Where Can I Find Affordable Respite Care for Family Caregivers?

Affordable respite care is available in most communities. You can find professional replacement support for short periods — a day to a week and more — with agencies and organizations that specialize in elder care.

Community initiatives may also offer relief resources to caregivers, often based on income, to ensure affordability and provide options so they can engage in self-care and refresh their bodies and minds to effectively continue looking after loved ones.

What Is Affordable Respite Care?

What affordable care looks like to one family may be costly to another. Consider the national averages to better understand what respite services may cost daily or weekly and how that fits into what you can afford. The price will also vary depending on the state, cities versus towns and the type of relief you need.

Respite Care Costs per Week

The Genworth survey of 2024’s cost of elder care provides real-world figures from 383 cities across 50 states to help estimate what services cost in 2024. Respite services will rarely exceed a month in total, so the figures below consider the cost per day and week for part-time and full-time assistance. Data is not available for private or community-based initiatives.

Methods for Choosing Respite Care Services

To evaluate which companies offer quality respite or relief options, look at what services each provides, the cost and the satisfaction ratings of the business. Star ratings with reputable organizations like Birdeye and Yelp for customer reviews and Glassdoor or Indeed for staff feedback show whether an agency is popular with customers and employees.

After all, the quality of a company’s staff and their happiness reflects how they will work with your loved one while you are away. Most services won’t publicize their hourly rate, which is dependent on location and the type of care needed, but payment options like flexibility, insurance affiliation and payment scales tell you what to expect.

Best of the Best: Where Can I Find Affordable Respite Care for Family Caregivers?

Professional relief can make all the difference between a worry-free trip away from your loved one and fretting about their health, safety and happiness while you are unable to personally care for them. Several caregiving organizations and companies offer unique services geared to helping primary carers take much-needed break-away time.

Village Caregiving

Village Caregiving assists older people with services that let them age in place through carers who come to your home to provide companionship, daily assistance and nonmedical help. The agency operates from more than 65 locations nationally.

The trained, compassionate carers easily relieve you from your daily responsibilities so you can take a break, go to appointments or socialize with friends. Respite is a temporary service that’s ideal for short breaks or a brief holiday, knowing your loved one will receive attentive help.

• Cost: The services come at an affordable hourly rate.
• Services: Arrange for services ahead of time, as Village Caregiving can’t guarantee staff availability for emergencies. Assistive services include meal preparation, medication reminders, ambulation aiding and calling 911 during emergencies. Backup carers are available for extended service if your needs change. They provide supervision and companionship for the elderly as well as basic housekeeping and daily living assistance.

Right at Home

Right at Home provides safe and understanding companionship to older people in their homes. The service is available from 700 locations around the world, and local branches offer dynamic support. The online “family room” feature lets you connect in real time with caregivers and manage scheduling and events.

The services address mental, physical and emotional needs to ensure your loved one has all their requirements covered. Assistance is available on flexible schedules with easy booking to create as much time as the primary carer needs to revitalize and rest.

• Cost: Billed hourly
• Services: Various services help you take a break while knowing your family member is well-cared for. A matched carer will follow your daily plan, offering company, fulfilling homemaking tasks, preparing light meals and assisting with mobility. If a registered nurse is available in your area, they may help with medical needs.

Senior Helpers

Sign up for quality carers who offer temporary relief when you contact Senior Helpers to book some time off. Branch managers will closely match your loved one’s preferences to their available staff to find a suitable carer. With a focus on dependability and uninterrupted services to maintain home stability and peace of mind, Senior Helpers is a great option for respite needs.

Letting go of your responsibilities when you take respite leave is challenging. You’ve always been responsible, but thanks to Senior Helpers, you remain informed of what happens, so you know your family member is safe when you’re not there.

• Cost: Depends on the level of needs required.
• Services: Open communication lets you remotely keep in touch with your loved one’s caregiver. General services include daily living assistance, personal hygiene, dressing and mobility help, and light housekeeping and meal preparation. The companionship is excellent, and experienced carers support older adults with mental health challenges.

BrightStar Care

BrightStar Care has 20 years of experience offering professional services and respite support that include personalized client care. With over 400 locations across 41 states providing quality aging-care services, you will find a suitable relief person to step into your capable shoes. Caring staff focus on small, daily celebrations to improve your loved one’s quality of life.

Unlike many agencies, Bright Star has carers trained to provide support to elderly clients, those with disabilities and children with special needs. The service providers offer kind management of memory care and all age-related guidance to keep your loved one comfortable and well looked after.

• Cost: It depends on location, insurance coverage and financial assistance programs.
• Services: Temporary aid involves companionship, personal hygiene, memory support, skilled nursing for medical help and specialized care.

The Key

Schedule your unique relief needs with The Key and receive quality assistance that will let you take a break with peace of mind about your loved one’s needs. The responsive, professional staff provides a positive and empowering approach to senior living. Carers support their clients’ passions and lifestyles, which makes this an ideal choice for at-home support and respite services.

