Respite care

Respite care is planned or emergency temporary care provided to caregivers of a child or adult.[1]

Respite programs provide planned short-term and time-limited breaks for families and other unpaid caregivers of children and adults with disabilities or cognitive loss in order to support and maintain the primary caregiving relationship. Respite also provides a positive experience for the person receiving care.[2] The term "short break" is used in some countries to describe respite care.

Even though many families take great joy in providing care to their loved ones so that they can remain at home, the physical, emotional and financial consequences for the family caregiver can be overwhelming without some support, such as respite. Respite provides a break for the family caregiver, which may prove beneficial to their health.[3] Sixty percent of family caregivers age 19 to 64 recently surveyed by the Commonwealth Fund reported fair or poor health, one or more chronic conditions, or a disability, compared with only 33% of non-caregivers.

Respite has been shown to help sustain family caregiver health and wellness, avoid or delay out-of-home placements, and reduce the likelihood of abuse and neglect. An outcome-based evaluation pilot study showed that respite may also reduce the likelihood of divorce and help sustain marriages.[4]

Respite care or respite services are also a family support service, and in the US is a long-term services and support (LTSS) as described by the Consortium of Citizens with Disabilities in Washington, D.C. as of 2013.[5]

Rud Turnbull (Dr. Rutherford H. Turnbull III), himself a father of a young boy and co-director of the Beach Center on Families and Disability, completed one of the first law reviews of respite and family support in the 1990-1991 University of Kansas Law Review titled: "A Policy Analysis of Family Support for Families with Members with Disabilities".

There are many organisations in the UK and worldwide that help and support with respite care.[6]

  1. ^ "Respite care". healthdirect. Retrieved 2016-05-18.
  2. ^ Carer Services Archived 2011-04-06 at the Wayback Machine, New South Wales Government Home Care Services, accessed 8 January 2010
  3. ^ "What is respite care?". Carer Gateway. Commonwealth Australia. Retrieved 2016-05-18.
  4. ^ ARCH National Respite Network & Resource Center. The ABC's of Respite, accessed 10 December 2013.
  5. ^ "Principles for Long-Term Services and Supports" (PDF). Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities. Leadership Council of Aging Organizations. 25 January 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 June 2016. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
  6. ^ "Carers Worldwide - About Us". Carers Worldwide. Retrieved 2016-05-18.