Who Qualifies for Respite Care?

Family caregivers provide most of the long-term care in the United States, often for years and often at real cost to their own health, jobs and finances. Respite care gives them a break: someone else provides care for a few hours, a day or a short stay so the caregiver can rest, run errands, work, travel or recover from their own illness. Long-Term Care Medicaid can pay for respite care in many states. This guide explains what respite care is, who qualifies and other ways to get it.

Figures change periodically. Double-check current amounts before relying on them.

What respite care is

Respite care is short-term, temporary care for a person who normally receives care from a family member or friend. It can take several forms:

The goal is to support the caregiver so care at home can continue.

Medicaid and respite care

Through HCBS waivers

Most Medicaid respite care is offered through home and community-based services (HCBS) waivers. Respite is one of the most common waiver services. To get it, the person receiving care usually must:

1. be 65 or older, blind or disabled;
2. meet the waiver’s medical test, often nursing home level of care;
3. meet the waiver’s financial rules: assets at or under the state’s limit (often $2,000 for a single person in 2026), and income under the program’s limit (often $2,982 a month in 2026);
4. have a family member or other unpaid caregiver who needs relief;
5. be enrolled in the waiver, which may have a waitlist.

Note that the person receiving care, not the caregiver, is the one who must qualify. The caregiver’s own income and assets do not count unless the caregiver is the person’s spouse, in which case the spousal rules apply.

How much respite?

Waivers usually limit respite, for example to a certain number of hours or days a year. The limit, and whether respite can be in a facility, varies by state and waiver.

Through other Medicaid programs

Some states offer respite through state plan programs, Community First Choice or programs for people with specific conditions, such as dementia or developmental disabilities.

Other sources of respite help

Respite help is also available outside Medicaid:

• Medicare hospice benefit. For a person in hospice care at home, Medicare covers short inpatient respite stays, up to five days at a time, with a small coinsurance, so the caregiver can rest.
• Older Americans Act programs. The National Family Caregiver Support Program, run through local Area Agencies on Aging, can provide respite and caregiver support. It does not use Medicaid’s financial rules, though programs may prioritize people with greater need.
• Lifespan Respite programs in many states help families find and pay for respite.
• Veterans Affairs. The VA offers respite care for eligible veterans enrolled in VA health care, in the home, at adult day centers or in VA community living centers.
• State-funded programs for caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s disease or other conditions.
• Long-term care insurance. Many policies include a respite benefit.
• Private pay. Many home care agencies, adult day centers and assisted living residences offer respite for a daily or hourly fee.

A worked example

Carol, 58, cares for her mother, June, 84, who has Alzheimer’s disease and lives with her. Carol works part-time and has not had a full day off in a year.

• June’s finances: $1,500 a month in Social Security and $1,600 in savings.
• June’s needs: help with bathing, dressing and toileting, and constant supervision. She meets nursing home level of care.
• Program: June enrolls in her state’s HCBS waiver for older adults.
• Respite: The waiver approves adult day care three days a week, so Carol can work, and up to 14 days a year of facility respite. Carol uses a week of facility respite to have knee surgery.
• Other help: Carol joins a caregiver support group through the local Area Agency on Aging, which also offers a few free hours of in-home respite each month.

Choosing a respite provider

Questions to ask:

• Is the provider approved to accept Medicaid waiver payment?
• What training do staff have, especially for dementia care?
• How far in advance must respite be scheduled?
• For facility respite: are there beds for short stays? What should the person bring?
• How will medications be handled?
• What happens in an emergency?

A short trial, such as a half-day at an adult day center, helps the person get used to a new setting before a longer stay.

Respite in a nursing home and Medicaid

A short respite stay in a nursing home is different from long-term admission. For a person on a waiver, facility respite may be paid under the waiver for a limited number of days. For someone not on Medicaid, a respite stay is usually paid privately. It does not, by itself, start the “continuous period of institutionalization” that sets the snapshot date for married couples, because it is not expected to last 30 days. If a respite stay turns into a long-term admission, talk to a planner about how that affects the application.

Why respite matters for planning

Caregiver burnout is one of the most common reasons a person moves to a nursing home earlier than planned. Regular respite can help keep care at home sustainable for longer, which most families prefer and which often costs less. Building respite into the care plan from the start, and using available Medicaid and community programs, is part of good long-term care planning.

Common questions

Does the caregiver have to qualify? No. The person receiving care must qualify for Medicaid. The caregiver’s own finances are not counted unless they are spouses.

Can respite be used so I can go on vacation? Yes. Respite is meant to give the caregiver a break for any reason.

Can I be paid as a caregiver and also get respite? In many states, yes, if the person is in a self-directed program. Respite would then cover care when the paid family caregiver is off.

What if there is a waitlist for the waiver? Look into Area Agency on Aging programs, Lifespan Respite and VA programs while waiting.

Does Medicare pay for respite care? Only as part of the hospice benefit. Medicare does not pay for respite otherwise.

How soon can respite start? It depends on the program. Waiver respite usually requires enrollment first; community programs may be quicker.

Steps to take

1. Assess the caregiver’s needs as well as the care recipient’s. How much help, how often?
2. Check the state’s waivers for respite benefits in the state guide.
3. Contact the local Area Agency on Aging about caregiver programs.
4. If the person is a veteran, ask the VA about respite.
5. Talk with a Certified Medicaid Planner (CMP) about whether the person can qualify for a waiver and how to plan the finances.

Taking care of the caregiver

Respite is only one part of supporting a family caregiver. Others include:

• Caregiver training, offered by many waivers and community programs, on safe transfers, dementia behaviors and medication management.
• Support groups, in person or online, for caregivers of people with dementia, Parkinson’s disease or other conditions.
• Counseling for the stress and grief that come with caregiving.
• Workplace leave. The federal Family and Medical Leave Act lets eligible employees take unpaid, job-protected leave to care for a parent or spouse with a serious health condition. Some states offer paid family leave.
• Tax help. A caregiver who pays more than half of a parent’s support may be able to claim the parent as a dependent, and some care costs may be deductible as medical expenses. A tax professional can advise.

Caregivers who look after themselves are able to provide care longer. Asking for help is part of good planning, not a sign of failure.

Key terms

Related guides

• Who qualifies for in-home care?
• What counts as long-term care?
• The three kinds of Long-Term Care Medicaid
• Nursing home level of care

Last updated for 2026. General information only, not legal or financial advice. Medicaid Answers is a free educational resource published by Medicaid Answers Foundation.