Annotated Bibliography of Respite and Crisis Care Services

ARCH prepared its first Annotated Bibliography of Respite and Crisis Care in 2002 and has periodically updated it since then. Two compilations are available -- the 2002 Second Edition annotating research published before 2002, and the 2020 5th Edition, which includes studies published between 2002 through 2020.

Annotated Bibliography of Respite and Crisis Care Studies, 6th Edition, 2022

Annotated Bibliography of Respite and Crisis Care Studies, 2nd Edition, 2002

Studies were included if they documented outcomes of respite care for family caregivers, care recipients, families or communities, including cost-benefit studies. Each annotation includes a complete citation; the study’s aim or purpose; a summary of methods; a summary of key results; key study limitations as cited by the authors; and a summary of the authors’ discussion and conclusions. Articles are grouped as follows: 1) respite targeted to children; 2) respite targeted to older adults; 3) respite targeted to adults with developmental disabilities; 4) respite targeted to multi-age groups; 5) caregiver support for Veterans and their caregivers; 6) literature reviews/meta-analyses of respite care studies; and 7) methodological issues in research on respite and caregiver interventions.

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Summer camps for chronically ill children: a source of respite care for mothers

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Study Aim/Purpose: The study’s purpose was to examine psychosocial benefits for mothers of a one-week overnight summer camp for chronically ill children. The authors note that “this study is the first to empirically examine camp as overnight respite care for mothers of children with chronic illnesses. In addition, the large…

Systematic review of respite care in the frail elderly

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Study Aim/Purpose: This article provides a systematic review of published studies up through 2008. The review includes quantitative studies on the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of respite on the well-being of informal caregivers of frail and disabled adults aged 65 years and older who live in the community. The review also…

The Benefits of Respite Time-Use: A Comparison of Employed and Nonemployed Caregivers

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Study Aim/Purpose: The primary objective of this study was to describe and compare how employed and nonemployed caregivers of older adults spend their time and are satisfied with their use of time while their family members are in adult day respite center care. The benefits caregivers received from their respite…

The effect of caregiver support interventions for informal caregivers or community-dwelling frail elderly: a systematic review

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Study Aim/Purpose: The aim of the review was to summarize research on the effectiveness of caregiver interventions targeting informal caregivers of frail elderly living in the community.  Summary of Methods: In September 2010, the authors conducted a systematic search in Medline, sychINFO, Ovid Nursing Database, Cinahl, Embase, Cochrane Central Register…

The effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of respite for caregivers of frail older people.

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Study Aim/Purpose: The authors’ aim was to conduct a systematic review of the literature on the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of community-based respite for caregivers of frail older people.  Summary of Methods: Authors searched 37 databases for studies from 1980 through March 2005, including databases of systematic reviews, old age and…

The effectiveness of adult day services for older adults: A review of the Literature from 2000 to 2011

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Study Aim/Purpose: The aim of the study was to summarize literature from 2000-2011 on Adult Day Services (ADS) effectiveness and make recommendations for future research. The study was intended to update a similar review conducted by Gaugler and Zarit in 2001.  Summary of Methods: The researchers summarized findings from published…

The effects of adult day care services on family caregivers’ daily stress, affect, and health: outcomes from the Daily Stress and Health (DaSH) Study

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Study Aim/Purpose: The objective of this study was to examine the effects of adult day service (ADS) programming on reported daily stressor exposure, affect, and health symptoms of caregivers of individuals with dementia (IWD).  Summary of Methods: This study used a “within-person withdrawal design” with a sample of 173 relative…

The Effects of in-Home Respite Care on the Burden of Caregivers in Taiwan

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Study Aim/Purpose:  The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects on caregiver burden of in-home respite care for older adults, offered under Taiwan’s National Ten-Year Long-Term Plan 1.0. Under this program, staff evaluate care recipients’ functional disability level based on activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental activities…

The Going to Stay at Home program: combining dementia caregiver training and residential respite care

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Study Aim/Purpose: This Australian study examined the effects of a short term residential caregiver education and respite program called the Going to Stay at Home (GTSAH) program. GTSAH was provided to caregiver/care recipient dyads, with a care recipient who had dementia who volunteered to stay in a residential care home…

The hospice caregiver support project: Providing support to reduce caregiver stress

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Study Aim/Purpose: This study sought to measure the impact and level of hospice respite benefits used in the Hospice Caregiver Support Project, designed to provide in-home support services to unpaid, primary, at-home informal caregivers of hospice patients.  Summary of Methods: During the ten month project period, caregivers referred by project…