[Benefits of supported holidays for the stabilization of domestic nursing arrangements]

Situations where people with dementia are cared for at home are associated with a range of stresses and burdens for all involved, potentially endangering the entire arrangement. This article describes the results from the ESPRIT project (funded by the German Federal Ministry of Health from April 2016 to March 2018). The research investigated whether supported holidays for people receiving care and their carers (so-called tandems) positively influence the stability of home-based care arrangements. For this purpose, seven of the holidays organized and carried out by the Alzheimer's Society were evaluated.

A mixed-methods design was used to evaluate the effort required to organize the supported holidays and the effects on the participants. During five supported holidays these included participant observation and focus groups with accompanying carers. Questionnaires were distributed at 4 points during the subsequent 12 months to collect data from 59 tandems on the impact of 7 supported holidays and their effects on the care arrangement. In addition, the Alzheimer's Society branches documented their expenditure of work for preparation and postprocessing.

The holidays improved the carers' everyday coping skills in different ways. Subsequently, the utilization of relieving professional assistance increased. Rest, competency gains and adjustments to the care mix contributed to stabilizing the home-based care arrangement by reducing workload and stress. Public funding for the organization of supported holidays (which is not currently available) would therefore appear to be justified.