If you are caring for an aging parent or spouse in Tennessee 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.

In Tennessee, funded respite for family caregivers comes from four main places: TennCare CHOICES respite for enrolled Medicaid members, free grants and a state voucher through the National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP) and Tennessee's nine Area Agencies on Aging and Disability (AAADs), the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for veterans' families, and adult day or short-term facility respite you arrange and often pay for privately. The fastest route to what you qualify for is the statewide AAAD line at 1-866-836-6678.

In This Guide

You Are Not Failing

Before the program details, one thing worth saying plainly: needing respite is not a moral failing, and it is not a sign you love the person less. Research on family caregivers points the other way. Caregivers who take regular breaks tend to have better health of their own and are often able to keep their loved one at home longer than those who try to carry it all alone. Respite is not the thing that takes care away from your loved one. It is the thing that lets you keep providing it.

If you are reading this in a crisis, skip to the resource card in How to Start in Tennessee and call the numbers there. If you are planning ahead, the sections below run roughly from most affordable to most flexible.

The Four Types of Respite Care in Tennessee

Respite takes four practical forms in Tennessee, each with its own cost and funding path.

1. In-Home Respite

A paid caregiver comes to your home for a few hours, a full day, or occasionally overnight, so you can rest, run errands, or simply close a door. They handle meals, medication reminders, supervision, and light personal care.

Typical duration: 2 to 8 hours, occasionally overnight or a multi-day stay.

What it costs: Through a licensed home care agency, Tennessee's statewide median runs roughly $23 to $27 an hour for a personal care or home health aide and $19 to $26 an hour for companion care, with Nashville higher at about $24 to $30 an hour. If you hire a worker directly through TennCare CHOICES Consumer Direction, the state's approved respite wage runs about $16 to $19 an hour, though you take on scheduling, taxes, and backup coverage.

How it is funded: TennCare CHOICES in-home respite for enrolled members, NFCSP and the Family-Directed Respite Voucher through your AAAD, VA respite for veterans, or private pay.

2. Adult Day Services

A structured daytime program at a community center, typically several hours per weekday, with meals, activities, social contact, and often nursing oversight and medication administration. For people with dementia, the structure and social contact often steady mood, sleep, and behavior while handing the family caregiver dependable weekday hours back.

Typical duration: several hours per day, multiple days per week.

What it costs: The CareScout 2025 Cost of Care Survey puts the national median for adult day health care at $95 a day, about $24,700 a year at five days a week; Tennessee private-pay rates in 2026 run roughly $70 to $95 a day depending on the area. It is by far the most affordable structured respite option.

Where to find a center: Adult Day Services centers in Tennessee are licensed and inspected by the Tennessee Department of Human Services (TDHS), which publishes a public roster at tn.gov/humanservices. Tennessee uses a single licensure category, so the social-model versus medical-model distinction familiar from other states is not a separate regulatory line here; most centers blend social activities with health-related services under the same license.

How it is funded: TennCare CHOICES adult day care for eligible members, the Family-Directed Respite Voucher, NFCSP grants, long-term care insurance with a home and community-based rider, or private pay.

3. Short-Term Facility Respite

A few days to a few weeks in an assisted living, memory care, or nursing facility while you take a trip, recover from your own surgery, or simply rest. Some facilities keep dedicated respite suites; others fit respite stays into open beds.

Typical duration: a few days to a few weeks.

What it costs: Assisted living in Tennessee runs about $5,595 a month ($67,140 a year) for long-term residency, modestly below the national median of about $6,200 a month, per CareScout's Tennessee release of the 2025 Cost of Care Survey. That is a statewide median, and no Tennessee metro-level figure is currently sourceable. Respite stays are usually quoted as a daily rate that carries a premium over the long-stay rate and includes meals, lodging, and basic care, so ask each facility directly for its respite pricing.

How it is funded: TennCare CHOICES short-term inpatient respite for enrolled members, VA respite for veterans, a portion offset by the Family-Directed Respite Voucher, long-term care insurance, or private pay for stays beyond the CHOICES limit.

4. Emergency Respite

For caregivers in crisis, whether from sudden illness, a hospitalization, or simply hitting a wall. Emergency respite is harder to arrange on short notice, but it exists. Start with your AAAD at 1-866-836-6678, which can sometimes arrange emergency respite or refer you to a local crisis program. If the crisis involves dementia, call the Alzheimer's Association 24/7 Helpline at 1-800-272-3900. If your loved one is a veteran, call the VA Caregiver Support Line at 1-855-260-3274. If the situation involves immediate risk to your loved one's safety, call Tennessee Adult Protective Services at 1-888-277-8366.

Does TennCare Pay for Respite Care?

Yes, if your loved one is enrolled in TennCare CHOICES. Respite is built into the CHOICES home and community-based benefit for Group 2 and Group 3 members, but it is routinely underused, usually because families do not know to ask or the Care Coordinator did not raise it during care planning.

The CHOICES benefit array includes in-home respite, adult day care, and short-term inpatient respite, along with personal care, home-delivered meals, and care coordination. The specific annual unit limit for each service is published in the TennCare CHOICES Member Benefit Table rather than as a single flat number, so ask your Care Coordinator what your plan authorizes. CHOICES Group 2 is also bounded by an individual cost-neutrality cap of $294.87 per day, or $107,627.55 per year, effective January 1, 2026; Group 3 carries a lower annual HCBS expenditure cap of $18,000.

Standard TennCare, by contrast, has no dedicated respite benefit. Respite is a CHOICES, ECF CHOICES, or Katie Beckett benefit. If your loved one is on Standard TennCare and would clinically qualify for CHOICES, the path is to apply for CHOICES.

1
Step 1

Call your MCO Care Coordinator

TennCare CHOICES runs through three managed care organizations: BlueCare at 1-888-747-8955, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan at 1-800-690-1606, and Wellpoint at 1-833-731-2153. Ask for respite to be added to the person-centered support plan.

2
Step 2

Specify the type and frequency

Name whether you need in-home respite, adult day care, or short-term inpatient respite, and how often.

3
Step 3

Use Consumer Direction if you want to choose the worker

Under Consumer Direction you can hire a specific worker, including many family members, while Consumer Direct Care Network Tennessee (CDTN) handles payroll and tax withholding at 1-888-444-3109. Note that spouses cannot be hired as a paid Consumer Direction worker.

4
Step 4

Request the hours your loved one's needs support

The Care Coordinator may default to less than the plan allows, so ask what the Member Benefit Table authorizes for your situation.

If a CHOICES respite request is denied or reduced, you have appeal rights. See the How to Apply for TennCare guide for the appeal process.

Free and Low-Cost Respite: NFCSP and the State Voucher

Tennessee has two respite supports that almost no one talks about and far too few families use. Both run through your local Area Agency on Aging and Disability.

NFCSP Respite

The National Family Caregiver Support Program is funded by federal Older Americans Act Title III-E dollars and delivered locally through Tennessee's nine AAADs, administered at the state level by the Tennessee Department of Disability and Aging (DDA). It funds five categories of caregiver help, including respite care, rather than paying a family caregiver an hourly wage.

Eligible caregivers include adult family members caring for someone age 60 or 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 or for adults ages 18 to 59 with disabilities. There is no income test for NFCSP respite, a point many Tennessee families miss because they assume any program like this is means-tested.

Tennessee also operates a separate state-funded Options for Community Living program through the same AAADs, providing homemaker, personal care, home-delivered meals, and respite to seniors and adults with disabilities at risk of nursing-facility placement. Ask about it on the same call.

The Family-Directed Respite Voucher

Separately, the Tennessee Caregiver Coalition, in partnership with the state, administers a Family-Directed Respite Voucher Program that reimburses caregivers up to $600 per year per household for respite of the caregiver's choosing, with no income limit. Caregivers apply annually during an April 1 to June 30 window. This $600 voucher is distinct from the up-to-$2,500 respite benefit available through the separate CMS GUIDE dementia-care model.

If the free help is capped or the money for the year has run out, ask your AAAD about the federal Lifespan Respite Care Program, a program administered by the Administration for Community Living that funds coordinated state respite systems and can expand access to short-term and emergency respite.

To reach any of these, call the statewide AAAD line at 1-866-836-6678. The intake worker routes you to your regional AAAD by county. Tennessee's nine AAADs cover all 95 counties: First Tennessee (Johnson City), East Tennessee (Knoxville), Southeast Tennessee (Chattanooga), Upper Cumberland (Cookeville), Greater Nashville, South Central Tennessee, Northwest Tennessee, Southwest Tennessee (Jackson), and the Aging Commission of the Mid-South (Memphis area).

VA Respite for Veteran Caregivers

If your loved one is a VA-enrolled veteran, the VA offers respite as a covered benefit along with significant separate caregiver support.

VA Respite Care benefit: up to 30 days per calendar year for enrolled veterans who meet the clinical criteria, available as in-home care, a stay at a VA Community Living Center or community nursing home, or adult day health care. In 2026, copays are up to $97 per day for overnight respite and up to $15 per day for daily in-home or adult day respite, depending on the veteran's service-connected status and finances; many veterans owe no copay.

PCAFC: the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers is open to caregivers of veterans of any service era, where the veteran has a single or combined service-connected disability rating of 70% or more and needs in-person personal care for at least six continuous months. A VA final rule published September 29, 2025 extended transition protections for legacy participants through September 30, 2028.

PGCSS: the Program of General Caregiver Support Services is open to caregivers of any veteran enrolled in VA health care, regardless of era or rating. There is no monthly stipend, but it provides peer support, training, and self-care resources.

Three VA health care systems serve Tennessee: VA Memphis Healthcare System (901-523-8990) in West Tennessee, VA Tennessee Valley (Nashville campus 615-327-4751 and the Alvin C. York campus in Murfreesboro 615-867-6000) in Middle Tennessee, and VA Mountain Home (423-926-1171) in East Tennessee. Each has a Caregiver Support Coordinator who can arrange respite and evaluate PCAFC eligibility. The national VA Caregiver Support Line is 1-855-260-3274, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET.

Dementia-Specific Respite in Tennessee

If you are caring for someone with Alzheimer's or a related dementia, several Tennessee resources are built for your situation. Two distinct organizations operate in the state, and they are not the same group.

  • Alzheimer's Association, Tennessee Chapter (alz.org/tn) is the local affiliate of the national Alzheimer's Association, with offices in Nashville, Knoxville, and Memphis. Its national 24/7 Helpline is 1-800-272-3900, available around the clock in more than 200 languages, and it provides care consultations, support groups, and education.
  • Alzheimer's Tennessee, Inc. (alztennessee.org) is an independent Knoxville-based state nonprofit, not affiliated with the national Alzheimer's Association, with its own helpline at 1-888-326-9888.

The Family-Directed Respite Voucher above is dementia-friendly, and many families with a dementia diagnosis use it for adult day services. Tennessee's DDA also runs the Alzheimer's Disease Program Initiative (ADPI), a federal Administration for Community Living grant funded through September 2026, which supports no-cost statewide Dementia Navigators who help families newly facing a diagnosis with cognitive-screening referrals, resource connection, and care planning. DDA's Statewide Dementia Program Manager is Jackie Moment (615-854-9610).

A new pilot for dementia caregivers: The Tennessee Caring for Caregivers Act (Public Chapter 940 of 2026) was signed by Governor Bill Lee on May 18, 2026 after passing the House 92-3 and the Senate 30-0. It establishes a three-year DDA pilot grant program that lets family caregivers of people with dementia cared for at home apply for up to $6,000 per year to reimburse documented costs such as home modifications, durable medical equipment, and respite care, with priority for lower-income households. The first-year appropriation is $600,000, divided across East, Middle, and West Tennessee. It is a reimbursement, not a tax credit or an hourly wage. We will update this guide when the application process opens.

What Respite Care Costs in Tennessee

Type Private-pay cost Public funding available
In-home respite (agency) $23 to $27/hr (companion $19 to $26/hr) CHOICES, NFCSP, Family-Directed Voucher, VA
In-home respite (Consumer Direction) About $16 to $19/hr worker wage CHOICES, NFCSP, Family-Directed Voucher, VA
Adult day services $70 to $95/day CHOICES, NFCSP, Family-Directed Voucher
Assisted living respite Daily premium over the roughly $5,595/mo long-stay rate; ask each facility CHOICES, VA, Family-Directed Voucher
Nursing or memory care respite Daily rate; ask each facility CHOICES, VA
Hospice respite Bundled into hospice Medicare or TennCare hospice benefit

The pattern is clear: adult day services are by far the most cost-efficient structured option, and the AAAD-administered grants and vouchers stretch much further when paired with adult day than with facility-based respite.

How to Start in Tennessee

1
Step 1

Call the statewide AAAD line at 1-866-836-6678

This one number routes you to your regional Area Agency on Aging and Disability for NFCSP respite, the Family-Directed Respite Voucher, Options for Community Living, and a care consultation.

2
Step 2

Talk to your MCO Care Coordinator if your loved one is on TennCare CHOICES

Ask specifically to add respite to the person-centered support plan and what the Member Benefit Table authorizes.

3
Step 3

Call the VA Caregiver Support Line at 1-855-260-3274 first if your loved one is a veteran

Ask about VA respite and eligibility for the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers.

