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 Updated with information on COVID-19 Vaccinations, December 2021  

New! Guidelines for Families on Receiving Respite Care Safely During the COVID-19 Pandemic in English and Spanish.

An ARCH Workgroup was convened to provide guidance and expertise in development of the Guidelines.  ARCH is grateful for their time and assistance.  

 

 

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Providing and Receiving Respite Care Safely During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Voluntary National Guidelines for Respite Care Agencies, Providers, Family Caregivers, and Respite Care Recipients

UPDATED WITH GUIDANCE ON COVID-19 VACCINATIONS, December 2021

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Principal Author:   Kim E. Whitmore, PhD, RN, CPN, Assistant Professor in the School of Nursing at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, and Founder and Chief Change Officer of Ujima United, LLC

Purpose of the Guidelines    

As more communities across the country continue to be impacted by the ongoing pandemic, many respite care agencies and other respite providers are also working to  adapt services, as needed. The guidelines provided in this document are designed to assist providers as well as family caregivers with careful and thoughtful planning and implementation strategies to provide and receive respite care as safely as possible during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.  The update includes important guidance on COVID-19 vaccinations and the evolving COVID-19 variants. 

We want to emphasize that information from the World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and Local Public Health Departments should be your primary source for guidance on COVID-19 and other health related issues. It is important to closely monitor local guidance and consult with your healthcare professional to ensure your health and safety.

Be sure to check back frequently for Amendments to these Guidelines. 

Please be sure to check out the Decision Guides for Respite Providers and Family Caregivers.

Case studies of respite services that have successfully and safely reopened are also provided. 

Sample policy and procedure forms that are included in the Appendices of the Guidelines are also available as downloadable and customizable pdf forms. 

AMENDMENTS 

COVID-19 Vaccines, September 11, 2021

Public Health Experts on face coverings, August 10, 2020

 

 
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Proveer y Recibir El Relevo de Descanso Para El Cuidador de Forma Segura Durante la Pandemia de COVID-19

Directrices nacionales voluntarias para agencias y proveedores de relevo de descanso para el cuidador, cuidadores familiares y receptores de relevo de descanso

ACTUALIZADA CON LINEAMIENTOS SOBRE LAS VACUNAS COVID-19

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Próximamente actualización en español.

LISTA DE EVALUACIÓN DE COMPETENCIA

JURAMENTO DE RESPONSABILIDAD PERSONAL

POLÍTICA Y PROCEDIMIENTO PARA EVALUACIONES DE SALUD 

GUÍA DE DECISIONES PARA FAMILIAS

GUÍA DE DECISIONES PARA AGENCIAS DE RELEVO DE DESCANSO PARA EL CUIDADOR

COVID-19 Resources in Spanish from NIH

GUIDELINES FOR FAMILIES
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Receiving Respite Care Safely During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Guidelines for Families

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The information and guidelines provided in this document are designed to assist you and your family with careful and thoughtful decision making to ensure respite care is received as safely as possible during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

A Community Advisory Board (CAB), comprised of family caregivers and respite care recipients, reviewed the contents of these guidelines to help ensure the relevance of the information to family caregivers.

Authors: Kim E. Whitmore, PhD, RN, CPN, Assistant Professor in the College of Nursing at Marquette University and Lisa Schneider, Respite Care Association of Wisconsin
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RECIBIENDO RESPITE CUIDADO DE FORMA SEGURA DURANTE LA PANDEMIA DE COVID-19

Directrices para familias

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La información y las pautas proporcionadas en este documento están diseñadas para ayudarlo a usted y a su familia a tomar decisiones cuidadosas y reflexivas para garantizar que el cuidado de relevo se reciba de la manera más segura posible durante la pandemia de COVID-19 en curso.

Autores principales: Kim E. Whitmore, PhD, RN, CPN Lisa Schneider

DECIDING WHEN IT’S SAFE TO PROVIDE OR RECEIVE RESPITE CARE 
Decision Graphic

The Decision-Making Process

The decision to resume respite services is a continuous process that involves thorough assessment, detailed planning, ongoing monitoring,and regular reassessment. Individuals and agencies must carefullyconsider all potential risks, benefits, and barriers before making aninformed decision. It is important to remember that information and guidance related to COVID-19 is evolving rapidly. Additionally, depending on where you are located, the risk for exposure may vary and change over time. As a result, it is important to continually monitor and regularly reassess the safety of providing and receiving respite care. You may need to resume services in a step-wise or phased approach and you should be prepared to stop providing or receiving respite care services as the situation changes. It is important that all individuals involved in providing and receiving respite care feel comfortable with the decision and are kept in close communication regarding any changes.

Decision Guides

To help respite agencies and families decide when to resume respite services, we developed a Respite Agency Decision Guide and a Family Decision Guide that can be used along with the information in the Voluntary National Guidelines to help inform the decision-making process. You can download fillable PDF forms of the Respite Agency Decision Guide and Family Decision Guide. The forms are customizable with an agency name.

Respite Agency Decision Guide

Family Decision Guide

CASE STUDIES FROM ARCH -- PROVIDING AND RESTARTING RESPITE SAFELY
DURING THE PANDEMIC 

ARCH wishes to thank Monica Uhl, ARCH Consultant, for interviewing the respite program directors and preparing the case studies, and Norma McReynolds for her  beautiful layout of both the guidelines and the case studies. Many thanks to the respite programs that participated and were willing to share both their successes and challenges. 

* These respite programs have been recognized by ARCH as Innovative and Exemplary. 

SAMPLE POLICY AND PROCEDURE FORMS

Available as downloadable fillable pdf forms.  Forms can be customized with the agency name.  Forms available in Spanish above.