If you are a family caregiver in Louisiana, respite care is funded through several programs, from Community Choices Waiver respite to federal caregiver respite provided by area agencies on aging.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (1915). CMS / Medicaid.gov - Louisiana 1915(c) Waiver Factsheet (LA Community Choices (CC) Waiver 0866.R02.00). medicaid.gov. Retrieved Sep 4, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/Waiver-Descript-Factsheet/LA,U.S. Government Publishing Office. (2024). 42 U.S.C. §3030s-1 — Program authorized (Older Americans Act, Title III Part E; U.S. Code 2024 ed., govinfo.gov). govinfo.gov. Retrieved Oct 12, 2026, from https://www.govinfo.gov/link/uscode/42/3030s-1?link-type=html
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 with chronic illness of their own who are under caregiving-related stress have a 63% higher mortality rate than their non-caregiving peers.cdc.gov. (n.d.). CDC — Dementia Caregiving as a Public Health Strategy. Retrieved Sep 2, 2026, from https://www.cdc.gov/caregiving/php/public-health-strategy/index.html
In This Guide
- Funded Respite Care Options in Louisiana
- How Much Respite Does Each Program Cover?
- How to Start Respite Care in Louisiana
- Where to Get Respite Help in Louisiana
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Learn More
Funded Respite Care Options in Louisiana
Asking for help can feel like admitting you are failing the person you love. You are not. Louisiana has several funded paths to a break. Some require Medicaid enrollment and some do not, so start with the one that fits your situation.
Community Choices Waiver: Respite and Hiring Your Own Worker
Louisiana's Community Choices Waiver (CCW) is the state's Medicaid home and community-based services waiver for older adults and people with adult-onset disabilities, administered by the Office of Aging and Adult Services (OAAS). To qualify, a person must meet long-term care (LTC) Medicaid eligibility, be 21 or older, and meet nursing home level of care. CMS's approved waiver describes the people it serves as adults 65 or older and adults 21 to 64 with physical disabilities, so someone under 65 needs a physical disability, not just to be over 21. CCW covers caregiver respite as a service, and its self-direction option lets you hire your own worker for personal assistance.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (1915). CMS / Medicaid.gov - Louisiana 1915(c) Waiver Factsheet (LA Community Choices (CC) Waiver 0866.R02.00). medicaid.gov. Retrieved Sep 4, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/Waiver-Descript-Factsheet/LA
Under CCW self-direction, you become the employer of your own Direct Service Worker (DSW). The only CCW service that can be self-directed is Personal Assistance Services (PAS), so this is how you choose who provides personal assistance; caregiver respite is a separate CCW service. You hire, train, and supervise that worker, and a Fiscal Employer Agent, either Acumen Fiscal Agent or Morning Sun Financial Services, handles payroll, tax withholding, and labor-law compliance.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). CMS / Medicaid.gov - Louisiana Waiver Factsheet (LA Community Choices (CC) Waiver 0866.R02.00). medicaid.gov. Retrieved Sep 4, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/Waiver-Descript-Factsheet/LA
The OAAS Self-Direction Employer Handbook sets the worker requirements: be at least 18, be able to complete the tasks on the Plan of Care, have a valid Social Security Number, and pass all criminal history background, adverse actions list and exclusion database checks, which the employer must keep running monthly. Medicaid cannot pay the worker until those checks are verified. The handbook says the paid worker cannot be the participant, the participant's employer, or the participant's responsible representative. The handbook says the worker can be the participant's curator, tutor, legal guardian, Power of Attorney, or spouse.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (1915). CMS Medicaid.gov — Louisiana 1915(c) Waiver Factsheet (LA Community Choices (CC) Waiver, 0866.R02.00). medicaid.gov. Retrieved Sep 4, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/Waiver-Descript-Factsheet/LA
If you want a spouse to be the paid worker, there is one more step. A spouse is treated as a Legally Responsible Individual (LRI) and cannot be paid by default. To hire a spouse, the arrangement must meet Extraordinary Care criteria and be approved by OAAS first: the employer of record completes the LRI/Spouse Request Form and emails it to the OAAS Regional Office for review. If OAAS approves, you and the Fiscal Employer Agent proceed with hiring. If it does not, the spouse cannot be the employee and you need to find another worker.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (1915). CMS Medicaid.gov — Louisiana 1915(c) Waiver Factsheet (LA Community Choices (CC) Waiver, 0866.R02.00). medicaid.gov. Retrieved Sep 4, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/Waiver-Descript-Factsheet/LA
