If you're a family caregiver in Louisiana, respite care is the funded break that lets you keep providing care without burning out.
Louisiana has several funded programs that can help: Medicaid waiver options that pay a chosen attendant, a live-in caregiver arrangement, agency-based personal care, and federal grants through 9 Area Councils on Aging with no income test. This guide covers every option, who qualifies, and how to start. The statewide line is 1-866-758-5659.
Why Respite Matters
Caregivers who take regular breaks have better physical health, lower rates of depression, and are able to keep their loved one at home longer. Caregiver burnout builds gradually, often before you recognize it. Respite is not the opposite of caregiving. It's what allows it to continue.
Some programs below require Medicaid enrollment; some don't. The NFCSP section requires neither.
Funded Respite Options in Louisiana
Community Choices Waiver: Self-Direction Respite
Louisiana's Community Choices Waiver (CCW) is the state's Section 1915(c) home and community-based services waiver for people 21 and older who meet a nursing facility level of care. It is administered by the Office of Aging and Adult Services (OAAS). CCW covers caregiver respite as a service, and the self-direction option gives you direct control over who provides it.
Under CCW self-direction, you become the employer of record for your own Direct Service Worker (DSW), who provides Personal Assistance Services including respite. You hire, train, and direct that worker, and a Fiscal Employer Agent, either Acumen Fiscal Agent or Morning Sun Financial Services in Louisiana, handles payroll, tax withholding, and labor compliance.
Adult children, other relatives, friends, and neighbors are eligible workers if they meet worker requirements (including a criminal background check and the Direct Service Worker Registry Rule).
The spouse rule. A spouse is treated as a Legally Responsible Individual (LRI) under Louisiana's CCW rules. By default, a spouse cannot be paid as the DSW. For a spouse to be hired and paid, the arrangement must meet Extraordinary Care criteria and receive OAAS approval before any hiring proceeds. If OAAS approves, the spouse can proceed through the FEA. If OAAS does not approve, the spouse cannot be the paid DSW.
Non-spouse relatives, including adult children, do not need this exception and can be hired directly if they meet the worker requirements.
CCW has limited slots. CCW is not an entitlement: enrollment slots are limited, and when they are full, OAAS maintains a Request for Services Registry (a waitlist). To get on the registry or apply, call Louisiana Options in Long-Term Care at 1-877-456-1146.
Monitored In-Home Caregiving (MIHC)
Monitored In-Home Caregiving (MIHC) is a CCW service in which a principal caregiver lives in the same home as the CCW participant and provides hands-on help with basic self-care including dressing and bathing. The arrangement is similar to adult foster care in structure.
The live-in caregiver can be a friend or a family member, including an adult child or a spouse, and is paid for providing care through a contracted MIHC provider agency. The provider agency trains and supports the caregiver and uses remote monitoring technology to oversee care quality. Unlike self-direction, MIHC is structured as a caregiver payment arrangement run through the agency, not as the participant running their own payroll.
For families where the primary caregiver already lives with the care recipient, MIHC formalizes that arrangement with training, oversight, and pay. To explore MIHC, contact OAAS or call Louisiana Options in Long-Term Care at 1-877-456-1146.
LT-PCS Agency Respite Services
Long Term-Personal Care Services (LT-PCS) is a Louisiana Medicaid State Plan benefit, not a waiver, for people 21 and older who receive Medicaid, meet nursing facility level of care, and need at least limited help with one activity of daily living.
Unlike CCW, LT-PCS has no waiver-slot waitlist. The trade-off: LT-PCS does not allow self-direction. Services come exclusively through licensed Medicaid Personal Care Services agencies. Agency aides can provide respite hours when authorized in your loved one's service plan.
To access LT-PCS, contact your Healthy Louisiana managed care plan or OAAS at 1-877-456-1146.
NFCSP Through Louisiana's 9 Area Councils on Aging
The National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP) is federally funded through Title III-E of the Older Americans Act and delivered in Louisiana through 9 Area Councils on Aging.