The Key offers hourly, daily and weekly relief companionship. The company also has live-in care for your 24-hour daily needs, with multiple carers working in shifts so they are always fresh and best able to help.

• Cost: Affordable pricing and cost-effective plans.
• Services: The respite services are similar to regular in-home options, including companionship, medication reminders, meal prep and transportation. While medical services aren’t always available at all franchises, staff offer mental stimulation and meaningful activities at home. For advanced needs, a concierge nurse is on call in some areas.

Visiting Angels

With a track record spanning decades since 1998, Visiting Angels is a tried-and-tested name in home care. The flexible approach to respite planning is a real winner and ensures customers receive personalized services with carers who match them perfectly.

The home care consultation determines the relief needs, and a care manager draws up a unique plan to meet your requirements. This ensures your loved one will experience as little disruption as possible while you take respite time.

• Cost: Billed per hour with minimum visit lengths.
• Services: Access fast-track services for short notice needs. Schedule assistance for anything from a few hours to overnight or weekly relief and 24-hour care. Enjoy true peace of mind with the respectful, caring and compassionate service that staff shows your loved one. Basic offerings include hygiene and dressing aid, meal planning and preparation, medication reminders and light housekeeping. Specialized memory support is also available in some areas.

First Light Home Care

Even though respite care is temporary, First Light Home Care’s trained staff focus on building a caring relationship with your family member. By offering integrity and joyful support, they connect with their clients and make a difference daily. Caretakers become like family.

Book sessions according to your relief needs, choosing a few hours, a day or longer to ensure you can rest and take care of yourself and your other family members.

• Cost: Pricing depends on what services you choose and the location. Veterans’ benefits apply, as do government programs to aid in payment.
• Services: Staff provides basic offerings like companionship, household aid, meal preparation and transportation, mobility help and personal hygiene tasks. Services depend on what is available at each office. Disability and transition care offer unique solutions to challenges.

Where to Find Affordable Community-Based Respite Care

If you have a tight-knit community, you may find care options and assistance programs that are low-cost or free to support those in need. Adult day services may cost an average of $100 per day, but each facility determines its own pricing and may offer discounts to help cash-strapped caregivers take much-needed breaks. Local nonprofit organizations may also provide temporary services to help families when a carer has to leave home for a few days.

Caregivers often connect on social media, exchanging ideas and offering support. You may find a local carer who is willing to swap shifts with you to match a few hours of relief needed for an activity or appointment you want to attend.

While a fellow carer or local services are affordable, they may only apply if the older person in your care requires minimal help and limited medical or critical assistance. If they have a mental health challenge like Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, you may want to get specialized aid from trained caregivers who know what managing someone with challenges is like. This is where professional caregiving services are most valuable.

What Is Included in Respite Care?

You always give your best to your family members, meeting their every need day and night, but what about your needs? That’s why respite care means so much. It’s your opportunity to take time off, rest, decompress, and revive your body and mind. Temporary support is vital to keep you from feeling resentment toward your loved one when you are at the point of burnout.

Each service provider’s respite care options will depend on their staff skills and training as well as availability. If you require a qualified nurse caregiver to tend to medical needs, you would likely need to use a service that offers this. Most relief options include basic features like:

• Housekeeping
• Personal care
• Medication reminders
• Transportation
• Ambulation
• Companionship

How to Prepare for Respite Care

Your loved one may find it challenging to be without your daily care while you take a break. However, with careful preparation, you can help them transition seamlessly to respite support. When older people understand they are only temporarily using a service and can still retain contact with their family, they are more likely to adapt to the short interruption to their schedule.

Ensure you brief the relief carer on their client’s needs, preferences and habits to limit disruptions and maintain daily stability.

Why Respite Care Matters

As the primary caregiver, you may become physically and emotionally drained by the hours of constant attention your loved one needs. Taking a break can help you recover and regain the motivation and energy to resume your caring duties. A carer can help you take that break or vacation without any fear for your loved one’s well-being or comfort.

Finding Emergency Respite Care Near You

What do you do when you need immediate relief? Perhaps you’ve been in an accident and can’t tend to your normal duties, or you have to go away for an emergency, in which case, you will need immediate support. This usually takes the form of a carer who quickly steps into your shoes to care for your loved one.

The best options are:

• Searching for in-home health aid or elder care professionals and agencies in your area.
• Advertising on community groups for a private carer with immediate availability. This delivers results but carries the risk of using someone you know nothing about.
• Finding a community-based option such as adult day services, a homemaker service or a highly recommended home health aid.

Affordable Respite Care Available Now

Respite options are available near you today. Simply contact an appropriate agency for a qualified carer to assist you with carrying the compassion flag while you step away to get some much-needed you-time. Qualified carers can provide memory and personal support while ensuring clients eat nutritious meals and have companionship as needed.

Take a break today with these affordable respite caregivers ready to assist you when you need it.