy.

So, when she stepped into St. Ann Center's respite center, with its beautiful welcome sign stating this was a "European Village" she had one surprise after another–all of them more pleasant than the next.

She found out that this was going to be a home away from home during her stay. Like a "bed and breakfast" she would have a tastefully decorated room all to herself with elegant furniture and bathroom facilities. Her room was called the "Swiss Chalet" with colors and décor to match the theme.

She would take her meals in the dining room with the others at a sit down breakfast, lunch and dinner. The tables and chairs were beautiful oak and the dishes were china. The tasty food was prepared by the center's kitchen staff, according to her dietary needs.

There also was a beautiful dayroom with rockers, sofas and chairs, with a wide screen TV and a fireplace on one wall. If she wanted to take a bath during her stay, she could have a bubble bath in the whirlpool tub – and she did!

Eleanor stayed the week and had such a great time that when it was time to go home, she felt a little sad. She had met so many nice, caring people who already felt like friends. She was looking forward to the next time her son had to take another trip!

St. Ann's respite center is open 24-7 for adults who are experiencing life's challenges from age or disabilities. More information can be fund by visiting http://www.stanncenter.org/ or calling (414) 977-5000.

A Visit to the Respite Center

There are so many different units and services here at St. Ann Center that if you were walking in for the first time, you probably wouldn’t know where to begin. One of them, the respite center, is a place where people can bring their loved ones, usually frail from age or challenged with a disability, when they need someone to care for them for a while. Stays are no longer than 20 days. The respite area has 9 rooms, each with distinctive décor and cultural theme. Guests may stay in the Irish room or the Polish room, for example. Guests are invited to "feel at home" during their stay, and are treated like family. A departing guest recently remarked, "I loved my stay and can't wait to return!"

Marian, one of the respite staff, said “St Ann's is a wonderful place to work. This job is a blessing to have, for more reasons than one. I was able to bring my daughter to work when she could not be in childcare. When my car was snowed in and they were able to come get me. The spirit is wonderful here.”

Now, if you can name a place where not only the service is excellent, but the people providing that service genuinely enjoy being there, then I'll be happy to say that I was wrong when I thought “there's no community in the world like St. Ann Center!”
Written by Darrell Garrett (Cardinal Stritch College)