Caregiver burnout: where to get respite care

Updated October 6, 2026 · General information, not professional advice

Signs of caregiver burnout

Burnout builds slowly. Common signs include:

• Constant exhaustion, even after sleep.
• Getting sick more often, or skipping your own doctor visits.
• Feeling irritable, resentful, hopeless or numb.
• Losing interest in things you used to enjoy, pulling away from friends.
• Trouble focusing at work, or worries about losing your job.
• Feeling you can't leave your parent alone for even an hour.

These are signals that you need more help, not signs of failure. If you ever feel you might harm yourself or the person you care for, call or text 988 right away.

Types of respite care

• In-home respite: an aide or companion comes for a few hours or overnight.
• Adult day programs: daytime supervision, meals and activities in a group setting. A national cost survey put the median at $95 a day in 2025.
• Short-term residential respite: a stay of a few days or weeks in assisted living, memory care or a nursing home.
• Informal respite: family, friends, faith groups or volunteers taking regular shifts.

Where to get respite care and who pays

• Area Agency on Aging: runs the National Family Caregiver Support Program, which can include respite, counseling and training. Call the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116.
• Medicaid: many state waiver programs include respite for people who qualify.
• VA: enrolled veterans who meet clinical criteria can get respite care at home, in adult day health care, or in a nursing home. VA nursing home respite is available for 30 days each calendar year.
• Medicare hospice: if your parent is on hospice, Medicare covers inpatient respite in an approved facility for up to 5 days at a time; your parent may pay 5% of the Medicare-approved amount.
• Medicare GUIDE model: for eligible people with dementia whose provider participates, up to $2,500 a year in respite services.
• Long-term care insurance: many policies include respite benefits.
• National respite locator: the ARCH National Respite Network lists programs by state.

How to set up respite

1. Decide what kind of break you need: a few hours a week, a regular day off, or a week away.
2. Call your Area Agency on Aging and ask about caregiver support and respite programs.
3. Check whether your parent qualifies for Medicaid, VA, hospice or GUIDE services.
4. Tour adult day programs or facilities that take short stays; many need paperwork and a health assessment in advance.
5. Start small so your parent gets used to the new person or place.

seniorcare.si can show licensed home care agencies, adult day programs and assisted living communities near your ZIP code that offer respite.

Making respite work for a parent with dementia

Changes in routine can upset someone with dementia, which makes some caregivers give up on respite after one hard visit. A few steps help:

• Start with short visits from the same aide at the same time each week.
• Stay home the first few times while the new caregiver takes over a task.
• Share a one-page sheet about your parent: what calms them, favorite topics, daily routine and warning signs.
• For adult day programs, try two or three days in a row at first so the place becomes familiar.
• Ask whether the program has staff trained in dementia care.

It is normal for a parent to protest at first. Many settle in after a few weeks, and a rested caregiver provides better care.

Protect your own health and job

• Keep your own medical appointments.
• Join a caregiver support group, in person or online.
• Ask your employer about leave. The federal Family and Medical Leave Act gives eligible employees up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave a year to care for a parent with a serious health condition. Some states also offer paid family leave.
• Ask siblings for specific help: a set day each week, paying for an aide, or handling bills.