New research from the ROSA Research team led by Dr Stephanie Harrison examining the use of Respite Care in Australia was published in Journal of the American Medical Director’s Association (JAMDA) in October 2019.
Summary of Research: Respite services involve short stays in residential aged care homes (nursing homes) with the aim of providing planned or emergency care to people who have been assessed and approved to receive it and to give a carer or care recipient a break from their usual care arrangements. Yet, the evidence regarding the benefits of respite care in terms of delaying entry to long-term residential care was lacking. Our study showed that using residential respite care was associated with fewer days spent in residential care overall when people return home after using respite care. This research supports the use of residential respite care services being optimised for the future ageing population as a means of delaying entry to long-term residential care, allowing people to remain in their own home for longer.
The abstract of the scientific publication is available HERE on the JAMDA website, and full-text is available from the authors on request.
SAHMRI’s press release about this work can be found HERE.
Media relating to this study:
The study was reported on by the ABC online and in the ABC TV news.