Respite Care Services

What is Respite Care?

Respite care is the provision of short-term, temporary relief to those who are caring for family members who might otherwise require permanent placement in a facility outside the home.

Respite has been shown to help sustain family caregiver health and wellbeing, avoid or delay out-of-home placements, and reduce the likelihood of abuse and neglect. An outcome based evaluation pilot study show that respite may also reduce the likelihood of divorce and help sustain marriages.

Respite can take place in a variety of settings including your own home. It might be for a few hours a day at a day centre; or for a few days, a weekend or a couple of weeks in a residential home or with a family approved through the Adult Placement Service  A sitting service at home can also sometimes be arranged, depending on your circumstances.

In the United States today there are approximately 50 million people who are caring at home for family members including elderly parents, and spouses and children with disabilities and/or chronic illnesses. Without this home-care, most of these cared for loved ones would require permanent placement in institutions or health care facilities.

When you are taking care of somebody you also need to think about caring for yourself. Respite is the service most often requested by family caregivers, yet it is in critically short supply, inaccessible, or unaffordable regardless of the age or disability of the individual needing assistance.

Family members and friends may be able to help out while you run an errand, take a break or even go on vacation. However, just as the burden of caregiving is often more than one person can handle, it can also be a tough process for families to share. Depending on the type and intensity of care needed, your own health and well-being can be compromised by looking after someone else. Respite care is a chance for you and the person you care for to take a break. This can be:

In their home with care ranging from a few hours a week to overnight care

In a Day Care Centre which provides full or half day care

In a residential aged care home for two or three weeks.

Respite care should always be geared to individual family needs by identifying the type of respite needed and matching the need to the services currently available, or using this information to develop services where none exist. Once identified, it is also important for families to have ready access to that type of respite, in an affordable form.

There are various models for providing respite care including:

Emergency respite
In-home respite
Sitter-companion services
Specialized facility
Therapeutic adult day care

Respite care services are offered through community organizations, agencies or residential care facilities. The most common respite care services are in-home care and adult day centers.

* In-home services can be provided by volunteer or paid help, occasionally or on a regular basis. Services may last from a few hours to overnight, and may be arranged directly or through an agency. This popular respite choice enables individuals to remain in their own environments, and can be invaluable for caregivers.

* An adult day center is a place where the person can be with others in a safe environment. Staff lead planned activities, such as music and art programs. Transportation and meals are often provided.

* Residential programs offer temporary care for varying lengths of time.  Group homes, hospitals, nursing homes, and other specialized facilities provide emergency and planned overnight services, allowing caretakers 24-hour relief.

States and communities are recognizing that respite care also benefits them. On average, the costs for respite services are 65 to 70 percent less than the costs of maintaining people in institutions. The cost effectiveness of respite services allows scarce tax dollars to be used for additional community based services.

United States Congress passed The Lifespan Respite Care Act of 2006 (HR 3248) which was signed into law in December 2006. The bill was introduced and championed in the US House of Representatives by Rep. Mike Ferguson (R-NJ) and James Langevin (D-RI). A companion bill in the Senate was cosponsored by Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and Senator John Warner (R-VA).

Much of the success for the passage of this legislation is due to the work of The Lifespan Respite Task Force which includes a diverse group of national and state organizations, state respite and crisis care coalitions; health and community social services; disability, mental health, education, faith, family caregiving and support groups; groups from the child advocacy and the aging community; and abuse and neglect prevention groups.

Further Information Regarding Respite Care Services

Faith Communities and Respite Care
Respite programs, especially those in rural settings, often find themselves with limited resources. Faith communities, on the other hand, have resources such as facilities, volunteers and, in some cases, expertise that should no longer be ignored.

Improving Respite for Carers of People Living with Dementia
University of Wollongong researchers from the Centre for Health Initiatives are calling for carers of people living with dementia to take part in a study looking at how respite services for carers can be improved.

Respite Care Information for Children with Autism
Because of the additional care required by a child with autism, families identify respite care as a basic need, with the need increasing as the child gets older. Families who report less stress usually are the recipients of formal support services, such as respite care.

Respite Care for Alzheimer's Disease or Related Dementia Patients
Respite care facilities provide overnight, weekend, and longer stays for someone with Alzheimer's or a related dementia so a caregiver can have longer periods of time off. These facilities provide meals, help with activities of daily living, therapeutic activities to fit the needs of residents, and a safe, supervised environment.

Respite Care for Children with Disabilities and Terminal Illnesses
Respite programs emerged in the late 1960's as a result of the deinstitutionalization movement with the belief that the best place to care for a child with disabilities was in the child's home and community.