If you are caring for an aging parent or spouse in Wyoming 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 can be part of what makes it possible to keep caring for them at home.

In Wyoming, the main routes to funded respite for family caregivers are Medicaid waiver respite through the Community Choices Waiver, grants through the National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP) administered by the Wyoming Department of Health Aging Division, and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for veterans' families; adult day programs offer another kind of break. For the NFCSP and local referrals, start with the Wyoming Aging Division at 1-800-442-2766. For the waiver, call the Wyoming Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Section at 1-800-510-0280.,

In This Guide

Does Wyoming Medicaid Pay for Respite Care?

Yes, it can. Wyoming's Medicaid Community Choices Waiver (CCW) is a Section 1915(c) home and community-based waiver that gives eligible adults an alternative to nursing facility care, and respite is one of its named covered services, alongside personal support services, homemaker, adult day services, home health aide and skilled nursing. It serves Wyoming adults aged 65 and older, and adults 19 to 64 whose disability is verified through Social Security Administration criteria. The program is administered by the Wyoming Department of Health, Division of Healthcare Financing, HCBS Section.,

There is a gate in front of that respite. The CCW fact sheet requires that an applicant be evaluated by a trained public health nurse using the Long-Term Care 101 (LT-101) assessment tool and be determined by the Department to require nursing facility level of care, and that finding has to be made before enrollment and at least once a year after that. Citizenship or lawful immigration status and Wyoming residency are required too, and the applicant must already be eligible for Wyoming Medicaid (a Supplemental Security Income recipient, for instance) or qualify for the Special HCBS Waiver Group, which generally means income at or below 300% of the Federal Benefit Rate and limited countable resources.

Financial eligibility questions go to the Long-Term Care Eligibility Unit at 1-855-203-2936.

Wyoming also lets a family run the help itself. Under the CCW's participant-directed option, the participant, a legal guardian, or another person the participant designates serves as the Employer of Record (EOR), who may hire the participant's relative or spouse. The EOR cannot also be paid to provide CCW services, so a family that wants one relative paid needs someone else in the EOR seat. The Wyoming CCW renewal effective July 1, 2026 allows a relative or spouse to be paid for respite and other participant-directed services if they meet the waiver's provider qualifications and are not the participant's legal guardian, and a spouse must clear two added tests: care beyond what a spouse would ordinarily provide, and no authority to make financial decisions for the participant. Our guide to how family caregivers get hired and paid under Wyoming's Community Choices Waiver walks through each rule.

Funded Respite Options in Wyoming

Funding path Who it is for What it covers Income test?
Community Choices Waiver (Medicaid) Wyoming adults 65+, or 19 to 64 with an SSA-verified disability, who pass the LT-101 nursing-facility level-of-care assessment Respite in the home or community, personal support services, adult day services, within the care plan Yes, Medicaid financial eligibility applies
NFCSP (via the Wyoming Aging Division) Adult family or informal caregivers of someone 60+, or of someone of any age with Alzheimer's disease or a related disorder Counseling, support groups, caregiver training, and respite where the person cared for is frail under the Older Americans Act Eligibility turns on the caregiving relationship, not a stated income limit
VA / PCAFC Approved Primary Family Caregivers of veterans who meet all of VA's PCAFC conditions, not enrollment alone At least 30 days of respite care a year VA may charge a respite copay based on disability status and finances
Adult day or short-term care Any family that needs a planned or emergency break Daytime care or a short stay Private pay, unless a program covers it

1. Community Choices Waiver Respite

If your loved one is on Wyoming Medicaid and meets the waiver's nursing-facility level of care, the Community Choices Waiver can fund respite as one of its named services, furnished on a short-term basis to give the usual caregivers relief. A case manager authorizes it based on assessed need, so it is a ceiling to plan within, not a set amount every family receives.

How much you get: Under the waiver CMS approved effective July 1, 2026, services are authorized by a case manager based on the participant's assessed need and are limited to the prorated equivalent of thirty days per service plan year. Any use of respite over nine hours in a day is billed as a daily unit, respite cannot be provided during the same hours as other waiver services, and it cannot be authorized because your loved one wants company or something recreational to do.

