Respite Care in Georgia: A 2026 Guide for Family Caregivers

If you are caring for an aging parent or spouse in Georgia and running on empty, funded respite care can give you a real break without draining your savings.

Caregiving takes a quiet toll on your own health. Federal data show that nearly 1 in 5 family caregivers reports fair or poor health, and depressive symptoms are roughly twice as common among caregivers as in the general population. Respite is not stepping away from the person you love. It is often what makes it possible to keep caring for them at home.1

In Georgia, funded respite for family caregivers comes from four main places: Medicaid waiver respite through the SOURCE program and the Community Care Services Program (CCSP), free grants through the National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP) via the state's 12 Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs), the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for veterans' families, and adult day or short-term facility respite arranged through your AAA. The fastest route to what you qualify for is the Georgia Aging Access line at 1-866-552-4464.2

In This Guide

• Key Takeaways
• Does Georgia Medicaid Pay for Respite Care?
• Funded Respite Options in Georgia
• What Respite Care Costs in Georgia
• When the Free Help Is Capped or Waitlisted
• How to Start in Georgia
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Learn More

Does Georgia Medicaid Pay for Respite Care?

Yes. For many Georgia families the first question is whether Medicaid will cover a break, and it can. Georgia's Medicaid home and community-based waivers, the SOURCE program and the Community Care Services Program (CCSP), both administered by the Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH), provide in-home and community services for older adults and people with disabilities at a nursing-facility level of care. Both can include respite, in-home and out-of-home, delivered by trained aides, so a family caregiver can rest.3

Respite is authorized inside the member's care plan rather than paid as a flat statewide amount. In practice, you ask the DCH case manager to add respite hours to the current authorized care plan, and the number of hours depends on assessed need. The Georgia Division of Aging Services administers these programs through the Area Agencies on Aging, and families apply by calling the statewide Georgia Aging Access line at 1-866-552-4464.3

If you need emergency respite today, call 1-866-552-4464 or dial 211.2

Funded Respite Options in Georgia

1. SOURCE and CCSP Waiver Respite

If your loved one is already on Georgia Medicaid, this is usually the deepest source of funded respite you have. The SOURCE program and the Community Care Services Program (CCSP) are Georgia's home and community-based waivers for Medicaid-eligible adults who need a nursing-facility level of care, both administered by the Georgia Department of Community Health. Respite is a covered service within them, delivered in your home or out of the home by trained aides.3

How much you get: Respite is authorized through your loved one's care plan rather than set as a flat statewide amount, so the number of hours depends on assessed need. Ask the DCH case manager what the care plan can include.

How to access: Call the Georgia Aging Access line at 1-866-552-4464 to reach the DCH case manager or your regional Area Agency on Aging, and ask specifically to add respite hours to the authorized care plan.2

Best for: Medicaid-eligible Georgia families who want scheduled in-home breaks.

2. NFCSP Grants Through Georgia's 12 Area Agencies on Aging

You do not have to be on Medicaid, or wait for a waiver slot, to get help here. If your income is above the Medicaid line but you are still stretched thin, this is the path built for you. The National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP), funded under Title III-E of the Older Americans Act, flows through the Georgia Division of Aging Services to 12 regional Area Agencies on Aging, which provide in-home respite, adult day help, caregiver training, and individual counseling.6,2

Who qualifies: Family caregivers of adults age 60 and older; caregivers of any age caring for someone with Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia; and older relatives age 55 and older caring for children under 18. Eligibility turns on your caregiving relationship, and there is no income test for NFCSP respite.6,2

How much you get: NFCSP funds are limited, and each Area Agency on Aging sets its own respite hours and any per-caregiver caps, so the amount varies by region and is rationed at the local level. Supplemental services are provided on a limited basis. Ask your AAA for its current limit and whether there is a wait.6

How to access: Call 1-866-552-4464 (Georgia Aging Access) or the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116 to reach your regional AAA.7

Best for: Any Georgia family caregiver, regardless of income, especially while a Medicaid waiver decision is pending. NFCSP is consistently underused statewide.

