The National Relief Network (ARCH) is a service to help caregivers and professionals locate relief services in their community.
Respite care
provides parents and other caregivers with short-term child care services that offer temporary relief, improve family stability, and reduce the risk of abuse or neglect. Temporary rest can be planned or offered in case of emergency or in times of crisis. Respite may be available for foster families, family members, and adoptive families, as well as for biological families who need support.Military families should also turn to TRICARE's Extended Care Health Option (ECHO) or the Program for Exceptional Military Family Members (EFMP), which offer a break for any member of the military who is enrolled in the EFMP and meets the requirements. If your state has a support or relief program for family caregivers funded by the state, you may have relief funds available. Contact members of your local Alzheimer's Association or Alzheimer's Foundation to learn what type of financial assistance may be available for respite care. Nearly 42 percent of caregivers say they have been caring for 2 to 5 years, while approximately 27 percent of family caregivers have been doing so for 5 to 10 years.
Recognizing that family caregivers make important social and financial contributions to maintaining the well-being of the people they care for, the Alliance's mission is to be an objective national resource aimed at improving the quality of life for families and beneficiaries of care. To learn about other possible federal sources of funding for relief services and how to connect with them, see federal funding and support opportunities for relief services. Studies have shown that these services can reduce depression, anxiety and stress for caregivers, as well as allow caregivers to provide care for longer, thus avoiding or delaying the need for expensive institutional care. Consult the Matrix of Federal Respite Services Programs for Military and Veteran Families to learn about funding sources that may also be available to military families on temporary leave.
If you have a state lifespan support program or a state relay coalition in your state, they may be able to help you pay for the respite, link you to a free or low-cost respite, or link you to funding sources that may be unique to your state. The National Association for Adult Day Services (NADSA) offers community-based respite care services and helps these children make the transition to adulthood. If a person qualifies for Medicare and is in a palliative care facility, their caregivers are entitled to temporary Medicare benefit under palliative care. If you live in a state that adopted the Section 1915 (i) state Medicaid plan option for home and community services and the person you care for qualifies for Medicaid based on income guidelines, the temporary benefit may be covered by your state's Medicaid plan without the need for an exemption.
Today, RAPP provides support services, mainly to family members who care for children outside the care system, through an extensive network of support groups. The Pennsylvania Caregiver Support Program provides resources and assistance to individuals who take primary responsibility for providing care to foster a healthy and ongoing relationship with the person who cares for them. To learn what exemptions to pay the temporary benefit are available in your state and information on eligibility, see the Medicaid exemptions for the temporary provision of palliative care from ARCH.
