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In-home respite care in dementia: An evolutionary concept analysis
Huiyue Zhang, Min Yin, Xue Nan, Xin Liu, Rujia Zhang. International Journal of Nursing Sciences, 2025-06-20
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Thirty-one articles were included. This conceptual analysis revealed the evolution of in-home respite care service content over time and summarized three key attributes. The antecedents included factors related to people with dementia, family caregivers, and the social environment (aging society, government support). The consequences of in-home respite services include delayed institutional placement and reduced security risk events for people with dementia. For family caregivers, consequences include reduced caregiving stress, improved quality of life, and perceived benefits from rest periods. In-home respite care can be interpreted as family-centered home care that provides temporary relief from family caregivers' responsibilities in caring for people with dementia to reduce caregiver burden. The trend of service specialization and attention on dementia families' needs in service provision are future research focus.
Key findings
- This conceptual analysis revealed the evolution of in-home respite care service content over time and summarized three key attributes.
- The antecedents included factors related to people with dementia, family caregivers, and the social environment (aging society, government support).
- The consequences of in-home respite services include delayed institutional placement and reduced security risk events for people with dementia.
- For family caregivers, consequences include reduced caregiving stress, improved quality of life, and perceived benefits from rest periods.
- In-home respite care can be interpreted as family-centered home care that provides temporary relief from family caregivers' responsibilities in caring for people with dementia to reduce caregiver burden.
Why it matters
This concept analysis of 31 articles describes in-home respite care as family-centered home care that provides temporary relief and is linked to reduced caregiving stress, improved quality of life, delayed institutional placement, and fewer safety risk events. It is a conceptual analysis, not a test of whether respite care causes these outcomes.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 34/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (International Journal of Nursing Sciences) |
| Journal's citation record | 0 / 4 | International Journal of Nursing Sciences: journal h-index 61 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 1 / 7 | Cited 3 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 1 / 5 | 1.0 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 2 / 6 | Cited 1.9× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 3 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 1 / 4 | Last-listed author Rujia Zhang: h-index 7 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | Tsinghua University: institution h-index 1,218 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 3 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 40786855) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 34 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1016/j.ijnss.2025.06.010
- PubMed: 40786855
- Original source →
- Free full text: International Journal of Nursing Sciences →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Zhang, H., Yin, M., Nan, X., Liu, X., & Zhang, R. (2025). In-home respite care in dementia: An evolutionary concept analysis. International Journal of Nursing Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnss.2025.06.010
Vancouver
Zhang H, Yin M, Nan X, Liu X, Zhang R. In-home respite care in dementia: An evolutionary concept analysis. International Journal of Nursing Sciences. 2025. doi:10.1016/j.ijnss.2025.06.010. PMID: 40786855.
BibTeX
@article{zhang2025-40786855,
author = {Zhang, Huiyue and Yin, Min and Nan, Xue and Liu, Xin and Zhang, Rujia},
title = {{In-home respite care in dementia: An evolutionary concept analysis}},
journal = {International Journal of Nursing Sciences},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1016/j.ijnss.2025.06.010},
pmid = {40786855},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnss.2025.06.010}
}
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