Find a Respite Provider

Respite is one of the supports offered through the State's Family Caregiver Support Program, most often administered through the Area Agency on Aging (AAA). Individuals eligible for respite care under this program are:

• Family caregivers providing care for individuals age 60 or older;

• Family caregivers providing care for individuals with Alzheimer's disease and related disorders, regardless of age; or

• Grandparents and other relative caregivers (not parents) 55 years of age and older providing care to children under age 18; or

• Grandparents, parents, and other relative caregivers 55 years of age and older providing care to adults ages 18-59, with disabilities, to whom they are related by blood, marriage, or adoption.

• Tribal Organizations can set a lower age than 60 for members to be considered as elders eligible for services.

To find the Family Caregiver Support Program closest to you, visit the Eldercare Locator

Veterans' Caregiver Support

If you are a Veteran or the family caregiver of a Veteran, please visit the VA's Caregiver Support Program, contact a caregiver support coordinator, or call the support line at 1-855-260-3274.

• PsychArmor Respite Courses 
• VA Caregiver Respite Tool to help plan your respite time

Military Family Caregiver Support

Military OneSource provides caregiver supports and resources. Visit their website to learn more. Contact Military OneSource at 800-342-9647. OCONUS/International? View calling options.

Exceptional Family Member Program Respite

Child Care Aware® of America partners with the U. S. Navy to provide EFM Respite Care to eligible families. Together we have established a quality respite child care program for families with children (birth through 18 years) who have special needs and are enrolled in the Exceptional Family Member Program. Read more about the Exceptional Family Member (EFM) Respite Care. 

For other branches of the military, contact the Exceptional Family Member Program office near you by visiting MilitaryINSTALLATIONS or contact Military OneSource at 800-342-9647.

Additional Resources for Caregivers of Veterans or in Military Families

• American Red Cross Military and Veteran Caregiver Network: 
• Nine Steps to Respite for Military or Veteran Caregivers

To see if there are adult day services centers in your area, visit the National Association of Adult Day Services Association. These services are often covered by Medicaid or are available on a sliding fee scale. 

Find an Adult Day Center

Planning for Emergency Respite

Emergency respite, also known as crisis care respite, is often needed when the caregiver experiences illness, job loss, death in the family, domestic violence, homelessness, or another emergency. Emergency respite is short term care that may last from one hour to several weeks depending on the needs of the primary caregiver and may take place in-home or out-of-home.

When a crisis occurs you may be especially stressed and anxious about the incident that caused the crisis as well as the fate of your loved one if and when you have to leave. The care recipient will likely pick up on the anxiety and perhaps become agitated and anxious themselves. It is important to not only consider this, but to be prepared for it. It’s important that all transitions are made as comfortable and anxiety-free as possible.

Do Advance Planning. Searching for emergency respite in advance of an emergency situation will help alleviate fears about having to leave the care recipient suddenly. The search will involve as much advance planning as possible.

Questions to consider when developing an emergency respite plan are:

• Who are the respite providers in close enough proximity to provide assistance at
any hour?

Well in advance of any emergency or crisis situation, family caregivers should make every attempt to identify in-home providers or out-of-home programs in the immediate area that will provide emergency respite. If possible, using these providers for planned respite experiences will help familiarize the care recipient to the program or provider and will also ensure that the provider is familiar with the care recipient’s special needs. Make sure that the provider or program has all necessary medical and personal information about the care recipient in advance of the emergency.

• Can the emergency respite accommodate individuals who are dependent on medications or other ‘invasive’ procedures for their survival?

“My husband is an insulin-dependent diabetic. Can the program measure his blood sugar and administer the correct amount of insulin?” ”My child can take no food or liquids by mouth and requires gastric tube feedings. Can the respite program legally and safely administer the feedings?” These are very real concerns for caregivers and may also be a liability issue for respite providers. All respite programs should have a risk management plan in place to protect the care recipients and those who are providing the care. Read more in ARCH National Respite Guidelines.

Many programs are not equipped to provide care to someone who is ventilator dependent or has other serious medically related needs and it is important for caregivers and care recipients to have this information in advance.

• Is the emergency respite program equipped to handle behavioral challenges imposed by the care recipient and do they have policies and procedures in place for doing so?

Consider an individual with serious mental health issues who may have a history of repeated suicide attempts, a child with autism, or an adult with dementia, who is adept at escaping his or her surroundings and running away. When the family is already in crisis due to the situation that warranted emergency respite, they need to feel confident that their loved one will be cared for in a safe, responsible and supportive manner.

Not all respite programs can offer that degree of care. It is therefore up to the professionals who are assisting families in crisis, to assist them in finding appropriate accommodations for their loved one with extensive special needs. While these are concerns that everyone who seeks planned respite must consider, for those in a crisis situation there may not be time for the caregiver to research whether or not these concerns will be appropriately addressed.

Accessing Services. If a family member is anticipating an emergency situation, like an impending trial date or a planned medical procedure, they have time to prepare for care that is out of the realm of their traditional planned respite. Even for a family who does not receive planned respite services, advanced warning provides them with an opportunity to find safe shelter for the family members in their care. These situations allow caregivers to plan for short term ‘emergency’ respite care.