One hard truth to plan around: qualifying for CCW does not mean you get it. LDH keeps a Request for Services Registry for people asking for CCW services. Offers go first to six priority groups, including people referred by protective services for abuse or neglect, people diagnosed with ALS, and people living in a nursing home where Medicaid is the only payer. Everyone else gets an offer on a first-come, first-served basis based on the date they asked for services. Get on the registry early by calling Louisiana Options in Long-Term Care at 1-877-456-1146.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (1915). CMS / Medicaid.gov - Louisiana 1915(c) Waiver Factsheet (LA Community Choices (CC) Waiver 0866.R02.00). medicaid.gov. Retrieved Sep 4, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/Waiver-Descript-Factsheet/LA
Monitored In-Home Caregiving (MIHC): Help From a Live-In Caregiver
If you already live with the person you care for, ask about Monitored In-Home Caregiving. MIHC is a CCW service, and LDH describes it briefly: a principal caregiver lives with the participant and helps with basic self-care, such as dressing and bathing.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (1915). CMS Medicaid.gov — Louisiana 1915(c) Waiver Factsheet (LA Community Choices (CC) Waiver, 0866.R02.00). medicaid.gov. Retrieved Sep 4, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/Waiver-Descript-Factsheet/LA
Louisiana's CCW rule names who may be the MIHC principal caregiver: the participant's spouse, curator, tutor, legal guardian, or the person holding power of attorney. The participant's responsible representative is barred. Being allowed is not the same as being paid: MIHC providers are licensed home and community-based services providers, and the provider must assess and approve the home where care happens and contracts only with caregivers it has approved and trained. The provider pays those caregivers a per diem stipend, and a participant receiving MIHC cannot also receive CCW Personal Assistance Services or home-delivered meals during that time.Louisiana Department of Health. (2024). Final Rule - Home and Community-Based Services Waivers, Community Choices Waiver (LAC 50:XXI.Chapters 81-95), LDH Bureau of Health Services Financing and OAAS (June 2024) - ldh.la.gov. ldh.la.gov. Retrieved Oct 14, 2026, from https://www.ldh.la.gov/assets/medicaid/Rulemaking/FinalRules/June2024FinalRules.pdf Neither the CCW rule nor LDH's CCW page states a stipend amount, so ask the provider what it pays. Because MIHC is part of CCW, the same qualifying conditions and registry apply, and CCW does not provide help 24 hours a day. To explore it, call Louisiana Options in Long-Term Care at 1-877-456-1146.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (1915). CMS Medicaid.gov — Louisiana 1915(c) Waiver Factsheet (LA Community Choices (CC) Waiver, 0866.R02.00). medicaid.gov. Retrieved Sep 4, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/Waiver-Descript-Factsheet/LA
LT-PCS: Personal Care Help, Not Sitter or Companion Care
You may hear about Long Term-Personal Care Services (LT-PCS) when you ask about help at home. It is a Louisiana Medicaid program of OAAS that helps with activities of daily living such as eating, bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, and moving around, and it may also help with light housekeeping, meals, grocery shopping, and laundry. LDH lists what LT-PCS does not cover, including companionship, sitter services, supervision not related to activities of daily living, and help that is already being given by family or others.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2022). Louisiana SPA LA-22-0014 (CMS-approved Attachment 3.1-A, Item 26, Personal Care Services, eff. July 1, 2022) - medicaid.gov. medicaid.gov. Retrieved Sep 29, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/spa/downloads/LA-22-0014.pdf
The conditions are strict. A person must receive Medicaid, be 21 or older, qualify for nursing home care, need at least limited help with one activity of daily living, and be able to direct their care alone or through a responsible representative. They must also meet one of three conditions: be in a nursing facility and able to leave if community services were available, be likely to need nursing facility admission within the next 120 days, or have a primary caregiver who has a disability or is at least 70 years old. LT-PCS does not provide supports 24 hours a day.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2022). Louisiana SPA LA-22-0014 (CMS-approved Attachment 3.1-A, Item 26, Personal Care Services, eff. July 1, 2022) - medicaid.gov. medicaid.gov. Retrieved Sep 29, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/spa/downloads/LA-22-0014.pdf Louisiana's LT-PCS rule names who cannot be paid: the recipient's spouse, curator, tutor, legal guardian, designated responsible representative, or the person holding power of attorney. An adult child is not on that list, so a child is not barred for being a child unless they also hold one of those roles, and LDH's manual says family members who provide LT-PCS must meet the same employment standards as unrelated caregivers.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2022). Louisiana State Plan Amendment TN 22-0014 - Attachment 3.1-A, Item 26 (Personal Care Services), effective July 1, 2022 - medicaid.gov. medicaid.gov. Retrieved Oct 14, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/spa/downloads/LA-22-0014.pdf For questions about LT-PCS, call Louisiana Options in Long Term Care at 1-877-456-1146, the number LDH gives for Medicaid recipients who want to find out more about LT-PCS.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2022). Louisiana SPA LA-22-0014 (CMS-approved Attachment 3.1-A, Item 26, Personal Care Services, eff. July 1, 2022) - medicaid.gov. medicaid.gov. Retrieved Sep 29, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/spa/downloads/LA-22-0014.pdf