3. REACH and Caregiver Support Coordinators for Dementia Families

If you are caring for someone with Alzheimer's or another dementia, the isolation and behavioral changes can be the hardest part, and Georgia funds support built specifically for that. The Georgia Division of Aging Services offers the REACH (Resources for Enhancing Alzheimer's Caregiver Health) program and places Caregiver Support Coordinators at each Area Agency on Aging. REACH is an evidence-based dementia-caregiver intervention shown to lower caregiver depression and burden, pairing structured education and counseling with supplemental respite support.8,2

How to access: Ask your regional AAA, through 1-866-552-4464, about the REACH program or request a Caregiver Support Coordinator.2

Best for: Family caregivers of Georgians with dementia who need structured education and counseling alongside respite relief.

4. Adult Day Programs

If what you need back is a reliable set of weekday hours, adult day is often the answer. Adult day programs provide structured daytime care in a community setting, several hours per weekday, with meals, activities, supervision, and often nursing oversight. For caregivers of people with dementia, consistent attendance can steady behavior and hand you predictable time to work, rest, or manage the rest of life.9

Finding programs: Your regional AAA keeps a county-level adult day directory. Call 1-866-552-4464 or 211 for referrals.2

Who pays: NFCSP grants through your AAA can offset the cost; SOURCE and CCSP cover adult day health services for eligible members; long-term care insurance often covers adult day under a home and community-based rider; and private pay is the fallback.2

Best for: Caregivers who need dependable daytime coverage a few days a week.

5. VA Respite for Veterans

If you are caring for a veteran, start here, because the VA benefit can be both generous and fast. Veterans enrolled in VA health care can access respite through the Atlanta VA Medical Center, the Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center in Augusta, and the Carl Vinson VA Medical Center in Dublin, including in-home aide services, adult day health, and short stays in a VA facility.2

PCAFC respite: An approved Primary Family Caregiver in the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) receives at least 30 days of respite care per year as part of the benefit, along with caregiver training and counseling. A spouse can serve as the caregiver.4

How to access: Call the VA Caregiver Support Line at 1-855-260-3274, or contact the Caregiver Support Coordinator at the veteran's VA medical center.10

Best for: Families of veterans enrolled in VA health care.

What Respite Care Costs in Georgia

When no program covers the break, you can still hire help and pay privately, and it helps to know the going rate before you call around. Adult day is usually the most affordable structured option: the national median for adult day health care is $95 per day, about $24,700 a year at five days a week, in the CareScout 2025 Cost of Care Survey, though Georgia rates vary by center, so confirm the daily rate with programs near you.9

For short-term facility respite, a stay in an assisted living community is a common form, and Georgia runs below the national average. In the CareScout 2025 Cost of Care Survey, assisted living in Georgia had a median cost of about $5,300 a month (roughly $63,600 a year), compared with a national median of $6,200 a month, prorated for a short stay. These are industry-survey medians, not fixed rates, and they rise as care needs grow.11

Knowing these numbers is exactly why the funded options above matter. A few hours of paid respite each week adds up quickly, which is why the SOURCE, CCSP, NFCSP, and VA paths exist, so the cost does not fall entirely on your family.

When the Free Help Is Capped or Waitlisted

The free routes are not unlimited. NFCSP funds are finite and rationed at each Area Agency on Aging, so your local AAA may cap respite hours or hold a waitlist, and a SOURCE or CCSP respite authorization can take time to be added to a care plan. Do not wait empty-handed while that plays out.6

Three bridges can cover the gap. First, ask your AAA about the federal Lifespan Respite Care Program and any statewide respite coalition, which exist to expand access to short-term and emergency respite; you can also search the National Respite Locator at archrespite.org. Second, use 211 for emergency respite and local referrals when a crisis leaves no time to wait. Third, private pay, at roughly the adult day and facility rates above, can bridge a few weeks until a waiver or grant comes through.12

How to Start in Georgia

Learn More

Find personalized help navigating respite care options in Georgia 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.