Here in Florida, respite care is a short-term care service designed to provide relief for family caregivers while ensuring their loved one continues to receive high-quality, compassionate care at home. A trained care provider can assist with activities of daily living, including bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, mobility, meal preparation, medication reminders, companionship, and other daily tasks, allowing caregivers the flexibility to rest, work, run errands, attend appointments, take a vacation, or simply recharge – knowing their loved one is receiving compassionate, dependable care at home.
Respite care is most often provided for an unpaid caregiver, like a family member or friend, but it can also be used to give any primary caregiver a much-needed break.
Why is respite care needed?
Providing care for a loved one so they can continue to live at home, as independently as possible, is an incredible and necessary service. At the same time, it can be demanding and can be physically and mentally exhausting. Caregivers deserve rest, too.
Respite care gives the primary caregiver a break so that they can rest and recharge. They may use the time for self-care, running their own errands, taking care of personal tasks, or just relaxing and visiting friends or family. The better the primary caregiver takes care of themself, the better they can care for their loved one who needs help.
An estimated 44 million Americans give 37 billion hours of unpaid care to adult family members or friends who need help with activities of daily living, according to the Family Caregiver Alliance. Trusted care providers referred by Atlantic In-Home Care are here to help caregivers in the Treasure Coast avoid exhaustion and burnout.
Who pays for respite care in Florida?
Respite care is often paid for through long-term care insurance or out of pocket. There are many ways to pay for respite care, and respite care may be more affordable than you think. Friends and family may chip in resources for professional in-home respite care to support the primary caregiver. Other options include private long-term care insurance, some Florida Medicaid Long-Term Care plans, VA Aid and Attendance program benefits for military veterans, and some Medicare Supplement plans. We accept referrals from the Agency for Persons with Disabilities, too.
See our blog for the details of how to pay for respite care in Florida.
How many hours of respite care are you allowed?
In Florida, the number of hours of respite care allowed depends on the program. If you’re paying out of pocket, there is no limit to the number of hours of respite care you can provide to support the primary caregiver.
For other programs, such as Florida Medicaid Long-Term Care, VA benefits, Medicare hospice respite care, Florida’s Alzheimer’s Disease Initiative, and private long-term care insurance, the amount of respite care available depends on the specific payer or program and is typically determined by an assessment of the individual’s care needs. Some programs may cover up to 10 consecutive days of 24-hour respite care, while others provide a designated number of respite hours each year. Coverage, eligibility, and authorization requirements vary by payer.
How can you find trusted, reputable respite care?
If your loved one is in the Port St. Lucie area – or anywhere on Florida’s Treasure Coast – contact us for compassionate, reliable respite care. We always encourage reading Google reviews from people who have personally experienced respite care services; you can read our dozens of 5-star reviews for home care on our website or our Google listing.
The first step is to reach out and ask for help. It’s critical to act quickly to prevent exhaustion and burnout of your loved one’s primary caregiver – which we know may be you. Contact us to find out more, either through the Atlantic In-Home Care website or at (772) 773-6994. We answer our phones 24/7 and can provide a free in-home assessment so that you know exactly what to expect.
