If you are caring for an aging parent or spouse in Delaware, the state helps pay for respite care so you can rest.

Respite is not walking away from someone you love. It is the planned break that lets you keep going. Federal health data show why that break matters: nearly 1 in 5 family caregivers reports being in fair or poor health, and elderly caregivers coping with their own chronic illness face a 63% higher mortality rate than non-caregiving peers.

In This Guide

Funded Respite Care Options in Delaware

Asking for help can feel like admitting you are failing your loved one. You are not. In Delaware, several funded paths can give you regular breaks, and most families qualify for at least one.

1. Medicaid Consumer-Directed Attendant Care: Choose Your Own Attendant

If the person you care for is in Diamond State Health Plan Plus (DSHP+), Delaware's Medicaid long-term care program, you may not have to bring in a stranger. Consumer-directed attendant care is one of the benefits DSHP+ covers, and under the federally approved terms for Delaware's program, participants who elect to self-direct personal care/attendant care must have the opportunity to have choice and control over how the service is provided and who provides it. One limit is written down: a person who serves as the participant's representative for directing those services cannot serve as a provider of those services for that participant.

Delaware Medicaid's managed care contract lets a self-directing member hire someone with whom they have a close personal relationship, such as a neighbor, friend, or family member, as the attendant, so an adult child can be paid. Whether a spouse can be the paid attendant is not stated in any Delaware source we reviewed, so confirm that with the Delaware ADRC at 1-800-223-9074 before you count on it.

2. Diamond State Health Plan Plus (DSHP+): Respite Through Managed Long-Term Care

When your loved one needs more support than a few respite hours here and there, Delaware's Medicaid long-term care runs through Diamond State Health Plan Plus (DSHP+), the state's mandatory managed-care program for older adults and people with physical disabilities. DSHP+ covers home and community-based services to prevent or delay nursing home admissions, and the state says these might include adult day care, home meal delivery, personal care assistance, personal emergency response systems, and respite care. The Division of Medicaid and Medical Assistance (DMMA) developed DSHP+ in partnership with the Division of Services for Aging and Adults with Physical Disabilities (DSAAPD). DMMA's DSHP+ page publishes no eligibility test, with no age, income, asset or level-of-care criterion on it, so if your relative has dementia, confirm the qualifying criteria with DMMA rather than assume a nursing-facility level of care is the only gate.

To ask about DSHP+ respite and the attendant-hiring rules, call the Delaware ADRC at 1-800-223-9074.

3. NFCSP Respite Through Your Area Agency on Aging

Not everyone you help has Medicaid, and you do not need it to get a break. The National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP), funded by Title III-E of the Older Americans Act, makes grants to the states, and an area agency on aging, or an entity it contracts with, provides the services: information, help gaining access to services, counseling, support groups, caregiver training, respite care, and supplemental services on a limited basis. Because your area agency on aging provides the respite, ask it how much respite it can offer.

You qualify if you are an adult family member or other informal caregiver caring for someone 60 or older, or for someone of any age with Alzheimer's disease or a related disorder. An older relative 55 and up also qualifies when caring for a child under 18 or an adult 18 to 59 with a disability, but only if you live with and are the primary caregiver for that person. For a child, you must be a relative other than the parent, be the primary caregiver because the parents are unable or unwilling to serve, and have a legal relationship to the child, such as legal custody, adoption, or guardianship, or be raising the child informally. One more federal condition applies to respite itself: if you care for an older adult, respite and supplemental services are available only when that person is frail, meaning unable to perform at least two activities of daily living without substantial help, or needing substantial supervision because a cognitive or other mental impairment makes their behavior a serious health or safety hazard. Counseling, training, and information carry no such condition. To start, call the Delaware ADRC at 1-800-223-9074 or the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116.,

4. Adult Day Programs and Short-Term Facility Respite

If you work during the day or simply need predictable hours back, an adult day program can be the answer. DSHP+ home and community-based services can include adult day care, and NFCSP respite, which can be given at home or in an adult day care setting, is available through your area agency on aging to eligible family caregivers even when your loved one is not on Medicaid. If you care for an older adult, that person must also meet the program's frailty condition.,

Short-term facility respite places your loved one in an assisted living community or nursing facility for a few days to a few weeks, so you can travel, recover from your own surgery, or rest. Before you book, ask whether DSHP+, NFCSP, or VA respite will cover the stay. To find a provider, use the "Find a Respite Provider" locator from the ARCH National Respite Network and Resource Center at archrespite.org, or call the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116 to reach your local Area Agency on Aging for referrals to nearby programs.,