What NFCSP provides:
- Respite grants toward in-home or short-term facility respite.
- Caregiver training and counseling.
- Peer support groups and supplemental services.
No income test. NFCSP respite services have no means test. Income applies only to supplemental services over $2,000 per year.
Who qualifies: Caregivers of people age 60 or older, caregivers of anyone with Alzheimer's or related dementia at any age, and grandparents or relative caregivers age 55 and older raising children.
Call the Louisiana Aging Network at 1-866-758-5659. There are 9 Area Councils covering all 64 parishes. Ask for NFCSP caregiver support, current respite grants, and a care consultation.
Adult Day Programs Statewide
Adult day programs offer a structured daytime setting, typically 4 to 8 hours per day, with meals, activities, social engagement, and often nursing oversight. For dementia caregivers in particular, adult day frequently improves their loved one's mood and sleep while returning consistent daily hours.
Louisiana licenses adult day programs statewide. Your Area Council on Aging at 1-866-758-5659 can identify centers near you, or use the Eldercare Locator at eldercare.acl.gov.
Funding for adult day:
- CCW adult day health care as an authorized waiver service.
- NFCSP grants through your Area Council on Aging, no income test.
- Long-term care insurance if the policy includes HCBS benefits.
- Private pay for families not on Medicaid.
VA Respite for Veterans and Their Families
VA-enrolled veterans have access to respite care as a covered VA benefit. Settings include in-home, adult day health care, and VA Community Living Center stays. Contact your nearest Louisiana VAMC for current eligibility criteria.
Louisiana VA Medical Centers:
- Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System (New Orleans): 504-589-5300
- Alexandria VA Health Care System: 318-473-0010
- Overton Brooks VAMC (Shreveport): 318-221-8411
The national VA Caregiver Support Line is 1-855-260-3274 (Mon-Fri 8am-10pm ET). See Louisiana VA Aid and Attendance for additional VA financial benefits.
How to Start
- If your loved one is on Louisiana Medicaid and may meet nursing facility level of care, contact OAAS at 1-877-456-1146 to ask about CCW and MIHC. CCW has a waitlist; get on it sooner.
- Call 1-866-758-5659 regardless of income or Medicaid status. Ask for NFCSP respite grants and a care consultation.
- Ask your Area Council about adult day centers near you, a reliable weekly respite option.
- If your loved one is a VA-enrolled veteran, call your nearest Louisiana VAMC and ask for the Caregiver Support Coordinator.
- In a crisis, call 1-866-758-5659 and say it's urgent.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not automatically. Under CCW self-direction, a spouse is a Legally Responsible Individual (LRI) and requires Extraordinary Care criteria plus OAAS approval before being hired and paid. Adult children and other non-spouse relatives don't need this exception. Under MIHC, a spouse can be the live-in paid caregiver through the contracted provider agency.
Yes. NFCSP grants through Louisiana's Area Councils on Aging don't require Medicaid enrollment. Call 1-866-758-5659. Income only applies to supplemental services over $2,000 per year, not to respite grants.
LT-PCS is a Medicaid State Plan benefit with no waiver-slot waitlist. If your loved one qualifies, agency personal care including respite aide hours can begin without waiting for CCW. NFCSP grants are also available without CCW enrollment. Call 1-866-758-5659 and 1-877-456-1146 to pursue both at once.
Adult day health care is a covered CCW service. LT-PCS does not cover adult day. If your loved one is on CCW, ask your support coordinator about including adult day in the service plan. If you're not on CCW, NFCSP grants can offset some adult day costs. Call 1-866-758-5659 for centers and funding options near you.
Learn More
Respite is one piece of Louisiana's caregiver support picture:
- How to Get Paid as a Family Caregiver in Louisiana
- Caregiver Burnout: Signs and Support
- Louisiana VA Aid and Attendance Benefits
- Cost of Senior Care in Louisiana
- Medicaid Planning Strategies
Find personalized help mapping Louisiana 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.