Respite is temporary care for the relief of primary caregivers from their caregiving responsibilities. Respite is meant to prevent a crisis or any negative physical or emotional effects for the family caregiver and care recipient and is designed to ensure the well-being of not only the family caregiver, but also the family as a whole. However, sometimes respite is needed in an emergency situation to prevent the exacerbation of the crisis. When emergencies arise and a family caregiver becomes ill or cannot provide care for other reasons, emergency respite becomes an invaluable resource.
A trained and perhaps licensed employee of the agency is available to come into the home and offer respite. Ideally, services should be available twenty-four hours a day, days per year. Sitter services may be provided by individuals who are trained in caring for children or adults with special needs.
This model is similar to having a friend or relative volunteer to care for a child or adult with special needs. The primary difference is that the person providing care is identified or selected by the family and trained by a respite program or by the families themselves.
Providers may be paid or unpaid. If they are paid, it is often through a voucher program offered directly to family caregivers to allow them to locate, hire, train and pay their own providers. Out-of-home respite provides an opportunity for the care recipients to be outside the home. This may be a particularly attractive option for adolescents who are preparing to leave the family home for a more independent living arrangement, for young adults with disabilities who prefer to be with people their own age, or even aging populations with mild to moderate memory loss.
Such settings provide an opportunity for them to experience new surroundings, different expectations, peer relationships and even cognitive and emotional stimulation. Families are free to enjoy time in their own home without the constraints of constant care and they can devote more attention to siblings and other family members. In this model, respite is offered in the provider's home.
