Share This
Print
E-mail
Lifespan Respite Care Program
What is Respite Care?
Respite care is care provided to an individual with the specific objective of providing temporary relief for their primary caregiver. Typically this comes in the form of caregiving assistance for several hours at a time, several times per week.
What is Lifespan Respite Care?
Lifespan Respite Care is not one specific program but rather it is a federal act authorized by Congress that provides grants to the individual states. There have been 3 rounds of grants to establish Lifespan Respite Care Programs in 30 states. The exact services and procedures are specific to the individual state though all programs share certain components. The grants are intended to improve access to respite care and to that end each state strives to raise awareness that respite care services exist through public messaging and by offering a database of local respite care service providers to allow individuals to search for providers and sort the results to meet their eligibility criteria.
Who Qualifies for Lifespan Respite Care?
The Lifespan Respite Care Act specifies that the respite care services are to be provided to persons of any age with special needs. Congress defines "special needs" as individuals requiring care or supervision to meet their basis needs, prevent self-injury or injury to others and to avoid placement in an institutional facility.
Which States offer Lifespan Respite Care Programs?
Congress has made 3 rounds of grants to the following 30 states. Some of these grants were made as recently as 2011 and therefore those states' Lifespan Respite Programs might be in the early stages of development. Click on the state names to go to an external webpage with more information on that state's Lifespan program.
Alabama
Arizona
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
District of Columbia
Hawaii
Illinois
Kansas
Louisiana
Massachusetts
Minnesota
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New York
North Carolina
Ohio
Oklahoma
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Virginia
Washington State
Wisconsin
Alabama
Arizona
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
District of Columbia
Hawaii
Illinois
Kansas
Louisiana
Massachusetts
Minnesota
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New York
North Carolina
Ohio
Oklahoma
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Virginia
Washington State
Wisconsin
How do I apply for Lifespan Respite Care?
Congress selects a lead agency in each state to which they provide a grant. The lead agency is different in every state and therefore the process by which one applies for Lifespan Respite Care is different in each state. To learn more about how to apply, click on the State link above.
Use our Eldercare Financial Resource Locator Tool to find other public and private programs that can help pay for or reduce the costs of long term care for the elderly.
Use our Eldercare Financial Resource Locator Tool to find other public and private programs that can help pay for or reduce the costs of long term care for the elderly.
