If you care for an aging parent or spouse in Washington, DC and you're running out of strength, DC Medicaid and the District's aging office both help pay for respite care.,

Respite is temporary care for the person you look after, so that you, the regular caregiver, get time off to rest, travel, or see family and friends. It can last a few hours or several weeks, and it can happen at home, at an adult day center, or in a facility such as a nursing home.

In the District, respite runs through four doors. Three of them can pay: the DC Department of Aging and Community Living (DACL) and its caregiver programs, the Elderly and Persons with Physical Disabilities Waiver (EPD Waiver) under DC Medicaid, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for veterans' caregivers. The fourth is adult day or a short facility stay you arrange and often pay for yourself. The number that opens the District's doors is DACL's Information & Referral/Assistance line, (202) 724-5626.

In This Guide

One Call Covers the Whole District

Needing a break doesn't mean you love the person any less. It means you've been doing something hard for a long time, usually on top of a job, a household, and your own health. Many families expect to hunt for the right county office first. In the District, there isn't one to find.

DC is a single planning and service area under the Older Americans Act, so it has no county Area Agency on Aging; DACL serves as both the District's State Unit on Aging and its Area Agency on Aging. Much of that help doesn't require DC Medicaid.

DACL delivers the Older Americans Act's core services, caregiver support among them, through its Senior Service Network. DACL's State Plan on Aging describes that caregiver support as education and training, respite, stipends, and transportation for eligible caregivers. DACL says it works with more than 20 community-based organizations to offer more than 40 free or low-cost programs to District residents 60 and older, adults with disabilities, and the people who care for them.

DACL's Caregiver Programs page names respite programs, support groups, educational programs, and case management for unpaid caregivers of DC seniors and adults with disabilities. One of those programs is the District of Columbia Caregivers' Institute (DCCI), which DACL says helps caregivers solve problems, cope with changing situations, and build practical day-to-day skills. DACL hasn't published a respite amount, cost-share, or waitlist for these programs, so ask what's available when you call. DCCI's own eligibility rules come from its operator, so confirm with DACL whether you qualify.

To reach any of it, call DACL's Information & Referral/Assistance unit at (202) 724-5626, Monday through Friday, 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM, or email askthedirector.dacl@dc.gov. DACL's intake is open to adults 60 and older, people with disabilities ages 18 to 59, and their caregivers.

If you need help today, because you've been hospitalized or simply can't go on, make DACL's line at (202) 724-5626 your first call. If the person you care for is a veteran, also call the VA Caregiver Support Line at 1-855-260-3274.

Where Respite Care Happens in DC, and What It Costs

Respite in the District happens in three places: at home, at an adult day center, or overnight in a facility. The figures below are CareScout's 2025 Cost of Care Survey medians for Washington, DC, released March 2, 2026. They're industry survey figures, not government rates, and CareScout collects them for a region it calls "Washington, Arlington, Alexandria."

Numbers like $86,944 or $146,730 a year can be hard to read when you're already stretched. Those are full-year prices, though, and respite is bought in hours and days, not years. Ask each provider for its hourly or daily rate, and check the public payers in the right-hand column before you pay out of pocket.

Type of care DC median (CareScout 2025) Public help that can pay
Non-medical in-home caregiver $86,944 a year (44 hours a week) EPD Waiver respite, DACL caregiver support, VA
Adult day health care $28,600 a year (5 days a week) EPD Waiver Adult Day Health Program
Assisted living $77,934 a year Private pay for a short stay
Nursing home, semi-private room $146,730 a year VA respite for enrolled veterans

An Aide at Home

A trained aide comes to your home for a few hours or a full day so you can rest, run errands, or simply leave the house. The aide helps with the daily tasks you usually handle, such as bathing, dressing, eating, and supervision. CareScout's 2025 Washington, DC median of $86,944 a year for a non-medical in-home caregiver assumes 44 hours a week for 52 weeks.

How it's paid for: DC Medicaid's EPD Waiver respite for enrolled members, DACL's caregiver support, VA respite for veterans, or private pay.,,

Adult Day Health Programs

A daytime program at a community center, several hours a day on weekdays, with meals, activities, company, and often nursing oversight. For the family caregiver it means dependable, scheduled hours back. Washington, DC's 2025 adult day health care median of $28,600 a year sits above CareScout's national median of $24,700, and it's still the least expensive structured respite option in the District by a wide margin.

