| Summary: | The aim of this study was to identify differences in how the service respite care in ordinary housing is offered to people who are caring for or supporting relatives with dementia in nine municipalities in a region in southern Sweden. The study has focused on organizational factors that may affect the use of the service and the theoretical aspects of professional discretion and assessment principles in social work. To examine this, data was collected from a semi-structured survey (n = 59) directed to assistance officers and chief managers. Secondary quantitative data from a mapping of the nine municipalities support for people with dementia and their relatives was also included in the study. The methods used to analyse data were statistical analysis and quantitative content analysis. The span between equal and individual care have been studied to gain perspective on how local assistance officers and chief managers can adapt the availability and configuration of the service, in relation to the guidelines and the individual's needs. The results of the study show that there are differences in how municipalities offer respite care in ordinary housing for the informal carers and on what grounds they have access to it. There are also differences in the range of the service in some of the municipalities. Respondents estimate that they have wide professional discretion to adapt the service to individual needs, while they feel that the municipality's guidelines should be followed. Furthermore, the results show that use of the service is relatively low in the studied municipalities. To increase the use, respondents believe that security, confidence and trust are especially important in the relationship between the staff in home care services and the carers.
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