Resumo

CUESTA BENJUMEA, Carmen de la. Relief the burden of family care: A literature review. Index Enferm [online]. 2008, vol.17, n.4, pp.261-265. ISSN 1699-5988.

Caregivers' need for rest is well established in the literature and respite services are a response to this need. Nevertheless, although these services are the most needed, they are not well used and the several studies have inquiry its causes. Bibliography shows that using these services implies a process with stages and different variations and that it is a cultural, social issue and not a technical one. Studies on respite care conclude the need for a caregiver centred approach. Respite is offered as a service with little consideration for caregiver's point of view and consideration of the caregiving context. To help caregivers, ways of offering services more coherent with their lives must be found. Qualitative studies contribute to find these ways and fill a gap in the literature in family care.

Palavras-chave : Caregivers; Family care; Health research; Qualitative research; Respite care.