How to access: Call the Wyoming Medicaid HCBS Section at 1-800-510-0280 for Community Choices Waiver and participant-direction questions, and the Long-Term Care Eligibility Unit at 1-855-203-2936 for the financial side. Then ask your loved one's case manager to write respite hours into the authorized care plan.,,

Best for: Wyoming families whose loved one qualifies for the waiver and needs respite at home or in the community.

2. NFCSP Grants Through the Wyoming Aging Division

You do not have to be on Medicaid to get help here: the federal eligibility list for this program names no income limit. The National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP), funded under Title III-E of the Older Americans Act, is administered by the Wyoming Department of Health Aging Division (Community Living Section). Because Wyoming is a single planning and service area with no separate regional Area Agencies on Aging, the Aging Division delivers the program through grants to local providers. Its NFCSP page describes the help, offered in every county except Albany, Niobrara, Park, Platte, Sublette, Washakie and Weston, as respite support, support group connections and help with specific, needed services.,

Who qualifies: The Administration for Community Living states the eligible groups as adult family members or other informal caregivers of someone 60 or older; adult family members or other informal caregivers of someone of any age with Alzheimer's disease or a related disorder; older relatives 55 and older, other than the parents, caring for a child under 18; and older relatives 55 and older, parents included, caring for an adult aged 18 to 59 with a disability. That list turns on the caregiving relationship and the care recipient's age or condition, and it names no income limit. In Wyoming, the Aging Division's NFCSP page offers support for older relative caregivers 55 and older raising grandchildren or related children 17 or younger, or helping an adult 18 to 59 with a disability, in Johnson, Laramie and Sheridan counties. The statute adds that an older relative caregiver must live with, be the informal provider of in-home and community care to, and be the primary caregiver for the child or adult with a disability.

Respite carries one more condition, and it decides a respite request. Under the statute, respite care and supplemental services are available to a family caregiver only where the person cared for is an older individual the Act calls frail: unable to perform at least two activities of daily living without substantial human assistance, or, because of a cognitive or other mental impairment, needing substantial supervision because they behave in a way that poses a serious health or safety hazard. The first three service categories (information, help gaining access to services, and counseling, support groups and training) carry no such condition.

How much you get: NFCSP services are provided by an area agency on aging or an entity it contracts with, and supplemental services are provided on a limited basis. In Wyoming, the Aging Division fills that role through grants to local providers. Ask the Aging Division what respite it can fund in your area this month.

Respite vouchers in some counties: In Wyoming counties that do not currently have a Title III-E provider, the Aging Division runs a Respite Voucher Program instead. It is self-directed, so you find and line up the respite worker yourself. The worker must be at least 18 and can be anyone except immediate family living in the home. A caregiver who is already being paid to care for the person, for example through the Community Choices Waiver, is not eligible for the program.

How to access: Call the Wyoming Aging Division at 1-800-442-2766 to reach the NFCSP provider serving your area, or the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116 to find services in your community.,

Best for: Wyoming family caregivers, including those whose income sits above the Medicaid line.

3. Adult Day Programs

If what you need back is dependable daytime hours, adult day can be the answer. Adult day health care services provide supervision, engagement and structured daytime support.

Who pays: Adult Day Services is a named service under the Community Choices Waiver, so an eligible member's care plan can cover it. For a veteran, VA home respite can include attending an adult day health care program. Private pay is the fallback, and it is worth asking the Aging Division whether NFCSP respite funds can help in your area.,,

Finding programs: For local referrals, call the Wyoming Aging Division at 1-800-442-2766 or dial 211 for help locating state resources.

Best for: Caregivers who need dependable daytime coverage.

4. VA Respite for Veterans

If you are caring for a veteran, start here. All veterans enrolled in VA health care are eligible for VA respite care if they meet the clinical criteria for the service and it is available. VA delivers it as home respite (a substitute caregiver comes to the home, or the veteran attends an adult day health care program) or as a nursing home stay of a few days, scheduled in advance, and services vary by location.

Two conditions are easy to miss. If the respite comes from a community agency, an adult day health care center or a nursing home, the veteran also needs to meet VA's community care eligibility. And VA respite is not necessarily free: VA may charge a copay based on the veteran's service-connected disability status and financial information, although there is no copay for the first 21 days of extended care services VA provides in any 12-month period, and some veterans are exempt altogether. The veteran's VA social worker or case manager can work out the amount.

