本研究目的係為瞭解成年心智障礙者及其主要照顧者使用臨時及短期照顧服務(簡稱臨托服務)情形,並評估此服務是否有助照顧者壓力舒緩與提升其生活品質,且能促進障礙者社會融合與延緩機構安置程度。針對台北市等九縣市,正在使用臨托服務及使用三個月以上成年心智障礙者共352名從事普查,以主要照顧者為訪談對象,得有效樣本162名,受訪率46%。研究發現,此臨托服務達到支持家庭照顧的功能,但未達到延緩障礙者機構安置與促進其社區融合的顯著意義;此外,使用此項服務的家庭並不多,且多半集中在照顧者是中年人和教育程度較高者。據此,建議此服務仍有必要繼續推廣,且需放寬使用時數的限制,尤其針對居住在非院轄市、主要照顧者為父母或教育程度低者,更宜鼓勵其多參與相關性團體活動,以藉由交流、支持而增進其獲得相關資訊,並強化持續使用此項服務的動機。
The study aims to explore who are the users, how the services used, and what are the effects of the services. The study population is 352, and a survey of all these informal carers in households is conducted to evaluate the scheme, for adults with intellectual disabilities, is provided by 9 local authorities. The characteristics of 162 users whose informal carers voluntarily and successfully participated in the study are identified: who are more from Taipei City, age in 25, fathers with higher education degree, having no low-income family subsidy from the governments. Most of informal carers are female (80.2%) particularly their mothers (72.2%) and age in 51, and 41.3% of caregivers have full time or part time jobs and also join the related parental associations (77.7%). The average history of using the services is 3.1 year, average hours within a year is 12 days, being a member of the NGOs is the main way to access the services, 55.6% of the users are satisfied with the rate of self-payment, 88.6% are satisfied with the services, and 97.5% will continue to use the services. After respite, there is a statistically significant difference on releasing the caregiver's care burden and psychological stress, improving the caregiver's family and social interaction, social support, life satisfaction. On the contrary, the services are useless to enhance the adults' social inclusion and postpone adults' out-of-home placement. To conclude, the respite is supportive in the issue of family care; conversely, it's not a substitute service of institutional care and it's unsuccessful for adults' social inclusion.