Caring for carers : the role of respite care

Abstract

A common objective in nearly all European countries is to maintain older people's dignity and independence in their own homes as long as possible. Informal care exceeds professional care but at the same time is under pressure from demographic and social changes. In this respect the support of the family seems essential to maintain the informal care system. The state should play an enabling role in which some developments are complementary and supplementary rather than substitutive. One should seek actively to develop and build upon carer's natural resources rather than replace the care they give with professional support. Thus, respite care is a fundamental asset for both the elderly and the carers. From the study I carried out, I found that the main carers of elderly people living in the community were the daughters or the spouses. It seems likely that women remain the main providers of informal care. This burden is likely to increase because the family's traditional role is being subjected to severe economic, social and psychological strains. During 1998, forty-two individuals utilised the respite care services. Carers were satisfied with the service provided but there is a need for more respite care provision. Respite care involves the interrelationship of the doctors, nurses, social workers, therapists, the individual client, the family and many other persons and can also serve as a minor rehabilitation unit for the support of a system of extended community care.