"I need help from other family members" Views and expectations of family carers of people living with dementia on in-home respite care in Northwest China

Background and Objectives: The family carersof people living with dementia face significant physical and emotional strain due to the constant supervision and care required by their loved ones. While in-home respite care is recognized as essential for alleviating caregiver burden, there is considerable variation in service provision across countries. Family caregivers often lack clarity on the types of support needed, and existing research on their expectations is limited. This study aims to explore the views and expectations of family caregivers regarding in-home respite care services, to better understand their needs and inform the development of more effective, tailored services. Method: Through purposive sampling, family caregivers of people with dementia from two provincial cognitive impairment centers in Lanzhou City, Gansu Province, were invited to participate in face-to-face semi-structured interviews to determine theirviews and expectations toward in-home respite services. Thematic analysis was applied, and the interview content was transcribed, organized, and analyzed using Nvivo-12.0 software. Results: A total of 15 primary family caregivers of people with dementia were interviewed, yielding three themes: 1) the physically and mentally exhausting caregiving experience and urgent demand for assisted shared in-home care; 2) other family members are the most suitable home respite care providers; 3) high expectations for professional home respite services. Conclusion: The primary family caregivers of persons with dementia have an urgent need for assistance when caring for their loved ones at home, and they have high expectations for professional home respite services. They expect that in-home respite service providers can deliver targeted assistance to address problems encountered in their daily care, helping ensure the quality of life for both their family members and themselves.