Handover between home and respite care concerning people with dementia: An online survey

Respite care for people with dementia is increasingly promoted. However, little is known about the safety-relevant aspects of handover between home and respite care facilities for people with dementia. We thus focus on the safety-relevant information exchange taking place at the admission to and the discharge from respite care and discuss the need for improvement.

A pilot online survey with staff in management positions in different types of respite care facilities in Germany was conducted between April and June 2014. The questionnaire contained 65 (open and closed) questions. The answers were submitted to explorative data analysis using descriptive statistics and qualitative content analysis.

50 respite care facility management staff participated. Nearly half of them reported involving external healthcare professionals (e.g., physicians). The results showed that early identification of informal caregivers or people with dementia in need of support (e.g., so-called red flags) is poorly addressed. Often, there are no medical, medication- and handover-related documents. Information delivery deadlines are not clearly defined. Only 38 % of the participating respite care facilities reported regular measurement of the information exchange quality, and only 15 % of the management staff reported that they conducted follow-up calls. Most participants reported having standardized procedures.

Handover between home and respite care facilities for people with dementia needs to be improved. Information delivery deadlines must be clearly defined. Communication training for respite care staff, including narrative intake methods, could enhance data collection at admission. Overall improved coordination between the parties involved would have a positive impact on safety-relevant aspects of information exchange.