NFCSP Respite Through Your Area Agency on Aging
If the person you care for is not on Medicaid, this is likely your path. The National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP), funded through Title III-E of the Older Americans Act, makes grants to states, and its services are provided by an area agency on aging or an entity that agency contracts with. Those services include respite care, which is temporary relief from caregiving responsibilities and can be provided in an adult day care setting, along with individual counseling, support groups, and caregiver training.Administration for Community Living. (n.d.). National Family Caregiver Support Program. acl.gov. Retrieved Jun 3, 2026, from https://acl.gov/programs/support-caregivers/national-family-caregiver-support-program,U.S. Government Publishing Office. (2024). 42 U.S.C. §3030s-1 — Program authorized (Older Americans Act, Title III Part E; U.S. Code 2024 ed., govinfo.gov). govinfo.gov. Retrieved Oct 12, 2026, from https://www.govinfo.gov/link/uscode/42/3030s-1?link-type=html
NFCSP serves caregivers of someone age 60 or older, caregivers of a person of any age with Alzheimer's disease or a related disorder, and relatives age 55 or older caring for a child or for an adult age 18 to 59 with disabilities. Respite has an extra condition: federal law makes it available only where the person cared for is an older individual who cannot perform at least two activities of daily living without substantial help, or who needs substantial supervision because a cognitive or other mental impairment makes their behavior a serious health or safety hazard. Its services are provided by an area agency on aging or a provider that agency contracts with, so ask your local agency how much respite it can offer. To find your area agency on aging, call the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116 and ask about NFCSP respite.Administration for Community Living. (n.d.). National Family Caregiver Support Program. acl.gov. Retrieved Jun 3, 2026, from https://acl.gov/programs/support-caregivers/national-family-caregiver-support-program,U.S. Government Publishing Office. (2024). 42 U.S.C. §3030s-1 — Program authorized (Older Americans Act, Title III Part E; U.S. Code 2024 ed., govinfo.gov). govinfo.gov. Retrieved Oct 12, 2026, from https://www.govinfo.gov/link/uscode/42/3030s-1?link-type=html,eldercare.acl.gov https://eldercare.acl.gov/home · Accessed Sep 2, 2026
Adult Day Programs Across Louisiana
If you need supervised daytime care while you work or rest, adult day can give you that time. Adult day health care provides supervision, engagement, and structured daytime support, and CCW lists adult day health care among its services.Genworth Financial. (2025). CareScout Releases 2025 Cost of Care Survey Results. investor.genworth.com. Retrieved Sep 5, 2026, from https://investor.genworth.com/news-events/press-releases/detail/1054/carescout-releases-2025-cost-of-care-survey-results,Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (1915). CMS / Medicaid.gov - Louisiana 1915(c) Waiver Factsheet (LA Community Choices (CC) Waiver 0866.R02.00). medicaid.gov. Retrieved Sep 4, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/Waiver-Descript-Factsheet/LA
The CareScout 2025 Cost of Care Survey puts the national median rate for adult day health care at $95 per day, down 5 percent, or $24,700 a year based on five days of use per week. That is a provider rate, not what every family pays: the survey notes that private pay rates in this setting are heavily influenced by Medicaid reimbursement rates, and that actual costs vary with care needs, provider availability, and local market conditions. If your loved one is on CCW, adult day health care can be part of the service plan, and NFCSP respite can be provided in an adult day care setting. The Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116 can connect you to services in your community, including your local Area Agency on Aging.Genworth Financial. (2025). CareScout Releases 2025 Cost of Care Survey Results. investor.genworth.com. Retrieved Sep 5, 2026, from https://investor.genworth.com/news-events/press-releases/detail/1054/carescout-releases-2025-cost-of-care-survey-results,eldercare.acl.gov https://eldercare.acl.gov/home · Accessed Sep 2, 2026,U.S. Government Publishing Office. (2024). 42 U.S.C. §3030s-1 — Program authorized (Older Americans Act, Title III Part E; U.S. Code 2024 ed., govinfo.gov). govinfo.gov. Retrieved Oct 12, 2026, from https://www.govinfo.gov/link/uscode/42/3030s-1?link-type=html,Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (1915). CMS / Medicaid.gov - Louisiana 1915(c) Waiver Factsheet (LA Community Choices (CC) Waiver 0866.R02.00). medicaid.gov. Retrieved Sep 4, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/Waiver-Descript-Factsheet/LA,Administration for Community Living. (n.d.). National Family Caregiver Support Program. acl.gov. Retrieved Jul 13, 2026, from https://acl.gov/programs/support-caregivers/national-family-caregiver-support-program
