Respite Care in Minnesota: A 2026 Guide for Family Caregivers

If you are caring for an aging parent or spouse in Minnesota 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 Minnesota, funded respite for family caregivers can come from three places: Medicaid's Elderly Waiver, which lists respite as a covered service; the National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP), which funds respite through Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs); and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for some veterans' families.2,3,4 A good first call is Minnesota Aging Pathways at 1-800-333-2433, which connects families with local services and programs.2

In This Guide

• Key Takeaways
• Does Medicaid Pay for Respite Care in Minnesota?
• Funded Respite Care Options in Minnesota
• What Respite Care Costs in Minnesota
• When Funded Respite Is Limited or Delayed
• How to Start Respite Care in Minnesota
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Learn More

Does Medicaid Pay for Respite Care in Minnesota?

Yes, for people who qualify. For many Minnesota families the first question is whether Medical Assistance, Minnesota's Medicaid program, will cover a break. Respite is a covered Elderly Waiver service, alongside adult day services, family caregiver services, and consumer-directed community supports (CDCS). The Elderly Waiver provides home and community-based services for people who meet the level of care provided in a nursing home but who choose to live in the community.2

To qualify, the person must meet all four of DHS's conditions: be age 65 or older; be eligible for Medical Assistance; meet nursing home level of care as determined by a MnCHOICES assessment; and need services that the Elderly Waiver can provide for less than the cost of care in a nursing home. Counties, tribal entities, and managed care organizations administer the program, and DHS directs applicants to contact the county or tribal nation where they live to schedule a MnCHOICES assessment.2

Funded Respite Care Options in Minnesota

1. Elderly Waiver Respite

This path is for people 65 or older who qualify for Medical Assistance. Respite is one of the services DHS lists for the Elderly Waiver (EW), alongside family caregiver services, adult day services, case management and care coordination, homemaker services, and personal emergency response systems.2

How to access: If your loved one is already on the Elderly Waiver, respite is among the services the waiver lists. If not, contact the county or tribal nation where they live to schedule a MnCHOICES assessment, or call Minnesota Aging Pathways at 1-800-333-2433 to connect with other local services and programs.2

Best for: Older adults who meet nursing home level of care and whose caregiver needs scheduled time off.

2. CFSS: Paying a Spouse or Parent for Personal Care

Community First Services and Supports (CFSS) is a personal care program rather than a respite benefit, but it matters to many caregiving families. CFSS replaces personal care assistance (PCA) and the Consumer Support Grant (CSG); DHS began implementing it on October 1, 2024, and counties, tribal nations, and managed care organizations transition people at their yearly reassessment. It covers the same main services as PCA: help with activities of daily living such as eating, bathing, grooming, and transferring; health-related tasks; tasks such as shopping, cooking, laundry, and help with self-administered medications; and observation and redirection of behavior.8

Who qualifies: The person must live in the community and not in a facility such as a skilled nursing home; be able to direct care or have a representative who can; be enrolled in Medical Assistance, an MA waiver, the Alternative Care program, or (for some people) MinnesotaCare; have an assessment that determines they are eligible; and not be using the Family Support Grant.8

Can a family member be the paid worker? Yes. DHS states: "In CFSS, a person’s spouse or the parent of a minor may serve as that person's support worker," and lists it among options available in either the agency provider model or the budget model. In the budget model, the person receiving care is the employer of their support workers and must fulfill employer responsibilities, including confirming worker competency, determining the worker's pay rate, and complying with the SEIU Healthcare Minnesota and Iowa collective bargaining agreement.5,8 A spouse or parent of a minor can be paid only for tasks beyond what is considered ordinary responsibility, a spouse for up to 60 hours in a seven-day period, and a worker cannot be paid if they are the person's CFSS representative or paid legal guardian.6 From Jan. 1, 2026, budget-model and PCA Choice workers must be paid at least $20.00 an hour, rising to $22.90 with experience.9 Confirm documentation requirements with the lead agency or financial management services provider.

Best for: Families where a spouse or parent already provides daily hands-on care.

