Re-visioning respite: a culture change initiative in a long-term care setting in Eire

Respite care is one of the services most frequently requested by family carers, but places are often not taken up because of carers' concerns about the quality of the respite experience. This paper describes the formation of a new respite unit at St Ita's Hospital in Western Ireland and staff's efforts to create a respite experience that more closely reflects the older person's home environment. The initial focus was on providing more choice in terms of the food served and the times of meals. The challenges of introducing even small changes to the delivery of care are considered, and the need for a more widespread and sustained approach to culture change is promoted.