Respite Care
Respite care is designed to provide relief to those who are caring for a loved who requires intensive care. It can be planned for a few hours a week, a few days a week, or weeks at a time.
Hospice respite care programs are designed to provide temporary, short-term assistance in caring for an individual who has a terminal illness. It is intended to allow the caregivers, often the spouse, children or family member, to take some time away from the patient, and even allow the patient some time away from the caregiver.
Respite care can be provided through an inpatient hospice unit, a hospice house, a nursing home, or an acute care hospital that has dedicated hospice beds.
What is Respite Care for Hospice Caregivers?
The word “respite” means rest or relief. Respite care is a gift of time or “relief”, provided by hospice care professionals, volunteers and other family members, for the maximum of five days, to the primary caregivers of terminally ill patients.
Reasons for Respite Care
- Hospitalization of caregiver
- Caregiver breakdown
- Travel out of state
- Family functions
- Family vacation
Requesting Respite Care
- Any person authorized to discuss the patient’s plan of care can request respite care. It should be discussed with the patients RN case manager and or social worker.
- Respite can be arranged with Connecticut Hospice intake department by an RN case manager or social worker.
Other Benefits & Details
- Respite care patients are provided with 24-hour care by on-site, specialized professionals.
- Respite care patients are entitled to ALL services a hospice benefit patient receives.
- A patient can transition from respite care to inpatient hospice, but they must have active, unmanaged symptoms that make them eligible for the higher level of hospice care.
- A patient cannot switch to palliative care if in respite care since he or she has to revoke the hospice benefit if seeking treatment.
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