Respite care is the planned, paid-for break that lets a family caregiver keep going, and the National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP) will fund it for free. The program runs through every state's Area Agency on Aging and applies no income test to its respite services, yet it stays one of the most underused caregiver benefits in the country.

This directory walks through where respite care funding comes from, who pays, and how to reach it, then links you to the detailed guide for your state. If you are new to respite and want the start-to-finish walkthrough first (what it is, how to use it, and how to take the break without guilt), start with our respite care for family caregivers guide.

You are not failing by needing a break. You are protecting the person you care for.

What Is Respite Care?

Respite care is short-term care for your loved one that gives you, the family caregiver, a planned break, whether that is a few hours, a full day, or a short overnight stay. It takes four main forms:

  • In-home respite: a paid aide or nurse comes to the home so you can leave or rest.
  • Adult day programs: structured daytime care at a center, with meals, activities, and supervision, usually for several hours on weekdays.
  • Short-term residential respite: a brief stay in an assisted living community, nursing home, or other facility, often used to cover a vacation, a hospital stay, or your own recovery.
  • Informal respite: unpaid help from family, friends, or a faith or community group who step in so you can step away.

The rest of this guide is about paying for respite, because most families can get it funded and the first source is free. If you are not sure where to start, call your local Area Agency on Aging through the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116.

Does Respite Care Really Help Family Caregivers?

If you have been running on empty and wondering whether stepping away even makes a difference, the evidence is reassuring: it does. Caregiving without breaks is hard on the body and the mind. Federal data show caregivers fare worse than non-caregivers across most health indicators. Nearly 1 in 5 caregivers rates their own health as fair or poor. During 2021 and 2022, frequent mental distress affected 20.5 percent of caregivers, compared with 13.6 percent of people who were not caregiving, and 25.6 percent of caregivers reported depression at some point in their lives. Caregivers of a person with Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia carry the highest risk.

Respite is not stepping away from your loved one. It is the maintenance interval that lets you keep providing care.

How Family Caregivers Get Respite Care Funded

Most families can get respite paid for, and many never find out how. There are five main sources, and the first one is free.

1. NFCSP Grants (Free, No Income Test)

The National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP), authorized under Title III-E of the Older Americans Act, flows through every state's Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs). It pays for in-home respite, adult day care, caregiver training, counseling, and supplemental services, and there is no income test for its respite services. Eligible caregivers include those caring for an adult age 60 or older, anyone caring for a person with Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia, and older relatives age 55 or older raising children.

Here is how it works in practice. You call your Area Agency on Aging, reachable through the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116, and the agency helps you sort out what would help and arranges respite, whether that is care in your home, a day at an adult day program, or a short-term facility stay. Respite amounts and any per-caregiver caps are set at the state and AAA level, not by the federal program, so what you can get depends on where you live., This is the first place most families should call.

2. Medicaid Respite

If your loved one is already on Medicaid, respite may be a benefit you have not tapped. Many state Medicaid programs deliver respite through home and community-based services (HCBS) waivers, and Medicaid self-direction lets the person receiving care, or their representative, control the budget and hire, supervise, and in many states pay a family member to provide the authorized hours.

The mechanism is simple even when the paperwork is not: ask the case manager or care coordinator who manages the waiver to add respite hours to the care plan. Coverage and hourly caps are set by each state's waiver, so check your state's guide below for the exact program, and know that whether a spouse or other legally responsible relative can be paid for those hours is a state option that varies.

3. VA Respite (for Veterans)

If you are caring for a veteran, the VA offers some of the most concrete respite benefits available. Veterans enrolled in VA health care can access respite through their VA medical center, and the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) gives an approved Primary Family Caregiver at least 30 days of respite care per year, along with a monthly stipend, caregiver training, and counseling.

To qualify for PCAFC, the veteran must be enrolled in VA health care, have a VA disability rating of 70 percent or higher, and need at least six months of continuous, in-person personal care; the caregiver must be at least 18 and a spouse, relative, or someone who lives full time with the veteran. Getting the benefit starts with applying to be designated the veteran's Family Caregiver. 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.

4. Adult Day Programs

Adult day services provide structured daytime care, typically several hours a day, with meals, activities, and supervision. For a caregiver, that is reliable weekday hours handed back to you. NFCSP grants and Medicaid can both help pay for it, which often makes adult day the most affordable structured respite a family can arrange.

5. Lifespan Respite Programs

Many states also run a Lifespan Respite Program, a federally funded effort to make community respite easier to find for caregivers of people of any age. Congress appropriated $10 million for the Lifespan Respite Care Program in fiscal year 2025, and since 2009 the Administration for Community Living (ACL) has funded programs in 39 states and the District of Columbia. If your Area Agency on Aging has a waitlist, your state's lifespan respite program or respite coalition is often the next place to look, and the ARCH National Respite Locator can point you to local providers.

6. What Does Not Cover Respite

Here is one that surprises families: Medicare does not pay for ongoing respite. The one exception is inpatient respite care within the Medicare hospice benefit, which cannot be provided for more than 5 days at a time before payment drops to the routine home-care rate. One newer option is the CMS GUIDE Model, a Medicare dementia-care program that reimburses participating providers up to $2,500 a year per patient for respite, available only when your loved one's provider takes part. Outside hospice and the GUIDE Model, respite funding comes from NFCSP, Medicaid, the VA, or private pay.