How it's paid for: The DC Medicaid EPD Waiver covers an Adult Day Health Program (ADHP) for enrolled members, which the DC Department of Health Care Finance (DHCF) describes as nursing and rehabilitation services, help with daily activities, social work, dietary services, and transportation for part of the day on weekdays. Original Medicare doesn't pay for adult day health care.,

Overnight Stays in Assisted Living or a Nursing Home

A stay of a few days to a few weeks in an assisted living residence or nursing home lets you travel, recover from your own surgery, or rest. Some facilities keep rooms for respite; others fit short stays into open beds. Short respite stays are usually priced by the day, so ask each facility for its respite rate.

How it's paid for: For a veteran enrolled in VA health care, VA can furnish respite, and VA's copayment rule, 38 CFR 17.111, treats "institutional" respite as overnight stays in a hospital, domiciliary, or nursing home. DC Medicaid's EPD Waiver covers assisted-living services for enrolled members who live in an assisted-living community, instead of a nursing home. For a short respite stay in a DC assisted-living community, plan on private pay.

Hospice Respite Through Medicare

Under the Medicare hospice benefit, a hospice patient's family can get inpatient respite care, and the patient pays 5% of the Medicare-approved amount, capped at the inpatient deductible. Outside hospice, Original Medicare doesn't pay for long-term care, and Medicare's own list of long-term care includes adult day health care., The cost of senior care in Washington, DC guide compares every setting in more detail.

Does DC Medicaid Pay for Respite?

Yes, if your loved one is enrolled in DC Medicaid's EPD Waiver. DHCF, which runs DC Medicaid, lists Respite Services among the EPD Waiver's services. DHCF describes EPD Waiver respite as very similar to personal care aide services: it gives the primary caregiver temporary relief by providing an aide for daily activities in the caregiver's absence, hourly or daily, in the setting where the participant receives care.

The same DHCF page lists the Adult Day Health Program and Services My Way, the EPD Waiver's participant-directed option. Under Services My Way, an EPD Waiver participant who lives at home, or the participant's authorized representative, becomes the employer of the Participant-Directed Worker who provides personal care aide services. Services My Way is open only to people already enrolled in the DC Medicaid EPD Waiver.

DC Medicaid's rules in Title 29 of the DC Municipal Regulations don't let a spouse be the paid caregiver in any of the three DC Medicaid routes that pay someone for hands-on care at home: agency personal care aide (PCA) services (29 DCMR § 5006.5), Services My Way (29 DCMR § 10103.3), and EPD Waiver respite (29 DCMR § 4231.12). Those same DC Medicaid rules allow other family members, so a relative who isn't a spouse, another legally responsible relative, or a court-appointed guardian, such as an adult child, isn't ruled out by relationship, though each route has its own worker qualifications. DC's EPD Waiver respite rule also excludes the primary caregiver as the respite worker. The full rules are in how to get paid as a family caregiver in DC.

Qualifying for the DC Medicaid EPD Waiver takes more than age. DACL lists seven conditions, including DC residency, being 65 or older (or 18 to 64 with a physical disability), a Prescription Order Form completed by a DC Medicaid provider, a face-to-face "level of need" assessment by Liberty Healthcare, and, as of 2026, countable assets of no more than $4,000 for an individual. That $4,000 EPD Waiver asset limit isn't much of a cushion: a parent with more than that in a savings or checking account won't meet it, and the doctor's form, the assessment, and the application all land on a caregiver who's already stretched thin. That's why DACL's offer to help with the paperwork (step 3 below) is worth taking. For 2026, DC's income standard for Medicaid long-term care and waiver services is $2,982 a month, 300% of the SSI federal benefit rate, and applicants above it who have high medical costs can qualify through a spend-down instead. A person who already receives Supplemental Security Income is categorically eligible for DC Medicaid and isn't held to either limit.

1
Step 1

Get the Prescription Order Form

Ask your loved one's doctor, who must be a DC Medicaid provider, to complete it, because the EPD Waiver requires one alongside the Liberty Healthcare assessment.

