Conclusion
If community based care is to remain the treatment of choice for the severely mentally ill, then acceptable, affordable, and accessible respite care must be available for the families who assume significant responsibility for their loved one's care.
Based on what families are asking for, a clear mandate exists for communities to develop and implement some type of a respite care services. There is a substantial array of program models and service delivery mechanisms, as demonstrated by this paper. It is hoped that the community of professionals and families around the country will seize the initiative for the development of such programs, into the 1990's and beyond.
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This work was supported by the National Institute of Mental Health, Grant MH 18644-02.
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Zirul, D.W., Lieberman, A.A. & Rapp, C.A. Respite care for the chronically mentally ill: Focus for the 1990s. Community Ment Health J 25, 171–184 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00754435
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00754435