VA Respite for Veteran Families
If the person you care for served in the military, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) runs a parallel respite track. The clearest 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, along with a monthly stipend and other supports. VA's first screen has 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 continuous months of in-person personal care, and enrollment in VA health care. Those four are not the whole test: you and the veteran apply together, and the federal regulation adds further conditions VA checks during the application, including that the care is given at home and that the same personal care is not already being regularly provided by another person or agency. A spouse can be the caregiver. Call the VA Caregiver Support Line at 1-855-260-3274, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET, for help connecting with the Caregiver Support Coordinator at your local VA facility.U.S. Government Publishing Office. (2018). Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers Improvements and Amendments Under the VA MISSION Act of 2018 — Proposed Rule, 85 FR 13356 (March 6, 2020) (govinfo.gov / Federal Register). govinfo.gov. Retrieved Sep 2, 2026, from https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2020-03-06/pdf/2020-04464.pdf,U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. (n.d.). VA's National Caregiver Support Line (CSL) - VA Caregiver Support Program. caregiver.va.gov. Retrieved Aug 1, 2026, from https://www.caregiver.va.gov/help_landing.asp,U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. (n.d.). Program of General Caregiver Support Services (PGCSS) — VA Caregiver Support Program (caregiver.va.gov). caregiver.va.gov. Retrieved Oct 12, 2026, from https://www.caregiver.va.gov/CAREGIVER/Care_Caregivers.asp
How Much Respite Does Each Program Cover?
There is no single statewide respite allowance in Louisiana, because each program sets its own rules on who qualifies, whether there is a wait, and who can be paid. This table lines the four Medicaid and federal options up side by side.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (1915). CMS / Medicaid.gov - Louisiana 1915(c) Waiver Factsheet (LA Community Choices (CC) Waiver 0866.R02.00). medicaid.gov. Retrieved Sep 4, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/Waiver-Descript-Factsheet/LA,Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2022). Louisiana SPA LA-22-0014 (CMS-approved Attachment 3.1-A, Item 26, Personal Care Services, eff. July 1, 2022) - medicaid.gov. medicaid.gov. Retrieved Sep 29, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/spa/downloads/LA-22-0014.pdf,U.S. Government Publishing Office. (2024). 42 U.S.C. §3030s-1 — Program authorized (Older Americans Act, Title III Part E; U.S. Code 2024 ed., govinfo.gov). govinfo.gov. Retrieved Oct 12, 2026, from https://www.govinfo.gov/link/uscode/42/3030s-1?link-type=html,Louisiana Department of Health. (2024). Final Rule - Home and Community-Based Services Waivers, Community Choices Waiver (LAC 50:XXI.Chapters 81-95), LDH Bureau of Health Services Financing and OAAS (June 2024) - ldh.la.gov. ldh.la.gov. Retrieved Oct 14, 2026, from https://www.ldh.la.gov/assets/medicaid/Rulemaking/FinalRules/June2024FinalRules.pdf
| Program | Medicaid required? | Waitlist? | Self-directed? | Who can be paid | Income test |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CCW self-direction | Yes | Yes (Request for Services Registry) | Yes | A worker who passes the required checks; not the employer or responsible representative; spouse only with OAAS approval | Medicaid financial limits apply |
| MIHC (CCW) | Yes | Yes (Request for Services Registry) | No (only personal assistance can be self-directed) | Live-in principal caregiver; a spouse, guardian, or power of attorney may serve if the MIHC provider approves the home and the caregiver, not the responsible representative; no stipend amount in the rule or on LDH's page | Medicaid financial limits apply |
| LT-PCS (personal care) | Yes | Ask OAAS | Not listed (LDH offers self-direction to waiver participants) | An adult child is not barred for being an adult child; not the spouse, guardian, curator, tutor, responsible representative, or power of attorney | Medicaid financial limits apply |
| NFCSP respite | No | Ask your area agency on aging | Not applicable (funds respite services) | Not a paid-caregiver program | Ask your area agency on aging |
How to Start Respite Care in Louisiana
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.