2
Step 2

Apply for DC Medicaid if your loved one isn't already enrolled

DACL points Medicaid applicants to the DC Department of Human Services (DHS) Public Benefits Call Center at (202) 727-5355, 7:30 AM to 4:45 PM on weekdays.

3
Step 3

Ask DACL for help with the paperwork

DACL says it can help you apply for Medicaid and the EPD Waiver. Call (202) 724-5626.

4
Step 4

Once enrolled, ask the EPD case manager to add respite

to the person-centered service plan, and say whether you need hourly relief, full days, adult day, or Services My Way.

If your loved one doesn't need a nursing-home level of care, regular DC Medicaid can still cover in-home help. DC's Office of Administrative Hearings says DHCF may approve up to 8 hours a day of personal care aide services under the District's Medicaid State Plan, delivered through home health agencies, with the EPD Waiver allowing more. The DC Medicaid EPD Waiver guide and How to Apply for DC Medicaid walk through both routes in detail.

VA Respite for Veteran Caregivers in DC

If the person you care for is a veteran, the VA's respite benefit is set in regulation, and how much you can count on depends on which VA caregiver program you're in.

Every VA facility is staffed with a Caregiver Support Program team or a Caregiver Support Coordinator. To find the one at the veteran's VA facility, call the VA Caregiver Support Line at 1-855-260-3274.

For help with a VA claim, including VA pension with Aid and Attendance, the District's Mayor's Office of Veterans Affairs (MOVA) helps DC veterans and their families at One Judiciary Square, 441 4th St NW, Suite 707 North, (202) 724-5454. The VA benefits guide for senior veterans in DC covers the rest of what the VA offers District veterans.

Respite Care in DC When Your Loved One Has Dementia

Caring for someone with Alzheimer's or another dementia is its own kind of tiring. DACL runs an Alzheimer's Disease Supportive Services Program, funded by the federal Administration for Community Living, and lists two supports aimed at family caregivers:

  • Dementia Navigators at IONA Senior Services, (202) 895-9448, who link older adults with dementia and their family care partners to community resources, teach about dementia, and help manage its behavioral symptoms.
  • A Caregiver Lounge at the Genevieve N. Johnson Senior Day Care Center, (202)-723-8537, with a monthly caregiver support group and weekly wellness activities and meditation for caregivers.

If you're looking at an assisted living residence for a short dementia stay, DC law requires the residence's written resident agreement, given before admission, to state the specific nature of any special care it claims to offer, such as a specialty in Alzheimer's disease. DC Code § 7-744.02 also requires at least 8 hours of initial dementia training for direct care staff in assisted living residences, home care agencies, and similar programs that serve people with dementia. Ask to see both before booking. The DC memory care guide covers longer-term options.

If You Work: DC Paid Family Leave

If you hold a job in the District, DC Paid Family Leave may replace part of your pay while you care for a parent, grandparent, sibling, or other covered relative with a serious health condition. Starting October 1, 2026, DC Paid Family Leave's Family Leave benefit drops to up to 6 weeks in a year (from 12), and the maximum weekly benefit becomes $1,100.

Two DC Paid Family Leave rules trip families up. Eligibility depends on where you work, not where you live, so a Maryland or Virginia resident working for a covered DC employer can qualify, while federal and District government employees aren't covered. DC Paid Family Leave also doesn't protect your job; that comes from other laws, such as the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).

Your First Calls in DC

1
Step 1

Call DACL at (202) 724-5626

Ask about caregiver support and respite, and ask for a case manager if you need help with benefits applications.

2
Step 2

If your loved one may qualify for DC Medicaid, start the EPD Waiver path

Ask the doctor for the Prescription Order Form and apply through the DHS Public Benefits Call Center at (202) 727-5355.,

3
Step 3

If your loved one is a veteran, call the VA Caregiver Support Line at 1-855-260-3274

and ask to be connected to the Caregiver Support Program team at the veteran's VA facility.

4
Step 4

Visit two or three adult day programs

If your loved one is on the EPD Waiver, ask each one whether it provides the waiver's Adult Day Health Program.