5. VA Respite for Veteran Families

If the person you care for served in the military, the VA runs a parallel respite track for veteran families across the First State. Veterans enrolled in VA health care are eligible for VA respite if they meet the clinical criteria and it is available, delivered as in-home respite, adult day health care, or nursing-home respite, where VA pays for the veteran to stay in a VA Community Living Center or community nursing home while the family is away for a few days. Nursing-home respite should be scheduled in advance, and VA's copay page describes overnight respite and daily respite as each available up to 30 days per calendar year. If the respite comes from a community agency, an adult day health care center, or a nursing home, the veteran must also meet VA community care eligibility. VA respite isn't necessarily free, either: VA may charge a copay based on the veteran's service-connected disability status and finances. Under the regulation, the first 21 days of extended care in a 12-month period carry no copay (that count includes any other extended care VA provided in the same window, and the 12 months need not match the calendar year), and some veterans, including those with a compensable service-connected disability, are exempt altogether. VA doesn't quote the copay up front, so before booking a multi-week stay, ask the veteran's VA social worker to complete VA Form 10-10EC to learn the amount.

The clearest respite benefit sits inside the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC): an approved Primary Family Caregiver receives at least 30 days of respite care per year, plus a monthly stipend and other supports. PCAFC sets four requirements for the veteran and all four must be true: a VA disability rating of 70% or higher, discharge from the U.S. military or a date of medical discharge, a need for at least six months of continuous, in-person personal care, and enrollment in VA health care. Those four are a first screen, not the decision: the veteran and caregiver apply together, and VA checks further conditions during that process. Once approved, the caregiver must enroll in direct deposit through VA's customer engagement portal to receive the stipend. A spouse can serve as the caregiver. Call the VA Caregiver Support Line at 1-855-260-3274, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET.,

How Much Respite Will Each Program Cover?

There is no single respite allowance in Delaware, because each program sets its own amount. This table shows who each option covers, whether a family member can be the paid worker, and who pays.

Program Who it covers Can a family member be the paid worker? Who pays
Consumer-directed attendant care (DSHP+) DSHP+ Medicaid members who elect to self-direct their attendant care A family member, friend, or neighbor may be hired, but the directing representative cannot be the paid provider; whether a spouse can be paid isn't stated, so confirm with the ADRC Delaware Medicaid
Diamond State Health Plan Plus (DSHP+) Delaware Medicaid members who are elderly or physically disabled; confirm criteria with DMMA Possibly; ask about consumer-directed attendant care by name Delaware Medicaid
NFCSP respite Eligible family caregivers (age and relationship rules apply; for caregivers of an older adult, respite needs a frail care recipient), no Medicaid needed Not stated; the area agency on aging provides or contracts the respite Federal Older Americans Act grant (federal share) to the State; ask your agency about any cost
Adult day / short-term facility respite Older adults needing daytime supervision or a longer break No; facility or program staff provide the care DSHP+, NFCSP, VA respite, or private pay
VA respite (PCAFC) Approved caregivers of eligible veterans Yes; a spouse can be the Primary Family Caregiver The VA; other VA respite may carry a copay

A few specifics worth knowing before you plan:

  • Ask your area agency on aging about NFCSP respite hours. The agency, or an entity it contracts with, provides the respite, so ask it how many hours it can offer and whether there is a wait.
  • VA PCAFC gives an approved Primary Family Caregiver at least 30 days of respite per year, and VA's copay page describes other VA overnight and daily respite as each available up to 30 days per calendar year, which may carry a copay after the first 21 days of extended care unless the veteran is exempt.
  • Medicare is the narrow one. It covers respite only as short-term inpatient respite within the hospice benefit, where you pay 5% of the Medicare-approved amount, and not otherwise.

How to Start Respite Care in Delaware

You do not have to understand every program before you act. One phone call opens most of these doors, and a counselor on the other end will help you sort the rest.

1
Step 1

Call the Delaware ADRC at 1-800-223-9074

This is the number DSAAPD gives for the Aging and Disability Resource Center, and it is where to confirm the attendant-hiring rules for Medicaid attendant care.

2
Step 2

Ask about DSHP+ and consumer-directed attendant care

If your loved one is on Delaware Medicaid or could qualify, call the ADRC and ask whether they can self-direct their attendant care and who may be hired as the attendant.

3
Step 3

Open the VA track if your loved one is a veteran

Call the VA Caregiver Support Line at 1-855-260-3274, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET, to ask about PCAFC respite and to be connected to your local VA Caregiver Support Program team. It is not a crisis line: in a crisis, call 988 and press 1, or text 838255, any hour.

