Respite care is a short-term stay in an assisted living or residential care facility. It is often used when the primary caregiver will be unavailable for a short period of time. It also may be used by seniors that want to check out a senior living facility before committing to move in.
How Long is a Respite Stay?
Respite care is a somewhat generic term meaning a shorter term stay. Some people define it as 30 days or less. Some people will define it as 60 days or less. Usually it needs to be a two-week minimum.
Short stays in assisted living or residential care facility are possible for a variety of reasons.
- Sometimes a family member that’s the primary caregiver is going out of town or on a vacation or needs to travel.
- Sometimes the primary caregiver is in the hospital dealing with something.
- Some people might do it because they don’t want to commit to moving into a facility without first checking it out. Depending on how that respite stay goes, then they stay longer or move in.
Those are a few examples of a short term or a shorter term stay.
Watch the video now! Prefer to read? Here’s the gist of what else senior placement experts, Todd and Kelley, spoke about in this video clip.
What Are the Costs of Respite Stays?
It’s important to know that respite stays are generally going to cost a little bit more money per day than a longer term stay. It depends on the level of care needed, so we won’t really talk about the costs so much. Just know it costs a little bit more for the shorter duration of stay.
Do All Communities Allow Respite Stays?
Most communities are open and available for respite depending on their availability of apartments, their caregiving availability, and the potential residents’ needs.
Another thing I wanted to mention about a respite stay is that it’s important to be very clear with the providers as you’re looking, to be sure they know you are looking for a short term stay.