DC Department of Aging and Community Living (DACL) Information & Referral/Assistance for caregivers, adults 60 and older, and people with disabilities; Monday to Friday, 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM. (202) 724-5626 dacl.dc.gov
DHS Public Benefits Call Center Where DACL sends District residents who want to apply for DC Medicaid; weekdays 7:30 AM to 4:45 PM. (202) 727-5355 dhs.dc.gov
VA Caregiver Support Line Connects you to the Caregiver Support Program team at the veteran's VA facility. 1-855-260-3274 caregiver.va.gov
Mayor's Office of Veterans Affairs (MOVA) Help for DC veterans and families with VA claims and benefits. (202) 724-5454 communityaffairs.dc.gov/mova
Your next step Call DACL at (202) 724-5626 and ask what caregiver respite the District can offer your family this year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need Medicaid to get respite help in DC?

No. DACL's caregiver support, which includes respite, training, stipends, and transportation, is funded under the Older Americans Act and isn't a Medicaid program. Call DACL at (202) 724-5626 to ask what you qualify for.

Is there an Area Agency on Aging in my ward?

No. DC is a single planning and service area with no county or ward Area Agency on Aging; DACL itself serves as the District's Area Agency on Aging, and its contracted Lead Agencies work as neighborhood resource centers.

Can I get paid to care for my parent in DC?

Yes, possibly, as long as you aren't your parent's spouse. DC Medicaid's rules don't let a spouse be the paid caregiver through agency personal care aide (PCA) services, Services My Way, or EPD Waiver respite, but they allow other family members, so an adult child caring for a parent in DC isn't ruled out by relationship. Each DC Medicaid route still has its own worker qualifications. Under the DC Medicaid EPD Waiver's Services My Way option, the participant becomes the employer of their own worker. The DC guide to getting paid as a family caregiver has the full rules. DACL's State Plan also lists caregiver stipends among its caregiver supports.

Does VA respite cost anything?

Sometimes, but not at first. Under 38 CFR 17.111, VA's extended-care copayment rule, a veteran owes no copay for the first 21 days of VA extended care services in any 12-month period. After that, as of 2026, a veteran who isn't exempt pays VA $15 a day for respite with no overnight stay and $97 a day for overnight (institutional) respite, to the extent the veteran has available resources. Veterans exempt from the 17.111 copay include those with a compensable service-connected disability and those whose annual income is below the VA pension rate set in 38 U.S.C. 1521(b). A veteran who isn't exempt files VA Form 10-10EC when first asking for extended care.

Who qualifies for Medicare hospice respite?

The Medicare hospice benefit, and the inpatient respite inside it, is for a Medicare beneficiary whose hospice doctor and regular doctor (if there is one) certify a terminal illness with a life expectancy of 6 months or less, who signs a statement choosing comfort care instead of treatment to cure the illness, and who gets care from a Medicare-approved hospice. Hospice care is covered in two 90-day periods, then an unlimited number of 60-day periods, each needing a new certification.

Learn More

CaregiverRespite Care: Types, Funding, and How to Find ItWhat respite care is and how to pay for it in 2026: the main types, free NFCSP grants, Medicaid and VA respite, and a link to every state guide. CaregiverRespite Care for Family Caregivers: How to Get a Break and How to Pay for ItWhat respite care is, the in-home and facility options, and the programs (NFCSP, Lifespan Respite, Medicaid, VA) that help families pay for a caregiver's break. MedicaidHow DC Medicaid Pays for Care at Home: The EPD WaiverHow District of Columbia Medicaid HCBS waivers work in 2026: the EPD Waiver, who qualifies, what it covers, income and asset limits, and how to apply. MedicaidYour Guide to DC Medicaid Income and Asset LimitsDC Medicaid income limits for 2026: the 138% FPL adult cap with no asset test, the $4,000 asset limit, the $2,982 income standard, and spousal rules. Care TypesCost of Senior Care in Washington, DCCost of senior care in Washington, DC: in-home care $86,944 a year, a nursing home $146,730 a year, every setting compared, plus DC vs. Maryland and Virginia. CaregiverRespite Care in MarylandA 2026 Maryland guide to respite care for family caregivers: free NFCSP help via Maryland Access Point, Medicaid HCBS, VA respite, adult day care, and costs.

Find personalized help mapping DC respite options to your family's situation 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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