4
Step 4

Use 211 or the Eldercare Locator for anything local

Dial 211, or call the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116 to reach your local Area Agency on Aging for information and referrals to adult day and respite programs while any application is pending.

Where to Get Respite Help in Delaware

Delaware Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) Helps with: questions about Medicaid attendant care, including confirming who may be hired as a paid attendant. 1-800-223-9074 www.dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/dsaapd
211 Delaware Helps with: round-the-clock referrals to local social services, benefits, and emergency respite. 211 delaware211.org
Eldercare Locator Helps with: a free, nationwide Administration for Community Living service that connects older adults, families, and caregivers to services in their community. That includes your local Area Agency on Aging, which delivers NFCSP respite., 1-800-677-1116 eldercare.acl.gov/home
VA Caregiver Support Line Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET Helps with: information on caregiver support services and a direct connection to your local VA Caregiver Support Program team. It is not a crisis line; in a crisis, call 988 and press 1, or text 838255. 1-855-260-3274 www.caregiver.va.gov

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Delaware Medicaid cover respite care?

Yes. Diamond State Health Plan Plus (DSHP+) covers respite as a home and community-based service for members who are elderly or physically disabled, and its benefits include consumer-directed attendant care, where a participant who elects to self-direct must have the opportunity to have choice and control over who provides the service, though their representative for directing those services cannot also be their paid provider. DMMA's DSHP+ page publishes no eligibility test, so call the Delaware ADRC at 1-800-223-9074 and confirm the criteria with DMMA.,

Can a spouse be paid to provide respite in Delaware?

It is not settled for a spouse. Delaware's DSHP+ Medicaid program covers consumer-directed attendant care, and a participant who elects to self-direct must have the opportunity to have choice and control over who provides the service. Delaware Medicaid's managed care contract lets that participant hire a family member, friend, or neighbor as the attendant, but no Delaware source we reviewed says whether a spouse may be paid in that role. One limit is stated: the participant's representative for directing those services cannot serve as a provider of those services for that participant. Confirm the spouse question with the Delaware ADRC at 1-800-223-9074.

Is there respite in Delaware without Medicaid?

Yes. The National Family Caregiver Support Program provides respite through the area agency on aging to eligible family caregivers regardless of Medicaid enrollment. If you care for an older adult, that person must meet the federal frailty test for respite. Ask the agency how much respite it can offer. Call the Delaware ADRC at 1-800-223-9074 or the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116.,

Does Medicare cover respite care?

Only within hospice. Medicare pays for short-term inpatient respite care as one of the four levels of the hospice benefit, with a 5% coinsurance; if the hospice team determines the person needs it and arranges it, Medicare covers the stay in the facility. It does not otherwise cover respite.

How many hours of NFCSP respite will I get?

Ask your area agency on aging. Under the Older Americans Act, the area agency on aging, or an entity it contracts with, provides the respite, so ask it what it can offer and whether there is a wait. If your loved one is Medicaid-eligible, also ask the ADRC about consumer-directed attendant care or respite through DSHP+.,

Learn More

CaregiverRespite Care for Family Caregivers: The 50-State GuideWhat respite care is and how to pay for it in 2026: the main types, NFCSP respite with no income test, Medicaid and VA respite, and every state guide. CaregiverHow to Get Paid as a Family Caregiver in DelawareDelaware Medicaid's DSHP-Plus lets members self-direct attendant care and choose who provides it. Whether family or a spouse can be paid: ask the ADRC. CaregiverCaregiver Burnout: Signs, Stages, and How to Get SupportHow to recognize caregiver burnout, why it happens, and what actually helps, from respite care to evidence-based programs like REACH II and Powerful Tools. VA BenefitsVA Aid and Attendance in DelawareVA Aid and Attendance in Delaware for 2026: who qualifies, up to $34,488 a year for a veteran with a spouse, how to apply, and free filing help in Delaware. MedicaidMedicaid Planning StrategiesSee which assets you keep, how the 5-year look-back works, and the legal moves that qualify you for Medicaid long-term care without losing the house. CaregiverSenior Transportation in Delaware: How an Older Adult Who No Longer Drives Gets AroundSenior transportation in Delaware: aging-network rides through your Area Agency on Aging, ADA paratransit, Delaware Medicaid medical rides, and how to choose.
Your next step Find personalized help matching your family to Delaware respite programs at brevy.com.

The information on Brevy.com is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional legal, financial, or medical advice. Rules vary by state and program and change frequently. Always verify with the relevant agency or a qualified professional. Brevy is not a law firm, financial advisor, or healthcare provider.

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