In Home Respite Care: Where to Start

If you're a family caregiver reading this because you're exhausted, this is exactly the kind of support built for where you are right now.

What In-Home Respite Care Actually Is

Respite care means someone else takes over caregiving duties temporarily — a few hours, a day, or longer — so the primary family caregiver can rest, run errands, see their own doctor, or simply step away. In-home respite specifically means this happens in the person's own home, rather than moving them to a facility for the break.

How Much You Actually Need

There's no standard amount — some families need a few hours a week just to breathe, others need a full day periodically, and some need it during a specific crunch (a family caregiver's own medical procedure, a trip that can't be avoided). Start by being honest about what's actually unsustainable right now, not what feels like it "should" be enough.

Where the Funding Can Come From

Respite care is often paid privately, but it doesn't have to be. If a veteran is involved, VA respite care benefits may apply — we've written a full guide to VA respite specifically. Some Medicaid programs and Area Agencies on Aging also offer respite funding or subsidized options, worth checking with your local resources.

Why Families Wait Too Long to Start

A lot of caregivers don't ask for respite until they're already burned out, assuming they should be able to handle it alone, or worried that needing a break means they're failing. Neither is true — we've written specifically about caregiver burnout warning signs if that's where you're at, but the honest advice is to start respite before you feel like you desperately need it, not after.

What to Look For in a Respite Provider

Someone your loved one is actually comfortable with, reliability you can count on (respite only works if you can trust it'll happen when scheduled), and a provider who communicates clearly about how things went while you were away.

How Interim Approaches Respite

We're a non-medical home care agency, and respite is one of the most common reasons families first call us — not necessarily a crisis, just the recognition that consistent relief needs to be part of the plan.

Our 7th Week Guarantee

No long contracts. If you don't feel the difference after six weeks of care at 20 or more hours a week, your seventh week is free.

Get Started

Call us at (801) 401-3515. If you're exhausted, that's reason enough to call.

Learn more about our respite care services, VA respite care benefits, and caregiver burnout warning signs.