State Lifespan Respite Summits
Share this page:
Highlights of Past Summits
States host Lifespan Respite Summits to build or strengthen state respite coalitions, identify gaps in services and strategies to overcome barriers, engage new stakeholders in Lifespan Respite systems, work on sustainability or strategic planning, and to renew commitments to a statewide coordinated system of respite care services for all family caregivers.
On July 27-29, the AR Department of Human services, the state Lifespan Respite grantee, and the AR Lifespan Respite Coalition hosted a virtual Lifespan Respite Summit. Governor Asa Hutchinson provided opening remarks, and Sarah Schmidt, the lead for the state's Lifespan Respite grant, provided a presentation on Understanding "What is Respite?". See the program agenda that also includes an extensive list of resources, and an infographic on the state's Lifespan Respite program.
On July 28-29, the Respite Care Association of Wisconsin hosted the 2021 Wisconsin Respite Summit at Sentry World, Stevens Point, WI. Projects developed over the last year through their Federal Lifespan Respite Enhancement Grant, as well as programs that RCAW provides through its lifespan respite state funding, were presented. RCAW used the opportunity to hear from stakeholders in the respite community about current respite issues throughout the state.
Summit goals. Participants will:
- Learn about the activities supported by the Wisconsin Lifespan Respite Grant to improve access to respite to underserved populations
- Learn about respite related activities from partners across Wisconsin
- Identify opportunities for collaboration to enhance the lifespan respite system in Wisconsin
- Provide feedback on current respite issues in Wisconsin
- Inform the development of a comprehensive survey to assess the current state of respite in Wisconsin
View the Agenda and Presentation Slides
The summit was held at the State Capitol Building in Bismarck, ND. About 85 people participated from across the state. The event was hosted by the ND Lifespan Respite Coalition and the ND DHS Aging Services Division. The goals for the event were to:
- Identify current respite services available in North Dakota
- Identify strengths and barriers to respite usage
- Discuss sustainability of Lifespan respite activities in North Dakota
A panel of state agency representatives from the ND Aging Services Division, the Medical Services Division and the Developmental Disabilities Division presented "The Baseline: Current Respite Services in ND" with the following objectives to describe:
- Respite services currently available under state and federal funding sources and how people can apply for these services
- Other respite services available to families outside of federal and state funded services
- Potential barriers to consumers being able to access the services or other policy limitations or gaps that deter use.
A panel of caregivers also shared their personal caregiving stories.
Resources
The summit was held at the Hearst Media Center in Albany, New York. About 130 people attended the day-long event that was hosted by the NY State Caregiving and Respite Coalition (NYSCRC) and the NY State Office for the Aging (NYSOFA). The objectives for the event were to:
- Identify state-level policy and program needs and goals related to respite care services for children, adults, and aging population.
- Strengthen state and community partnerships to sustain Lifespan Respite activities.
- Develop strategies to maximize use of existing respite resources.
Doris Green from NYSCRC shared recent accomplishments of the coalition in her PPT presentation. Deana Prest and Jessica Perk with NYSOFA provided an overview of the state's Lifespan Respite grant activities, including their model partnership with NY Connects, the state's No Wrong Door approach. A panel of individuals representing multiple state agencies, including representatives from the Dept. of Health, Office of Mental Health, Dept. of Veterans Affairs, the Office of Persons with Developmental Disabilities, the State Office for the Aging, and the Office of Children and Family Services, discussed the respite options available in the state. An inspiring panel of family caregivers shared their personal stories about the importance of respite. AARP released their report, the Future of Family Caregiving in NY. At the conclusion of the Summit, NYSCRC described their plan to establish Advisory Board subcommittees to expand their pool of Lifespan Respite stakeholders and recruited volunteers from summit participants.
Additional Handouts to inform the process:
NY Lifespan Respite Grant Activities 2014-2017
NY Lifespan Respite Grant Activities 2017-2020
Survey of Informal Caregivers in NY City, 2017
Resources from Region 1 Office for Persons with Developmental Disabilities:
Reimagining, Reorienting, and Revolutionizing a Respite Strategy
The summit was held at the Nashville Public Library. About 80 people attended the day-long event that was hosted by the TN Respite Coalition (TRC) and the TN Commission on Aging and Disability in collaboration with the TN Department of Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services and the TN Council on Developmental Disabilities. The goals for the event were:
- Learning about what respite is available in Tennessee and where there are gaps,
- Networking with family caregivers, professionals, state and national representatives, and
- Planning the next steps for respite in local communities.
The purpose of the Summit was to strengthen state and community partnerships to sustain Lifespan Respite activities; develop strategies to maximize use of existing respite resources and identify and leverage new respite funds; engage in sustainability planning; and generate innovative activities for future development.