PCAFC respite: An approved Primary Family Caregiver in the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) receives at least 30 days of respite care per year as part of the benefit, along with caregiver training and counseling. A spouse can serve as the caregiver. VA's four published requirements (a VA disability rating of 70% or higher, discharge 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) are a first screen, and the veteran and caregiver apply together so VA can assess the program's other conditions.

How to access: Call the VA Caregiver Support Line at 1-855-260-3274, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time, or contact the veteran's VA social worker or case manager. The support line is not a crisis line: a veteran in crisis can call 988 and press 1, any hour of any day.,

Best for: Families of veterans enrolled in VA health care.

What Respite Care Costs in Wyoming

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. For adult day, the national median for adult day health care is $95 per day, which the CareScout 2025 Cost of Care Survey annualizes to $24,700 at five days a week. That is a provider rate rather than a family's net cost, and actual costs vary with local market conditions, so confirm the daily rate with programs near you.

Hiring an in-home aide privately is where Wyoming stands out, and not in your favor. In the CareScout 2025 Cost of Care Survey, Wyoming had the highest non-medical caregiver rate in the nation at about $46 an hour, well above the roughly $35-an-hour national median; on the survey's own basis of 44 hours of care a week, that is about $8,771 a month, or roughly $105,248 a year. That is what a family pays to hire help privately, not a caregiver's wage and not what the Community Choices Waiver pays a hired relative. If you are pricing a short stay in an assisted living community, Wyoming's assisted living median was about $5,325 a month (roughly $63,900 a year), below the national median of about $6,200 a month; that is a monthly residence rate, so ask each community what it charges for a short respite stay. These are industry-survey medians, not government figures, and a small, rural state like Wyoming can swing sharply year to year.

Here is how the funded options can stack for one family. If your mother is on the Community Choices Waiver, her case manager can authorize respite up to the thirty-day cap, and under participant direction an adult child who meets the provider qualifications and is not her legal guardian or Employer of Record can be hired as the paid worker. Whether NFCSP respite through the Aging Division can add hours on top is a question for the Aging Division: its Respite Voucher Program, for one, excludes a caregiver who is already being paid to provide the care.,,

Where the Funded Help Stops

The funded routes have edges worth knowing before you plan around them. Waiver respite is capped at the prorated equivalent of thirty days per service plan year. Enrollment is capped too. The renewal CMS approved effective July 1, 2026 sets a maximum of 2,891 unduplicated participants in waiver year 1, rising to 2,903 by year 5. Wyoming's HCBS waiver summary report showed no CCW wait list as of August 31, 2026, but that is a single snapshot, and enrollment still waits on the LT-101 assessment and financial eligibility, so ask the HCBS Section at 1-800-510-0280 what enrollment looks like now.,

Three more places to turn. First, ask the Wyoming Aging Division whether Wyoming has a program under the federal Lifespan Respite Care Program, which exists to expand, coordinate and improve access to planned and emergency respite rather than to pay for it all, or a statewide respite coalition; you can also search the National Respite Locator at archrespite.org. Second, dial 211 in Wyoming, or 888-425-7138, for help locating state resources when a crisis leaves no time to wait. Third, private pay, at rates like those above, can bridge a few weeks.,

How to Start in Wyoming

1
Step 1

Call the Wyoming Aging Division at 1-800-442-2766

Ask about NFCSP respite grants, caregiver counseling and referrals in your area.

2
Step 2

Call the Wyoming Medicaid HCBS Section at 1-800-510-0280 if your loved one may qualify for the Community Choices Waiver

Ask about the LT-101 level-of-care assessment, respite hours in the care plan, and hiring a relative under participant direction. For the financial side, call the Long-Term Care Eligibility Unit at 1-855-203-2936.

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, any copay, and eligibility for the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers.

4
Step 4

Dial 211 when you need to find resources fast

Wyoming's 211 line, toll free 888-425-7138, helps you locate state resources, such as adult day programs near you.

