Making personalised short breaks meaningful: a future research agenda to connect academia, policy and practice

Abstract

Purpose There is a growing policy impetus to promote carer well-being through the provision of personalised short breaks. However, understanding of what makes for a successful personalised short break is limited. This paper aims to identify key evidence gaps and considers how these could be addressed. Design/methodology/approach A scoping review mapping the evidence base relevant to respite and short breaks for carers for older people, including those living with dementia, was completed. National and international literature published from 2000 onwards was reviewed. The scoping review focused on well-being outcomes, identified by previous research, as being important to carers. Findings Most studies investigating the outcomes of short breaks for carers supporting older people focus on traditional day and residential respite care. Although there have been developments in more personalised break options for carers, research exploring their impact is scarce. There is limited knowledge about how these personalised breaks might support carers to realise important outcomes, including carer health and well-being; a life alongside caring; positive caregiving relationships; choices in caring; and satisfaction in caring. Three priority lines of inquiry to shape a future research agenda are identified: understanding what matters – evidencing personalised short break needs and intended outcomes; capturing what matters – outcomes from personalised short breaks; and commissioning, delivering and scaling up personalised short breaks provision to reflect what matters. Originality/value This paper contributes to the development of an outcome-focused research agenda on personalised short breaks.

Planning, commissioning and delivering bespoke short breaks for carers and their partner living with dementia: Challenges and opportunities

“…Descriptive accounts of bespoke break options for carers and PLWD in the literature include nature‐based adult day services in the Netherlands (de Bruin et al., 2019), micro‐care enterprises in England (Needham et al., 2015), houseguest programmes in the United States (Washington & Tachman, 2017), and creative arts and leisure programmes in England (Pienaar & Reynolds, 2015). However, research exploring the planning and commissioning arrangements underpinning their delivery is scarce (Seddon et al., 2021), likewise, research demonstrating the outcomes supported through these breaks is limited (Henwood et al., 2017).…”