On 10 July, our Croatian member Rehabilitation Centre Stančić hosted the final conference of the project "Take a break, you deserve it!". This initiative shows the vital role of respite care, by providing parents and caregivers of needy family members to take a break from their caregiving role to dedicate some time to themselves and prevent burnout. 

The event brought together around 30 key representatives of social service providers in Croatia to discuss how respite care is evolving from a local service into a broader, EU-supported priority.

The panel discussion highlighted the importance of flexible and person-centred respite care, recognising that the needs of parent carers and informal carers vary and require tailored forms of support. In this sense, investing in support for parent carers and informal carers is an investment in prevention. It helps to preserve family stability, reduces the risk of physical and mental health problems, caregiver burnout and institutionalisation, and ultimately the need for more intensive and costly health and social care interventions in the future.

The project pilot demonstrated that respite care works in practice: service providers have developed the expertise to deliver the service, while family caregivers have expressed high satisfaction and a clear need for this type of support. 

Representatives of the Croatian Ministry of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy stated that they are currently working on evaluating the outcomes of the service and on ensuring its continued provision.

Ivana Davidovska, EASPD Head of Projects, brought the European perspective in the conversation, explaining major initiatives, such as the European Care Strategy and the Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities which are actively driving member states to ensure respite care is both accessible and person-centered. Additionally, there are other EU frameworks that enable the environment to expand these essential services in real-world settings, such as Work-Life Balance Directive or the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) instrument. 

Finally, the WELL CARE project served as a prime example of how 'care partnerships' between professionals and families can strengthen the mental health and resilience of everyone involved in the caregiving process.