Find your area agency on aging through the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116
NFCSP respite is provided by an area agency on aging or an entity it contracts with, and it is a separate program from Medicaid.eldercare.acl.gov https://eldercare.acl.gov/home · Accessed Sep 2, 2026,U.S. Government Publishing Office. (2024). 42 U.S.C. §3030s-1 — Program authorized (Older Americans Act, Title III Part E; U.S. Code 2024 ed., govinfo.gov). govinfo.gov. Retrieved Oct 12, 2026, from https://www.govinfo.gov/link/uscode/42/3030s-1?link-type=html,Administration for Community Living. (n.d.). National Family Caregiver Support Program. acl.gov. Retrieved Jun 3, 2026, from https://acl.gov/programs/support-caregivers/national-family-caregiver-support-program
Ask OAAS about CCW and MIHC
If the person you care for may meet long-term care Medicaid eligibility and nursing home level of care, and is 65 or older or 21 to 64 with a physical disability, call Louisiana Options in Long-Term Care at 1-877-456-1146 and get on the Request for Services Registry early, because offers outside the priority groups go by the date you asked.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (1915). CMS / Medicaid.gov - Louisiana 1915(c) Waiver Factsheet (LA Community Choices (CC) Waiver 0866.R02.00). medicaid.gov. Retrieved Sep 4, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/Waiver-Descript-Factsheet/LA
Ask about LT-PCS for hands-on daily help
If your loved one receives Medicaid, is 21 or older, qualifies for nursing home care, needs at least limited help with one activity of daily living such as bathing or dressing, can direct their care alone or through a responsible representative, and also meets one of three further conditions, such as having a primary caregiver who has a disability or is at least 70, call 1-877-456-1146. It does not cover companionship, sitter services, or help family already gives.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2022). Louisiana SPA LA-22-0014 (CMS-approved Attachment 3.1-A, Item 26, Personal Care Services, eff. July 1, 2022) - medicaid.gov. medicaid.gov. Retrieved Sep 29, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/spa/downloads/LA-22-0014.pdf
Open the VA track if your loved one is a veteran
Call the VA Caregiver Support Line at 1-855-260-3274 to ask about PCAFC respite and for help connecting with the Caregiver Support Coordinator at your local VA facility.U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. (n.d.). VA's National Caregiver Support Line (CSL) - VA Caregiver Support Program. caregiver.va.gov. Retrieved Aug 1, 2026, from https://www.caregiver.va.gov/help_landing.asp,U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. (n.d.). Program of General Caregiver Support Services (PGCSS) — VA Caregiver Support Program (caregiver.va.gov). caregiver.va.gov. Retrieved Oct 12, 2026, from https://www.caregiver.va.gov/CAREGIVER/Care_Caregivers.asp
Where to Get Respite Help in Louisiana
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my spouse be paid to provide my care under the Community Choices Waiver?
Not automatically, but yes on approval. Under CCW self-direction, a spouse is a Legally Responsible Individual (LRI) and can be paid after meeting Extraordinary Care criteria and getting OAAS sign-off through the LRI/Spouse Request Form. The handbook attaches this approval step to the spouse, and any worker must still pass the required checks and cannot be the person acting as employer or responsible representative. A spouse can also be the live-in principal caregiver under Monitored In-Home Caregiving, whose rule lists the spouse without attaching that extraordinary-care condition. The licensed MIHC provider still has to assess and approve the home and approve and train the spouse before contracting with them, and it pays a per diem stipend.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (1915). CMS Medicaid.gov — Louisiana 1915(c) Waiver Factsheet (LA Community Choices (CC) Waiver, 0866.R02.00). medicaid.gov. Retrieved Sep 4, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/Waiver-Descript-Factsheet/LA,Louisiana Department of Health. (2024). Final Rule - Home and Community-Based Services Waivers, Community Choices Waiver (LAC 50:XXI.Chapters 81-95), LDH Bureau of Health Services Financing and OAAS (June 2024) - ldh.la.gov. ldh.la.gov. Retrieved Oct 14, 2026, from https://www.ldh.la.gov/assets/medicaid/Rulemaking/FinalRules/June2024FinalRules.pdf
Can I get NFCSP respite if my family member is not on Medicaid?
