Desperate for Respite

Respite care is a service for caregivers.  It provides relief for the individuals who care at home for a severely disabled or ill child, an ailing spouse or a frail or sick parent.  Respite care is in short supply – relative to the current and anticipated demand for this service.  Despite the growing need, the financial support for respite care is far from adequate and actually has declined.  Recent changes to the financing of social services at the federal level will only make matters worse.  In the face of an aging population and spiralling health costs, we ignore this crucial area of public policy at our peril.

ISBN – 1-895796-67-9