Part of the Florida Respite Coalition’s mission is to educate the public about respite care. FRC is committed to ensuring education on what respite care is and how respite care benefits families and caregivers.
Here are some of the most Frequently Asked Questions:
Respite care is the temporary relief provided to families and caregivers to give them a break from the extraordinary demands of caring for an individual with disabilities, illness or special needs. Respite allows families and caregivers to attend to personal needs, avoid burnout, renew energy. The break enhances their ability to provide future care. Respite can also be used to assist families during emergencies when the caregiver is unable to provide care.
Family members, guardians or other adults providing ongoing, unpaid care to an infant, child, adult or elder with a special need may benefit from respite care.
Respite care is provided by a variety of not-for-profit agencies, for-profit facilities, faith-based organizations and individuals. Respite care workers can include volunteers, healthcare paraprofessionals, certified nursing assistants or registered nurses.
Respite care is funded through a variety of sources including private pay, Medicaid-Waiver and other public funds.
Respite care is provided primarily in one of three ways. Care can be provided in the home allowing the caregiver to leave. The caregiver can also use a center-based facility where the care receiver is placed for a short term period. These facilities are typically funded for respite care and staffed by respite care workers. Care may also be provided in the home of the respite care worker.
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Contact Janet Hassell, information and referral coordinator, at the Florida Respite Coalition or search the FRC Caregiver Locator.
Caregivers are people caring for an individual with special needs in a home environment. They may or may not be a family member.
Lifespan means respite care is available based on a family's particular need, not on categories like age, disability or income.
Become involved with the Florida Respite Coalition and contact your local legislators to voice your support for Lifespan Respite Care.
Caregiving touches one out of three people. Perhaps you are already caring for a loved one, will be caring for a loved one in the near future or may need care yourself. Respite services support the caregiver and can help stabilize families, strengthen marriages, revitalize the caregiver’s energy, enhance the ability of the caregiver to perform daily tasks, help the caregiver to avoid burnout, and increase the likelihood that the loved one receiving care can be maintained in the home. With the support of respite care services, families may not only reduce or avoid the high costs of facility or other out-of-home placements but also keep their family unit intact.