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July/August 2013Vol. 14, No. 6Emergency Respite Services Factsheet

Respite care has been long recognized as an essential strategy for providing temporary relief for caregivers, reducing stress, and sustaining family stability. The ARCH National Respite Network and Resource Center released a new factsheet for respite providers and caregivers that focuses on emergency or crisis situations that may require respite support. 

Emergency respite care is a short-term arrangement that may last from a few hours to several weeks and is tailored to the family's needs in the event of a crisis. Other groups of caregivers that may find themselves in need of respite services are grandparents raising grandchildren, teen parents, individuals caring for a family member or partner with a serious medical conditions, or military families affected by deployment.

According to ARCH, in the most extreme crisis situations, emergency respite may be needed to prevent abuse or neglect. Research indicates that children with disabilities and the elderly are more likely to be victims of neglect or physical or emotional abuse. The factsheet describes the types of services and in-home or out-of-home respite options that may be available to families. Barriers to the effective delivery of these services are discussed, and specific recommendations for building and expanding respite options also are presented.

Emergency Respite: Help for Family Caregivers in Critical Times of Need is available on the ARCH National Respite Network and Resource Center website:

http://archrespite.org/images/docs/Factsheets/FS_61-EmergencyRespite.pdf (272 KB)