Wyoming Aging Division NFCSP respite, caregiver counseling and referrals. 1-800-442-2766 health.wyo.gov/aging
Wyoming Medicaid HCBS Section Community Choices Waiver questions, respite hours in the care plan, and participant direction (the Employer of Record option)., 1-800-510-0280 health.wyo.gov/healthcarefin/hcbs
Long-Term Care Eligibility Unit Financial eligibility for the Community Choices Waiver. 1-855-203-2936
VA Caregiver Support Line Help, support and referrals for family caregivers of veterans. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern; not a crisis line. 1-855-260-3274 caregiver.va.gov
Eldercare Locator Free nationwide service of the federal Administration for Community Living that connects you to services in your community, including the aging office serving your area, in-home help, and transportation. 1-800-677-1116 eldercare.acl.gov
Your next step Call the Wyoming Aging Division at 1-800-442-2766 to ask what respite it can fund for you this month, or the Wyoming Medicaid HCBS Section at 1-800-510-0280 about Community Choices Waiver respite.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Wyoming Medicaid cover respite care?

Yes. Wyoming's Medicaid Community Choices Waiver names respite care as a covered service for members determined, through an LT-101 assessment, to require a nursing-facility level of care. Respite is authorized inside the care plan by a case manager based on assessed need, up to the prorated equivalent of thirty days per service plan year. Contact the Wyoming Medicaid HCBS Section at 1-800-510-0280 about the waiver, and the Long-Term Care Eligibility Unit at 1-855-203-2936 about financial eligibility.,,

Can a family member be the paid respite worker in Wyoming?

Yes, through the Community Choices Waiver. The Wyoming CCW renewal effective July 1, 2026 lets a relative or spouse be paid for respite and other participant-directed services if they meet the waiver's provider qualifications and are not the participant's legal guardian or employer of record. A spouse qualifies only when the care needed goes beyond what a spouse would ordinarily do and there is no evidence the spouse is authorized to make financial decisions for the participant. The Aging Division's Respite Voucher Program, offered only in counties without a Title III-E provider, is different: its respite worker can be anyone 18 or older except immediate family living in the home. Ask Wyoming Medicaid HCBS at 1-800-510-0280 how to set up participant direction.

Is there respite help in Wyoming if we don't have Medicaid?

Yes. The Wyoming Department of Health Aging Division runs the NFCSP, which funds respite care, and eligibility turns on the caregiving relationship and the care recipient's age or condition rather than a stated income limit. For respite specifically, a family caregiver qualifies only where the person cared for is an older individual who meets the Older Americans Act's definition of frail. Call the Aging Division at 1-800-442-2766, or the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116.,,

How does a veteran family in Wyoming access VA respite?

Enrolled veterans are eligible for VA respite if they meet the clinical criteria for the service and it is available, and respite from a community agency, adult day health care center or nursing home also requires community care eligibility. A copay may apply. An approved Primary Family Caregiver in PCAFC, which requires among other conditions a VA disability rating of 70% or higher, receives at least 30 days of respite care a year as part of the benefit. Call the VA Caregiver Support Line at 1-855-260-3274 to start.,,

What does adult day care cost in Wyoming?

The national median for adult day health care is $95 per day, which the CareScout 2025 Cost of Care Survey annualizes to $24,700 at five days a week; that is a provider rate, and local rates vary. The Community Choices Waiver covers adult day services for eligible members. Call 1-800-442-2766 or 211 for local referrals.,,

What if the waiver and the grants don't cover us?

Do not wait empty-handed. Ask the Wyoming Aging Division whether Wyoming has a federal Lifespan Respite Care Program grant or a statewide respite coalition, search the National Respite Locator at archrespite.org, and dial 211 for help locating state resources. Call 1-800-442-2766 to start.,

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, NFCSP respite with no income test, Medicaid and VA respite, and every state guide. CaregiverHow to Get Paid as a Family Caregiver in WyomingWyoming's HCBS waiver and VA benefits are the main routes to paid family caregiving. Confirm family-hire rules with WY Medicaid at 1-307-777-7531. 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. VA BenefitsVA Aid and Attendance in WyomingVA Aid and Attendance in Wyoming for 2026: who qualifies, maximum rates up to $34,488 a year, how to apply, and free help from Wyoming service officers. Care TypesThe Cost of Senior Care in WyomingWhat senior care costs in Wyoming in 2026: assisted living runs about $5,325 a month, a nursing home about $118,990 a year. See every setting and how to pay. CaregiverWyoming Community Choices Waiver: How Family Caregivers Get Hired and PaidA relative can be paid under Wyoming's Community Choices Waiver. Its 2026 fee schedule lists $3.80 per 15 minutes for participant-directed personal support.

Find personalized help navigating respite care options in Wyoming 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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