title: Respite services for older people.
abstract: Respite is an important strategy for supporting family carers and care recipients. However, it is a complex intervention and the term 'respite' is often used as a generic descriptor for a diverse service. The aim of this study was to explore the characteristics of respite services for older people in South Australia. A 32 item questionnaire that was developed from the literature was distributed to coordinators of respite services for older people. The findings show that respite is most often a pre-planned service offered to clients for a week or more. It encompasses many different types; the most common was residential care facility overnight respite. Although there is flexibility in the service, there is a scope to increase the choices that are available to carers and care recipients.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. david.evans@unisa.edu.au
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: Emmanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006299:Health Services for the Aged; D006801:Humans; D012144:Respite Care; D013021:South Australia; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: aged; caregivers; nursing; respite care