Give me A Break, Inc. - GAB, Inc. - The Principles of Respite

The Principles of Respite

1) Why and for Whom: Respite, often the most frequently requested and needed family support service, should be available and accessible when, how and where it is needed by the family, guardian, foster family or other unpaid primary caregiver of individuals with any disability, or any age, or at risk of abuse or neglect, regardless of family income, race, gender or situation.

2) Ensure afford ability: Sufficient resources should be made available to ensure that caregivers have access to high quality respite services whether or not they have the means to pay for it.

3) Availability of Both Planned and Emergency Respite: Respite is first and foremost a preventive strategy that strengthens families, protects the health and well-being of the family or unpaid caregiver, and allows them to continue providing loving care at home. Respite is also an important component of a continuum of comprehensive family support services that is available to families and unpaid caregivers not only on a planned basis, but also in the event of a crisis situation, to prevent or delay more costly out-of-home placements, eliminate the risk of abuse or neglect, and to keep all family members safe and stable.

4) Improve Accessibility: A wide array of respite options, including in-home, out-of-home, home and center-based, that meet families’ needs should be available through an accessible and user friendly community-based infrastructure. This entity should have access to and be able to build sufficient resources and utilize well-trained staff so that the time and effort that has to be expended by caregivers to find the respite care of their choice will be minimized, the fragmentation of the current respite care delivery system will be significantly reduced, and the confusion about funding streams and concerns about paying for respite services will be eliminated.

5) Family Choice: Every family is different, and the needs of the individual they provide care for are different. Caregivers should be free to choose their respite providers. Respite providers may be neighbors, family members, or professionals, paraprofessionals, or volunteers from local agencies, organizations, or faith based communities.

6) Family Empowerment: Families should be empowered to seek out opportunities to meet their needs and to select their own respite providers.

7) Building Supply: The current supply of individuals available to provide respite care is woefully inadequate in many communities, especially respite care for individuals with certain disabilities such as mental illness or severe medical conditions. Expanding the capacity of the current supply of respite providers should be a priority so that families have real choice.

8) Enhancing Quality: All available and accessible respite options should be of high quality and ensure the safety of the individual being cared for. Efforts, therefore, should be undertaken to improve the supply of well-trained, competent respite providers who can provide safe and secure care. Again, training and recruiting of respite providers for individuals with certain severe medical conditions or mental health problems, for whom respite is in particularly short supply, should be a priority.