3. NFCSP Respite Through Area Agencies on Aging

You do not have to be on Medicaid to get help here. The National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP), funded under Title III-E of the Older Americans Act, makes grants to states, and its services are provided by Area Agencies on Aging or the entities they contract with. Those services include respite care, individual counseling, support groups, and caregiver training, and NFCSP respite can be provided at home, in an adult day care setting, or in an institutional setting.3

Who qualifies: Adult family members or other informal caregivers of someone age 60 or older, or of someone of any age with Alzheimer's disease or a related disorder. Older relatives age 55 and older raising a child under 18 (other than the child's parent), or caring for an adult age 18 to 59 with a disability, are also eligible for NFCSP services. For respite, federal law adds a condition for family caregivers: the older person you care for must be 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.3

How much you get: NFCSP respite is provided by your Area Agency on Aging or an entity it contracts with, so ask your AAA what respite it can offer and how soon.3

How to access: Call Minnesota Aging Pathways at 1-800-333-2433, or the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116, which connects families to their local Area Agency on Aging.2,10

Best for: Family caregivers whose loved one does not qualify for Medicaid, or who need help while an Elderly Waiver assessment is pending.

4. Adult Day Programs

If what you need back is a reliable set of weekday hours, adult day is often the answer. Adult day health care provides supervision, engagement, and structured daytime support, and the CareScout cost survey counts it among the more affordable care options.11

Who pays: Adult day services are a covered Elderly Waiver service for people who qualify, and NFCSP respite through your Area Agency on Aging can be provided in an adult day care setting. Otherwise, private pay is the fallback.2,3

Finding programs: Call Minnesota Aging Pathways at 1-800-333-2433 to connect with local services and programs.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, ask about the VA early. An approved Primary Family Caregiver in the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) can receive at least 30 days of respite care per year, along with caregiver education and training and mental health counseling. A spouse can serve as the caregiver.4

Who qualifies: VA lists four requirements, and all of them 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 6 months of continuous, in-person personal care services; and enrollment in VA health care. Those four are a first screen, not the whole test. You and the veteran apply together, and the regulation adds further conditions, including that the same personal care will not be regularly provided by another person or program at the same time.4

How to access: Call the VA Caregiver Support Line at 1-855-260-3274, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. It can connect you directly to your local VA Caregiver Support Program team. It is not a crisis line: if you or the veteran is in crisis, call 988 and press 1, or text 838255.12

Best for: Families of veterans with a serious service-connected disability who need ongoing personal care.

What Respite Care Costs in Minnesota

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. The CareScout 2025 Cost of Care Survey reports a national median of $95 per day for adult day health care, which it annualizes to $24,700 based on five days a week. That is a provider rate, not a family's net cost.11 Minnesota runs higher, at a median of about $31,200 a year (roughly $2,600 a month), the 14th highest among the states.11

If you are pricing a short respite stay in an assisted living community, CareScout publishes two Minnesota assisted living figures, about $77,790 and $78,870 a year, against a national median of about $6,200 a month ($74,400 a year).11 Minnesota sits above the national median in every setting the survey measures, including a semi-private nursing home room at about $10,646 a month ($127,750 a year), a private room at about $13,870 a month ($166,440 a year), and non-medical in-home caregiver care at about $44 an hour ($100,672 a year), the 6th highest rate in the country.11 These are industry-survey medians, not fixed rates, and actual costs vary with individual care needs, provider availability, and local market conditions, so ask providers directly what a short respite stay costs.11

Knowing these numbers is exactly why the funded options above matter. A few hours of paid respite each week adds up quickly, so check the Elderly Waiver, NFCSP, and VA paths before you pay privately.

When Funded Respite Is Limited or Delayed

The funded routes are not unlimited. NFCSP respite comes through your Area Agency on Aging or a provider it contracts with, so ask your AAA what respite it can offer and how soon.3 Elderly Waiver eligibility depends on a MnCHOICES assessment, which you schedule through the county or tribal nation where you live.2 Do not wait empty-handed while that plays out.

Two bridges can cover the gap. First, ask your AAA whether Minnesota has a lifespan respite program or a statewide respite coalition. The federal Lifespan Respite Care Program funds state systems that expand and coordinate access to planned or emergency respite, though it is not meant to be the sole payer, and you can also search ARCH's Find a Respite Provider locator at archrespite.org. Second, private pay, at roughly the adult day and facility rates above, can bridge a few weeks until a waiver or other help comes through.13

How to Start Respite Care in Minnesota

Learn More

Find personalized help navigating respite care options in Minnesota 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.