Institutional respite benefits frail elderly and their care givers

Institutional respite refers to temporary care provided by a long-term care facility--nursing home, adult home, senior housing, or hospital--for a frail elderly person living in the community to give the familial care giver a break from the routine of care. Under this definition, the respite recipient is a unit made up of the care giver and the elderly person. The challenge of exemplary respite care, therefore, is to meet the needs of both without unduly subjugating the needs of one member of the unit to those of the other. Respite admission procedures should explore the care needs of the elderly person, the wishes of the care giver, and the care giver's expectations of respite. Staff training, wellness maintenance, rehabilitation, care giver support, and logistical arrangements are the major components of respite care.