Respite Services in Kirklees
Download (PDF 819.14 KB)Summary of report content
The focus on pre-bookable respite provision for older people and people with mental ill health who access respite breaks in Kirklees.
Healthwatch Kirklees produced a video explaining some of the ideas being considered to improve respite services for older people and people with mental ill health. People were asked to complete a survey which asked questions enquiring about:
· Respite options people access currently
· How well they work in providing a break
· How people would like to see respite breaks provided in the future.
The survey was promoted by Healthwatch Kirklees via social media, reaching 37,000 people. Response to the survey was low and the approach was changed: visiting carer services and day centres to collect responses in person and circulating of the video and survey via email to relevant organisations in Kirklees.
Findings:
• 106 people responded to the respite care services questionnaire which consisted primarily of carers with past or current experiences of these services.
• People felt positive about their experiences of respite care services, with an overall rating of 7 out of 10 from respondents.
• People wanted to see an increase in the variety of services currently available to them, stating that home visits for a few hours every day would be the most beneficial. People felt that bespoke care, i.e. the right type of care for the cared-for person would be the most helpful.
• Most people willing to travel between 2 and 5 miles in order to access respite care services, stating that this distance would be manageable both time-wise and taking into consideration public transport.
• 45% felt that booking respite services one month in advance would be the most beneficial for them to manage their own lives. Shorter timeframes were linked to requiring more urgent help and longer timeframes were selected in order to help people plan for holidays or more complex travel arrangements.
• People wanted access to respite care services to be improved in addition to simplifying/streamlining procedures in order for their experience to be both less stressful and time consuming.