Jennifer Abernathy of he TRC presented the results of the “Let’s Talk About Respite” conversations held across the state in 2017 and Tabitha Satterfield with the TN Commission on Aging and Disability provided an update on the state's Lifespan Respite grant activities. A Local Initiatives Panel of community-based organizations from across the state highlighted their locally inspired innovative respite services.
About 35 people from state organizations, government agencies and local respite, aging and disability services attended the Summit in Madison, WI, hosted by the Respite Care Association of Wisconsin.
Summit Objectives:
- Identify state-level policy and program needs and goals related to respite care services for children, adults, and aging population.
- Strengthen state and community partnerships to sustain Lifespan Respite activities.
- Develop strategies to maximize use of existing respite resources.
A panel of state advocates provided family perspectives on respite needs; Dr. Kim Whitmore, with the University of Wisconsin School of Nursing presented on the importance of research in establishing an evidence base for future respite services; and several state agency representatives shared what is currently available in the state for respite. Lisa Pugh, State Director of The Arc of WI and Co-chair of the newly formed WI Family and Caregiver Support Alliance, shared the Alliance's goals for respite and other caregiver supports in the state.
With the Liberating Structures approach, Washington's 2018 Lifespan Respite Summit attendees were able to participate on a completely new level and the result was new ideas for fundraising, sustainability, and partnerships.
The summit was held at the College of Southern Idaho in Twin Falls with about 70 participants. The Idaho Lifespan Respite Summit was hosted by the Idaho Commission on Aging, the Idaho Caregiver Alliance and their partners, the Boise State University Center for the Study of Aging, the Living Independent Network Corporation, which is Idaho’s Council on Independent Living, the Office on Aging at the College of Southern Idaho, and AARP Idaho with support from D.L. Evans Bank, St. Luke’s Magic Valley, and Regence (BC/BS). The Summit had three main objectives:
- Objective 1: Acknowledge and raise awareness about the importance of respite to caregiving families.
- Objective 2: Raise awareness about how caregivers and the Lifespan Respite program have helped with the progress of the ICA (a coalition of partners) to bring the needs of caregivers across the lifespan to light, in particular the need for enhancing respite; Present and obtain input on the Caregiver Action Plan and answer the question of what next?
- Objective 3: Develop local strategies to maximize use of existing respite resources and leverage new resources, including funds and innovative ideas for future development.
A panel of caregivers representing diverse caregiving experiences opened the event. Pam Catt-Oliason with the ID Commission on Aging and state Lifespan Respite grant manager provided an overview to help summit participants engage in discussion about gaps, strengths, and opportunities for caregiver respite and support in Idaho.
Florida Lifespan Respite Summit, June 15, 2017
The summit, held at St. Paul United Methodist Church in East Largo, FL, was hosted by the Florida Lifespan Respite Alliance (FLRA), the FL Department of Elder Affairs and their partners, including the Ounce of Prevention Fund of Florida, the Florida Association of Area Agencies on Aging, the Florida Department of Children and Families, the Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD), the Florida Developmental Disabilities Council, Inc., AARP of Tampa Bay and the American Association of Caregiving Youth. Forty-five people were in attendance, including Victoria Wright, Lifespan Respite Project Officer, ACL, who provided introductory remarks.
The goals of the summit were to expand the statewide voice of FLRA by establishing Regional Hubs to collect their input; to identify respite service gaps by region, age, and disability; and to initiate a process of statewide collaboration that will eventually lead to a more coordinated system of respite care.
New Mexico does not currently have a Lifespan Respite grant. The event was hosted in Santa Fe, NM, by charter members of a NM Respite Coalition, led by the NM Direct Caregivers Coalition, and the New Mexico Department of Health, Office of Community Health Workers, with support from AARP New Mexico and United Healthcare. About 40 people attended. The purpose of the summit was to build a statewide respite coalition and to prepare to submit a first-time time application for Lifespan Respite Program federal funding. The goals of the summit were to: 1) Convene, strengthen and diversify a statewide coalition to learn about respite care, and to support the many ways respite can be delivered; and 2) Build awareness of how a lifespan respite collaborative can support development of a New Mexico Lifespan Respite program that serves the array of New Mexico respite needs.
The Lifespan Respite Summit in Jackson, Mississippi was convened by the newly formed MS Family Caregiver Coalition. Coalition members who helped plan the event were from the MS Alzheimer’s Association, MS AARP, MS Caregiver Task Force, Community Links, and the MS National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Over 100 individuals participated in the event. The purpose of the summit was to build a statewide respite coalition and to prepare to submit a first-time time application for Lifespan Respite Program federal funding.
The goals of this Summit were to:
1. Identify the needs of family caregivers for respite in Mississippi.
2. Identify current respite services that are available in Mississippi.
3. Identify barriers that prevent family caregivers from accessing respite services in Mississippi.
4. Gather information necessary to provide family caregivers access to a seamless array of respite services.
Lifespan Respite
Share this page: