From experience: Night shift lets YOU sleep as well as take care of your PALS. Problem is you are too accessible (and you want to be) if they have problems. My PALS is NEVER EVER comfortable!
That aside, your fatigue will increase overall with some respite here and there BUT you won't be able to take care of other issues or find taking care of them extremely taxing.
Here is a suggestion: Get an initial overlap. Schedule a (long term) "day shift" of 0800 to 1600 or even 1800 (6 PM) coupled with an initial night shift. YOU need rest!
Nights may wear you out at first - there will be 1000 and 1 questions (That is why I suggest the "How Too Book", then a Log Book and 3rd (time sheets). plus a To Do list and also a Supply List / and Notice List.
Treat your home as if it were a place of work:
Draw up a
Fire Escape Plan, note where phones are at in the house, nearest fire hydrant, fire extinguishers, alarms and even nite lights or night lanterns. (I keep several battery powered camping lanterns. Also, decorative candles in sconces work as well. POST THIS ON THE FRIDGE!
Emergency Action Plan: These are "what Ifs" and tell yourself and those in the house who to call, during what event (tornado, hurricane - go to basement? Flooding - break out the boat? You can find samples online - FEMA has some forms that one can use.
CALL LIST Doctor;s Numbers and medical help to include at top, the nearest (preferred) Emergency Room, Fire, Police, ambulance, friends, Family etc.
Have a
PALS Routine: Be as specific as you can get and make it DETAILED!
Sample
0000 (Midnight) PALS sleeping.
0600 If PALS wakes and toilets, change clothes to day clothes and put back to rest with BiPAP
0800 Gently wake PALS. Hydrate using syringes, ext. tube w/ 3 oz of water. Administer Liquid Tylenol if requested
0900 Wash PALS face, neck & ears w/ mild liquid soap, Brand XXX using soapy cloth, followed by fresh water cloth & dry
~ Continue on ~
{ DO NOT FORGET to inform them of where supplies are located!}
Your
"How To" book - INCLUDE PICTURES IF YOU CAN! This make it easier for us "Dummies" ( a story there for sure) Keep this in a binder with document protector page covers. (you can wipe the peanut butter and jelly finger prints off fairly easy.
Unfortunately, local tradition here is that if it is a day shift, the host provides the meals. Night shift is supposed to bring their own. I do provide bottled (not designer) water and coffee plus my family put out snacks (for me) but everyone else seems to enjoy this "treat bar".
(FYI I have lost about 40 lbs over the last year or so and my kin are stunned).
DAY SHIFT: I am hoping you have rested enough to observe, correct, make notes to change your "How To" Book and maintain the PALS log book. When were they last fed and what? If on a liquid nutrition diet, this is pretty important events. Doc and Nutritionist sta these feedings should be 4 hours apart. Hydration need to be about 2 hours after start of last feeding.
What do you do IF you have to deviate? Due to a late start of feeding during the day, my PALS wanted hydration and did not want nutrition or a regular feeding. Best I can do at present is 11 oz of nutrition with 12 oz of water per feeding with 3 oz of water at start of day and midpoint between feedings. ALL OF the Feedings are also medication points. First and last Hydration ( roughly 0800 AM and 10 PM or 2200) are also medication administration points. What I did and would recommend, is the "light feeding" could be 4 oz of water and or maybe some nutrition of 4 or 6 oz coupled with (this works best for my PALS) is Nutrition is X oz and water is same amount or maybe an extra oz. In any case, I mix the medications in with any liquid I administer.
Once you have observed 3 or 4 of these workers under your watchful eye, you will either get a sense that they are competent to work with you and your PAL - or Not! With the good workers, you can let them know YOU have a Doctor's appointment or you need to go to the pharmacy or you need to do any of the numerous things we all get involved in. At this point, IF you cancel the night shift then you are watching the PALS. However, if it is a restless night, you can sleep in once the help arrives. That afternoon, you should be able to get out and do any errands or tasks outside the home or tackle some at the home.
Night shift is something that we have to ease ourselves into and do it so that we can be wide awake when the need arises. I got some training over at Coronado watching the future SEALS in their training - I worked security on nights.
Best Wishes and Best of luck