BACKGROUND

This study examined the efficacies and the determining factors of respite care in an effort to assess the effectiveness of respite care policy implementation in Taiwan.

PURPOSE

This study sought to identify the impact of home respite care on caregivers who used the service. Impact was defined to include the effects on the caregiver and considered the background characteristics of both caregivers and elderly care recipients.

METHODS

The efficacies of respite care in 117 caregivers, all of whom were currently caring for elderly care recipients suffering from chronic diseases, were rated on relevant efficacy scales. This research used three measures, including (1) caregiver data (demographics, relationship with care recipient, personal health status, and duration of care), (2) elderly care recipient data (demographics, number of distinct medical conditions, and self-care ability), and (3) efficacy scales consisting of the five subscales of physiological health, psychological emotion, social relationships, care tasks, and family roles. Content and face validity were used to evaluate the test instrument, and reliability was established through internal consistency testing. Cronbach's alphas for the pilot study and formal research were .92 and .90, respectively.

RESULTS

Efficacies identified by caregivers were, in order of importance, care tasks, psychological emotions, family roles, physiological health, and social relationships. Factors that positively and significantly affected respite care efficacy for caregivers included being 65 years of age or more, currently married, suffering from chronic illnesses, having a poor present health status, having a declining health status, and having cared for their elderly care recipient for 10 years or more. Elderly care recipient factors that significantly influenced respite care efficacy included health status and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) score.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

The results of this study should be helpful to decision makers and home support service units in planning and implementing in-home respite care programs and policies in the future.