PURPOSE: Purposes of this study were to develop a community-based respite program for family caregivers and to test the effects of the program. METHODS: Focus group interviews were performed to extract meaning of respite care for family caregivers (13 participants) and a survey was done to identify respite needs of family caregivers (157 participants). The community-based respite program for family caregivers was developed based on results of the focus group interview and survey. The program was used with 41 participants (19 experimental and 22 control). Independent t-test and Mann-Whitney U-test were used to test differences between control and experimental groups for respite needs, burden of caregivers, subjective wellbeing, social support, fatigue and functional status of elders with dementia. RESULTS: There were statistical differences in caregiver burden, subjective wellbeing, and social support after the program, but, none for respite needs, fatigue and functional status of elders with dementia. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that a respite program can be useful to decrease burden of caregivers and increase subjective wellbeing and perceived social support of family caregivers in community settings. Further intervention research is needed to increase the functional status of elders with dementia and decrease fatigue in caregivers.
Caregivers ; Dementia ; Fatigue ; Focus Groups ; Humans ; Respite Care

PURPOSE: Respite care is not a discrete intervention, but encompasses a range of services. This research was conducted to clarify the phenomenon of respite care for family caregivers of elders with dementia from a nursing perspective. METHODS: The Hybrid Model of concept development was applied to clarify the concept of respite care for family caregivers of elders with dementia. The study was conducted in the following three steps, theoretical phase, fieldwork phase, and final analytic phase. RESULTS: The definition of respite care for family caregivers of elders with dementia was delineated through integration of data analyses in theoretical and fieldwork phase, and has three dimensions; tailored supports for caregivers, tailored supports based on physical and cognitive function of elders with dementia and community interventions related to family care function. CONCLUSION: Through this study, the concept of respite care for family caregivers of elders with dementia is clarified and reformulated as nursing practice phenomena in the Korean context, which indicates ways to develop caring practice forms for a family living with an elder with dementia in a community setting.
Caregivers ; Chimera ; Dementia ; Humans ; Respite Care ; Statistics as Topic