RESPITE CARE FOR OLDER ADULTS ^ A PROTOTYPE

USING A FOSTER CARE MODEL, THIS RESEARCH WILL ESTABLISH A PROTOTYPE WITHIN THE PRIVATE BUSINESS SECTOR FOR OVERNIGHT RESPITE PROVISION IN PRIVATE RESIDENCES TO FRAIL OLDER ADULTS. AS NONINSTITUTIONAL SETTINGS BECOME THE PREFERRED CHOICE FOR OLDER ADULTS, DEPENDENT ADULTS AND THEIR CAREGIVERS (FAMILIES OR EQUIVALENT) INCREASINGLY UTILIZE COMMUNITY RESOURCES TO EASE CAREGIVER BURDEN AND STRESS WHICH IN TURN CAN DECREASE THE LIKELIHOOD OF INSTITUTIONAL PLACEMENT. ONE SERVICE WHICH HAS NOT BEEN DEVELOPED AS A SERVICE OPTION IS SHORT-TERM, OVERNIGHT, COMMUNITY RESPITE CARE. THE ANTICIPATED OUTCOME OF THIS PROJECT WILL BE DATA WHICH ESTABLISH KIN CARE AS AN EFFECTIVE, SELF-SUSTAINING, REPLICABLE SERVICE WHICH CAN FUNCTION AS A FREE-STANDING BUSINESS. A TRAINING MODULE AND SCREENING TOOLS WILL BE DEVELOPED AND EVALUATED. THE MODULE WILL UTILIZE ESTABLISHED BEHAVIORAL TECHNIQUES BASED ON OPERANT AND SOCIAL LEARNING THEORIES AND SUPPORTIVE CARE BASED ON NURSING CARE CONCEPTS. A FINANCIAL DATABASE AND LICENSURE RECOMMENDATIONS WILL BE DEVELOPED. IN PHASE I, THE PROJECT WILL ESTABLISH PRELIMINARY DATA ON THE ABILITY TO OBTAIN AND TRAIN CAREPROVIDERS AND THE CLIENT REFERRAL MARKET(S). DATA WILL BE COMPILED REGARDING THE NUMBER OF CLIENT REFERRAL SOURCES CONFIRMED BY TYPE AND NUMBER OF TENTATIVE REFERRALS AND THE NUMBER OF CAREPROVIDERS WHO HAVE COMPLETED AND PASSED THE TRAINING TO BECOME RESPITE HOME PROVIDERS. IN PHASE II, OLDER ADULTS WILL BE PLACED IN RESPITE HOMES AND THE RESULTS ANALYZED AND INTERPRETED TO DETERMINE COGNITIVE AND FUNCTIONAL CHANGES AND EFFECTS ON LIVING ARRANGEMENTS IN FRAIL OLDER ADULTS AND EFFECTS ON STRESS IN CAREGIVERS. PROGRAM COSTS WILL BE DETERMINED AND A REVISED PROTOTYPE IMPLEMENTED. A PRE-/POST-TEST DESIGN WITH FOLLOWUP UTILIZING A NONEQUIVALENT COMPARISON GROUP AND SURVEY TECHNIQUES WILL BE IMPLEMENTED. DATA ANALYSIS WILL UTILIZE DESCRIPTIVE AND INFERENTIAL STATISTICS INCLUDING ANOVA AND MANOVA STATISTICAL PROCEDURES.