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National Respite Guidelines, 2011

Authors: Maggie Edgar, MSW, Senior ARCH Consultant and Monica Uhl, MA, Partnership for People with Disabilities, Virginia Commonwealth University

The guidelines provide a summary of guiding principles addressing quality indicators for all respite models and services. They can act as a checklist for providers of respite to review as they address respite service delivery issues. The guidelines are intended to be used by respite provider programs, individual providers, health care providers, human services agencies (i.e., disability, health, aging, and children), state agencies, planning groups, stakeholders, and others who are interested in advancing quality respite. State organizations can use the guidelines for planning future respite systems and to provide consultation and technical assistance for local and regional agencies and programs. Local organizations and agencies can use the guidelines as they assess, plan, develop, and enhance or expand specific respite programs and services in their community. Some sections of the guidelines may be helpful when family caregivers directly recruit and hire their own respite providers. For more information on how to assess and use respite, consumers, family caregivers and care recipients may want to refer to the checklists and additional information included in the ABCs of Respite: A Consumer Guide for Family Caregivers.

The guidelines are not intended to be standards or licensing requirements. As the title suggests, they are guidelines or guiding principles for respite programs to follow or consider. The current revisions to the guidelines have incorporated language and best practices to effectively include individuals with special needs across the lifespan. Click here for a downloadable pdf.