NFCSP is a federal Older Americans Act program, separate from Medicaid. ACL lists its eligible caregivers by who they care for, such as adult family members caring for someone 60 or older or for someone of any age with Alzheimer's disease or a related disorder. For respite, federal law adds that an older person cared for must be unable to perform at least two activities of daily living without substantial help, or need substantial supervision because a cognitive or other mental impairment makes their behavior a serious health or safety hazard. Services come through an area agency on aging or a provider it contracts with, so ask your area agency on aging what respite is available; the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116 can connect you.Administration for Community Living. (n.d.). National Family Caregiver Support Program. acl.gov. Retrieved Jun 3, 2026, from https://acl.gov/programs/support-caregivers/national-family-caregiver-support-program,U.S. Government Publishing Office. (2024). 42 U.S.C. §3030s-1 — Program authorized (Older Americans Act, Title III Part E; U.S. Code 2024 ed., govinfo.gov). govinfo.gov. Retrieved Oct 12, 2026, from https://www.govinfo.gov/link/uscode/42/3030s-1?link-type=html,eldercare.acl.gov https://eldercare.acl.gov/home · Accessed Sep 2, 2026
What if we are waiting on CCW and need help now?
NFCSP respite is a separate federal program, not part of CCW, so you can ask your area agency on aging about it while you wait; the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116 can connect you. Separately, LT-PCS is a Medicaid personal care program that can help with tasks like bathing and dressing if your loved one meets its conditions, but it does not cover companionship, sitter services, or help family already gives. Call 1-877-456-1146 to ask about it.Administration for Community Living. (n.d.). National Family Caregiver Support Program. acl.gov. Retrieved Jun 3, 2026, from https://acl.gov/programs/support-caregivers/national-family-caregiver-support-program,U.S. Government Publishing Office. (2024). 42 U.S.C. §3030s-1 — Program authorized (Older Americans Act, Title III Part E; U.S. Code 2024 ed., govinfo.gov). govinfo.gov. Retrieved Oct 12, 2026, from https://www.govinfo.gov/link/uscode/42/3030s-1?link-type=html,eldercare.acl.gov https://eldercare.acl.gov/home · Accessed Sep 2, 2026,Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2022). Louisiana SPA LA-22-0014 (CMS-approved Attachment 3.1-A, Item 26, Personal Care Services, eff. July 1, 2022) - medicaid.gov. medicaid.gov. Retrieved Sep 29, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/spa/downloads/LA-22-0014.pdf
Are adult day programs in Louisiana covered by Medicaid?
Adult day health care is a covered CCW service. If your loved one is on CCW, ask your support coordinator to include adult day in the service plan. If you are not on CCW, ask your area agency on aging about NFCSP respite, which can be provided in an adult day care setting; the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116 can connect you. The national median provider rate is $95 per day, per CareScout's 2025 survey.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (1915). CMS / Medicaid.gov - Louisiana 1915(c) Waiver Factsheet (LA Community Choices (CC) Waiver 0866.R02.00). medicaid.gov. Retrieved Sep 4, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/Waiver-Descript-Factsheet/LA,U.S. Government Publishing Office. (2024). 42 U.S.C. §3030s-1 — Program authorized (Older Americans Act, Title III Part E; U.S. Code 2024 ed., govinfo.gov). govinfo.gov. Retrieved Oct 12, 2026, from https://www.govinfo.gov/link/uscode/42/3030s-1?link-type=html,eldercare.acl.gov https://eldercare.acl.gov/home · Accessed Sep 2, 2026,Genworth Financial. (2025). CareScout Releases 2025 Cost of Care Survey Results. investor.genworth.com. Retrieved Sep 5, 2026, from https://investor.genworth.com/news-events/press-releases/detail/1054/carescout-releases-2025-cost-of-care-survey-results,Administration for Community Living. (n.d.). National Family Caregiver Support Program. acl.gov. Retrieved Jul 13, 2026, from https://acl.gov/programs/support-caregivers/national-family-caregiver-support-program
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