Abstract
Respite care is poorly developed despite the emphasis on allowing patients to be cared for in their preferred place of care – often their own home. It is essential to support informal carers continuing in their roles by providing adequate and timely relief from their duties. Patients who live alone with no informal carers should also be given the opportunity to have a change from their context of care. Respite care programmes should involve referral criteria, multi-disciplinary triaging, pre-determined admission and discharge dates, a thorough review of the patient and their caring context and a structured programme of care and sign posting.