Planning for a possible emergency is somewhat easier for families who regularly use planned respite or are involved in other family caregiver support services. They already have a relationship with a provider and can more easily broach the subject of planning in the event of an emergency.

Not all families have additional family, friends and respite providers who they can call upon in an emergency. For those families who are isolated and lack family or a social network of potential helpers, they may want to contact their health care provider, hospital social worker, public health nurse, law enforcement or other professional helpers who can direct them quickly to the services they may need.

There are always some emergencies that do not allow for a caregiver to thoughtfully turn over the care to someone else. Again, planning in advance is critical.

Funding for Emergency Respite. Most Home and Community based Medicaid waivers include provisions for emergency as well as planned respite. Each state’s eligibility criteria and funding for waivers is different; check with your state’s Medicaid office. Your local Area Agency on Aging may also set aside funds for emergency respite through its Family Caregiver Support Program, but you must meet certain eligibility requirements as well. Increasingly, State lifespan Respite Programs have developed respite vouchers to help pay for respite in emergency situations. Check with your state Lifespan Respite Program or a State Respite Coalition if there is one.

Recommendations for Family Caregivers preparing for respite during an emergency:

1. Before an emergency occurs, check with your physician or case manager (if you have one) for possible emergency respite providers in your locality. Reach out to community or faith based agencies for recommendations of respite programs or volunteers who might be available in an emergency.
2. Research options and funding sources for emergency respite before an emergency occurs. Contact your state Lifespan Respite Program, state respite coalition, Medicaid agency, or Aging and Disability Resource Center for a list of possible services, funding possibilities and other resources for emergency care or search your state’s resources in the ARCH National Respite Locator Service.
3. Once you have identified possible providers in closest proximity to you, reach out to potential providers to find out about their criteria and process for accessing care in an emergency and do as much advance planning as possible. If necessary, pre-certify the care recipient in more than one program or with more than one home care agency. Before an emergency occurs, utilize these providers for planned respite so that the provider and the care recipient will be prepared and comfortable with the respite arrangement in an emergency situation.
4. Prepare a list of questions to ask potential providers. Questions to consider include whether the program can legally and safely administer medication, gastric tube feedings or other special medical procedures, and if the program has a risk management plan to protect care recipients.
5. Inquire about the credentials and work experience of the staff/volunteers who will be providing care. If required, find out if providers are trained to deal with behavioral issues or dementia.

For more information and resources, see the ARCH Fact Sheet on Emergency Respite: Help for Family Caregivers in Critical Times of Need.

Download this fact sheet. 

Crisis nurseries, also known as crisis or emergency care, provide temporary respite for families experiencing challenging life circumstances that place their children at risk for abuse and/or neglect. Created to provide immediate stress relief for parents and caregivers in times of crisis, the care provided by most nurseries can be accessed any time of the day or night and is offered free-of charge.  Read more.

Crisis Nurseries List

Statewide Family Networks are funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The purpose of the networks is to enhance state capacity and infrastructure to better respond to the needs of children and adolescents with serious emotional disturbance and their families by providing information, referrals, and support. The networks also create a mechanism for families to participate in State and local mental health services planning and policy development. Get a list of Statewide Family Networks.

The National Federation of Families, another resource for children's mental health, is a national family-run organization linking more than 120 chapters and state organizations focused on the issues of children and youth with emotional, behavioral, or mental health needs and substance use challenges and their families.

Family to Family Health Information Center (F2F) and Family Voices: For assistance in finding services and supports for children with special health care needs from other parents and professionals, find your state's F2F center or Family Voices state chapter. 

From the Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network

Kinship navigator programs offer information, referral, and follow-up services to grandparents and other relative caregivers to link them to the benefits and services that they and the children they care for need. The Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network maintains a list of kinship navigator programs for all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Kinship Navigator Programs

Many disability organizations, such as Easterseals, The Arc, or the Autism Society provide respite or can help you find respite resources. 

Dementia specific organizations, such as the Alzheimer's Association or member organizations of the Alzheimer's Foundation also provide respite services. 

See also How to Pay for Respite Services.

Many home care agencies list their respite services in the National Respite Locator. If you are unable to find a home care agency near you on the NRLS, the following information may be helpful.

Online Registries for home care workers. If you have the resources to self-pay, you can find home care workers online through CareLinx, Care.com, or if you live in CT, KS, or MA, visit Rewarding Work.   

Private Home Care Agencies may also provide in-home respite and other care supports that are available through self-pay, long-term care insurance, or through Medicaid. To find a home care agency, visit the Home Care Association of America directory.  You can also search on Medicare.gov, 

For overnight respite, you might want to contact assisted living or nursing home facilities in your area. If they have available beds, they may offer respite, especially if you can self-pay. You can find home care agencies in your area as well that might be able to send someone into your home to provide care overnight. Try using caring.com or A Place for Mom to find these types of providers.

See ARCH Fact Sheet: Respite for Adoptive Families

Several additional resources exist that may be able to help you find post-adoption respite services or respite for foster care parents.

For parents and caregivers:

Families Rising

Adopt-Us-Kids

National Foster Parent Association   To find local assistance, visit the National Foster Parent Association Council of State Affiliates (COSA)

For professionals

National Center for Enhanced Post-Adoption Support