In-home respite care: a comparison of volunteers and paid workers

Descriptive data using an administered questionnaire were obtained from fifteen in-home respite volunteers and from fifteen paid in-home respite workers. From each group, five volunteers and five paid workers and the families they served, were interviewed in depth. Independent t tests showed volunteers to be older, have more education, spend less time in respite and more time in the confidant role than paid workers. Volunteers were characterized as a family surrogate motivated by altruistic and substitutive needs. They were shown to be reliable, competent, creative, and nurturant. Paid workers were found to be motivated by a liking for people and financial need. Though their services were also shown to be reliable, competent and nurturant, paid workers were characterized more as an extension of the family care-giver.