How Respite Care Differs From State to State

Respite is a federal promise delivered locally, so what you can actually get shifts as you cross state lines. The NFCSP funds respite through every state's Area Agencies on Aging, but the amount of funded respite and any per-caregiver cap are set at the state and AAA level, not by the federal program. Medicaid respite reaches families through each state's own home and community-based services waiver, so the covered hours (and whether a family member can be paid to provide them) are a state option that varies. And since 2009 the federal Lifespan Respite Care Program has funded coalitions in 39 states and the District of Columbia, so some states have an extra respite front door that others do not. That is why the funded programs, waitlists, and helplines below differ from one state to the next.

Finding Respite Care by State

Find Your State's Respite Guide

Pick your state for the exact programs, funding caps, and helplines, and how to reach them.

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All 50 states

Not sure where to start with respite? Chat with Brevy's care navigator for a personalized list of funded respite options based on your state, your loved one's Medicaid enrollment, and veteran status.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there free respite care for family caregivers?

Yes. The National Family Caregiver Support Program provides free respite through every state's Area Agencies on Aging, with no income test for its respite services. Call the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116 or dial 211 to reach your local agency.,

What types of respite care are there?

Respite comes in three main forms, and the right one depends on your situation. In-home respite sends a worker to your house for a few hours so you can leave; adult day programs give structured daytime care several days a week; and short-term residential respite is a stay of a few days in a care facility, useful when you need to travel or recover. NFCSP funding can pay for care at home, in adult day care, or in a facility.

Does Medicaid pay for respite care?

Often, yes, for people enrolled in a Medicaid home and community-based services waiver or self-directed program. Respite hours can be written into the care plan, and self-direction may let a family member be paid to provide them. Ask the case manager to add respite hours, and check your state's guide below for the specifics.

Does Medicare cover respite care?

Only within the hospice benefit, which covers inpatient respite for no more than 5 days at a time. Outside hospice, Medicare does not cover ongoing respite; funding comes from NFCSP, Medicaid, the VA, or private pay.

How much does respite care cost if you pay out of pocket?

It varies widely by the type of respite and where you live, which is exactly why the funding sources above matter. Before paying privately, ask your Area Agency on Aging what local respite costs and what NFCSP, Medicaid, or the VA would cover first, so you only pay out of pocket for what you truly have to.

What if there is a waitlist for NFCSP respite?

Waitlists happen, but you have other doors to try. If your loved one is on Medicaid, ask about respite under their waiver; look up your state's Lifespan Respite Program or respite coalition and the ARCH National Respite Locator; ask about adult day programs; and dial 211 for local options. Do not wait on one list when several sources may cover you.

How do I find respite care near me?

Start with your local Area Agency on Aging, reachable in every state through the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116 or by dialing 211. They maintain directories of in-home respite providers, adult day programs, and short-term facility respite.

Can a family member be paid to provide respite?

Sometimes. Under many Medicaid self-directed programs, a hired worker who can be a non-spouse relative in most states can provide authorized respite hours. NFCSP-funded respite is usually delivered by a contracted provider. See your state's guide for the rules.

Learn More

CaregiverCaregiver Self-Care: How to Take Care of YourselfCaregiver self-care that lasts: protect your health, ease stress with small habits, find support groups and free respite, and ask for help sooner. CaregiverSharing Caregiving Responsibilities: Getting Family to HelpWhen caregiving falls on one person, it doesn't have to stay that way. How to hold the family meeting, name a primary caregiver, and divide the work fairly. CaregiverGetting Started as a Family Caregiver: A First-Steps GuideNew to caregiving? A first-steps guide with a week-one checklist, caregiver tasks, how to share the load, the legal documents you need, and where to find help. CaregiverHow to Find and Hire In-Home Care for an Aging ParentHow to hire in-home care for an older adult: home care agency vs hiring directly, what to screen for, and the household-employer tax rules most families miss. CaregiverLong-Distance Caregiving: A Practical GuideHow to care for an aging parent from a distance: what you can do from afar, the family meeting to have first, staying connected, and finding local help. CaregiverFMLA for Family Caregivers: Your Right to Job-Protected LeaveHow the Family and Medical Leave Act lets you take job-protected leave to care for a parent or spouse: who qualifies, what it covers, and the unpaid catch. CaregiverCaregiver Programs by State: The 50-State DirectoryA directory of caregiver programs in all 50 states: paid family caregiver pathways, respite, NFCSP grants, and VA benefits. Find your state's complete guide. CaregiverThe National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP): A Complete GuideWhat the National Family Caregiver Support Program funds, who is eligible, and how to reach respite and caregiver support through your Area Agency on Aging. CaregiverHow to Get Paid as a Family Caregiver: The 50-State GuideHow to get paid to care for a family member in 2026: Medicaid self-direction, VA caregiver programs, personal care agreements, plus all 50 state guides. CaregiverCaregiver Burnout: Signs, Stages, and How to Get SupportHow to recognize caregiver burnout, why it happens, and what actually helps, from respite care to evidence-based programs like REACH II and Powerful Tools. MedicaidMedicaid Planning StrategiesSee which assets you keep, how the 5-year look-back works, and the legal moves that qualify you for Medicaid long-term care without losing the house.

Find personalized help finding and funding respite care 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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Brevy Care Team

Expert eldercare guidance from Brevy's team of healthcare professionals and researchers.