RESPITE CARE

Respite care is the planned short-term admission of a patient to a hospital, hospice, or nursing home, in order to provide temporary rest and relief for the family carers. In some areas, “respite volunteers” will move into the patient’s home for a few days to replace or relieve the family carers. There are a few respite care holiday homes (usually in resort areas) which offer a short vacation to both the patient and the carers.

Carers may be elderly or in poor health, may be parents with young children, or may have other family and job responsibilities. Caring for a patient at home is hard work, and creates many stresses even for young, physically fit carers. Carers can become physically, mentally and emotionally exhausted. (see Burn Out, Home Care)

Intermittent planned short-term respite care gives the carers a chance to rest, relax and recoup. Just knowing that respite care will be available when needed increases the carers’ coping abilities. The goal of respite care is to support family carers before a crisis point is reached.

Admissions for short-term respite care can be stressful for the patient. Inpatient staff must be aware of the special needs of terminally ill patients, and make special efforts to help the patient feel at home. If an inpatient hospice is available, it should be used for respite care. If not, the same hospital ward or nursing home should be used each time, so that the patient can build relationships with the professional staff.

The author and publisher have taken precautions to ensure that the information in this book is error-free. However, readers must be guided by their own personal and professional standards of good practice in evaluating and applying recommendations made herein. The contents of this book represent the views and experience of the author, and not necessarily those of the publisher.