Hostel‐based Respite Care for Adolescents with Developmental Retardation: the Need for “Normalized” Respite Resources

Abstract

Hostel respite care for adolescents with developmental retardation is the most readily available organized support for their families. This comparison of users and non-users shows that hostel-care usage relates to some measures of family functioning rather than to qualities of the adolescent. These family measures reflect less good organization and support rather than current stress. Consumer opinion indicates that hostel care is not meeting the carers' perceived needs for relief. A greater range of "normalized" and family-orientated respite care resources might be more effective for relieving stress and providing support to improve family-based community care.

Psychiatric Hospitalization Among Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

“…For these families, attending appointments or implementing home-based activities may come at the sacrifice of a day's pay. Alternatively, hospitalization may act as respite for highly distressed families (Dossetor et al 1993). In general, the demographic characteristics of the hospitalized children and the fact that they were less likely to receive early intervention paint a picture of the traditionally underserved families with fewer resources.…”

A study of expressed emotion in the parental primary carers of adolescents with intellectual impairment

“…The interview included: the Handicaps Behaviours Skills Schedule (Wing 1981), from which the presence of psychiatric disorder was ascertained; a Camberwell Family Interview (Vaughn & Leff 1976); a marriage rating (Quinton 1976); information on service usage and practical social support; the Social Support Questionnaire (Brugha 1987), to assess wider social support; and the 60-item General Health Questionnaire (Goldberg 1972), which was completed by the carer and returned by post. The respite care screening questionnaire collected by respite care staff on the 52 who used respite care provided information on the 'style of respite care usage' and is published elsewhere (Dossetor et al 1993). EE was rated from tape recordings ofthe interview.…”

Respite Care for Children with Severe Intellectual Disability and their Families: Who Needs It? Who Receives It?

“…Family factors are also important. Parents of children receiving respite care report higher levels of distress (Hoare et al, 1998; Factor et al, 1990) and lower levels of practical help and support from family and friends (Treneman et al, 1997; Factor et al, 1990; Halpern, 1985; Dossetor, Nichol, & Stretch, 1993). The evidence that there are differences in family composition and structure between users and nonusers of respite is more mixed.…”

“…Most studies providing information relevant to this issue have compared families who use respite care with those who do not. Virtually all of these indicate that use of respite care is strongly associated with the severity of the child's mental and physical disabilities (Geall & Host, 1993;Marc & MacDonald, 1988;Factor, Perry, & Freeman, 1990;Treneman et al, 1997;Robinson & Stalker, 1993;Halpern, 1985), the more severe the child's disabilities, the greater the likelihood and amount of use. The evidence on the relationship between use of respite and other child factors is less extensive, but children receiving respite care have been found to have more severe behaviour problems than nonusers in some studies Marc & MacDonald, 1988;Factor et al, 1990).…”

“…Virtually all of these indicate that use of respite care is strongly associated with the severity of the child's mental and physical disabilities (Geall & Host, 1993;Marc & MacDonald, 1988;Factor, Perry, & Freeman, 1990;Treneman et al, 1997;Robinson & Stalker, 1993;Halpern, 1985), the more severe the child's disabilities, the greater the likelihood and amount of use. The evidence on the relationship between use of respite and other child factors is less extensive, but children receiving respite care have been found to have more severe behaviour problems than nonusers in some studies Marc & MacDonald, 1988;Factor et al, 1990). Younger children (Halpern, 1985;, particularly those under the age of ®ve (Robinson & Stalker, 1993), are less likely than older children to receive respite, although to what extent this re¯ects limited demand or supply of services appropriate to very young children is unclear.…”