People with dementia are more likely to use residential respite services, according to a report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).
Almost a third of people (32 per cent) with dementia who were eligible for residential respite used the service within 12 months, compared to just 25 per cent of people without dementia.
The report also found that people who lived with an informal carer and those with low levels of English proficiency were more likely to use residential respite services.
“Respite care can take a variety of forms and is a key service designed to provide support for carers and the people they care for,” said the AIHW’s Dr Phil Anderson.
“The demands of caring for someone with dementia are heavy, involving the provision of increasing amounts of physical, psychological, cognitive and social support as dementia severity increases.”
“People caring for those with dementia have identified respite care as one of their critical care needs and as a way of sustaining them in their caring role.”
The study was based on 32,000 older Australians involved in the Pathways in Aged Care (PIAC) project.
All study participants received Commonwealth approval for residential respite care from an Aged Care Assessment Team in 2003-04.
