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Topic for this month:
Respite Care
One of VA’s Home and Community Services is Respite Care. The Respite Care program pays for care for a short time when family caregivers need a break, need to run errands, or need to go out of town for a few days.
The program is for Veterans who need help with activities of daily living. Examples include help with bathing, dressing or fixing meals. Respite Care can be used in combination with other Home and Community Based Services. Since Respite Care is part of the VHA Standard Medical Benefits Package, all enrolled Veterans are eligible IF they meet the clinical need for the service.
Respite Care, described in more detail in this video, can be helpful to Veterans of all ages, and their caregivers. Respite Care can help lower the stress Veterans and their family caregivers may feel when managing a Veteran’s short-term or long-term care needs at home. Caregiver support is essential to the optimal care of Veterans. There are two types of Respite Care:
Home Respite Care is a service that pays for a person to come to a Veteran’s home or for a Veteran to go to an Adult Day Health Care program while their family caregiver takes a break or runs errands.
Nursing Home Respite Care is a service that pays for a Veteran to go to a nursing home while the family goes out of town for a few days without worrying about leaving the Veteran alone at home. Nursing home respite may take place in a VA Community Living Center or a community nursing home and is available for a maximum of 30 days each calendar year. This type of respite should be scheduled in advance. Services may vary by location.
To learn more about services and resources for Veterans and their caregivers, visit www.va.gov/Geriatrics.
