| Issue
Brief:
Respite Care
Introduction
Proposals submitted to the
Missouri Foundation for Health (MFH) have requested funding
for respite care services either as an auxiliary component
of the application or as a complete program. At the October
7, 2003 peer review staff meeting, a discussion arose concerning
the need for, and benefits of, respite care services in Missouri.
At the request of the MFH Program Group, the MFH Policy Group
has produced this issue brief on respite care to broaden the
knowledge base of both the MFH staff and the Program and Grants
and Project Review Committees (PGC/PRC).
The MFH Policy Group has examined the subject
and offers this document which includes:
- Definitions, background information and statistics
relating to respite care
- Key elements for successful programming and
- Examples of model programs.
Overview
Respite care can be defined as a service
that "provides temporary relief for caregivers from the
ongoing responsibility of caring for an individual of any
age with special needs, or who may be at risk of abuse or
neglect."1 Those who receive respite services
include: children with cerebral palsy or muscular dystrophy,
adults with brain injuries, individuals suffering from Parkinson's
or Alzheimer's disease and persons afflicted with AIDS. Caregiver
respite has two primary purposes: 1) to decrease caregiver
stress and 2) to delay or eliminate the need for the institutionalization
of, or foster care services for, the person receiving care.
The core principles connected with this type of assistance
include support and preservation of caregiving or family relationships.2
1
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