4
Step 4

For a dementia crisis, call the Alzheimer's Association 24/7 Helpline at 1-800-272-3900

It can help you think through an urgent break and connect you to local support.

Statewide AAAD Line Routes you to your regional Area Agency on Aging and Disability for NFCSP respite, the Family-Directed Respite Voucher, and Options for Community Living. 1-866-836-6678
VA Caregiver Support Line Respite and caregiver benefits for families of enrolled veterans. 1-855-260-3274 caregiver.va.gov
Alzheimer's Association 24/7 Helpline Around-the-clock support, care consultations, and referrals for dementia caregivers. 1-800-272-3900 alz.org/tn
Tennessee Adult Protective Services For a situation involving immediate risk to your loved one's safety. 1-888-277-8366
Your next step Call the statewide AAAD line at 1-866-836-6678 to reach your regional Area Agency on Aging and Disability and ask what respite it can fund for you this year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will Medicare pay for respite?

Generally no. Medicare does not pay for ongoing custodial respite. Its only respite coverage is short-term inpatient respite bundled into the Medicare hospice benefit, and, for some dementia patients whose provider participates in the CMS GUIDE Model, up to $2,500 a year for respite. For everything else, respite comes from TennCare, NFCSP, the VA, or private pay.

Does TennCare pay for respite if my loved one is on Standard TennCare?

Standard TennCare has no dedicated respite benefit. Respite is a TennCare CHOICES, ECF CHOICES, or Katie Beckett benefit. If your loved one is on Standard TennCare and would clinically qualify for CHOICES, the path is to apply for CHOICES.

My parent is not on TennCare and probably will not qualify. What can we do?

You have several non-Medicaid options: free NFCSP respite and the up-to-$600 Family-Directed Respite Voucher through your AAAD, neither of which requires TennCare enrollment; Options for Community Living through the same AAADs; VA respite if your parent is a veteran; long-term care insurance with a home and community-based rider; and private pay, where adult day services at $70 to $95 a day are usually the most accessible option.,

Can I be paid to provide respite to my own family member?

Yes, in some situations. Through TennCare CHOICES Consumer Direction, family members other than spouses can be hired as paid workers, including for respite. Under Tennessee's Freedom for Family Caregiving Act (Public Chapter 182 of 2025), TennCare-contracted provider agencies may also hire relatives, including spouses and parents of minor children, as W-2 employees. See the How to Get Paid as a Family Caregiver in Tennessee guide for the full landscape.

Will my parent hate adult day care?

It is the most common worry families raise, and most report being surprised after a few weeks. Adult day centers in Tennessee are usually warm, social, structured places with meals, activities, and, for dementia centers, cognitive engagement. Most offer a free trial visit. For people with dementia in particular, the routine and social contact often improve mood, sleep, and behavior while giving the caregiver dependable hours back.

What is the Family-Directed Respite Voucher?

It is a Tennessee program, administered by the Tennessee Caregiver Coalition with the state, that reimburses caregivers up to $600 per year per household for respite of their choosing, with no income limit. Caregivers apply once a year during an April 1 to June 30 window. Ask your AAAD about it at 1-866-836-6678.

Learn More

CaregiverRespite Care for Family Caregivers: The 50-State GuideWhat respite care is and how to pay for it in 2026: the main types, free NFCSP grants, Medicaid and VA respite, and a link to every state guide. CaregiverTennessee Caregivers: The Complete GuideTennessee caregivers guide for 2026: how to get paid via TennCare CD or PC 182 agency route, find respite, layer programs, and reach the right TN AAAD. CaregiverHow to Get Paid as a Family Caregiver in TennesseeSeven Tennessee programs that pay family caregivers in 2026, including the new Freedom for Family Caregiving Act pathway. Who qualifies and how to apply. CaregiverTennCare Consumer Direction: Getting Paid to CareTennCare Consumer Direction lets adult children, siblings, and friends be paid as caregivers via CDTN. How CD works in CHOICES, ECF CHOICES, Katie Beckett. CaregiverCaregiver Programs in Tennessee: A Complete DirectoryEvery caregiver program in Tennessee: paid family caregiver pathways, respite vouchers, NFCSP grants, AAAD intake, dementia resources, VA benefits. CaregiverCaregiver Burnout: Signs and 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. Care TypesThe Cost of Senior Care in TennesseeWhat senior care costs in Tennessee in 2026: assisted living about $5,595 a month, a nursing home about $9,429. See every setting and how to pay.

Find personalized help mapping Tennessee 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.

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Brevy Care Team

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