Respite Care

Short-Term Respite Care

We offer short-term 24/7 respite care for up to five (5) days in our in-patient facility. Respite care provides temporary relief to caregivers, helping to ease the burden for families and caregivers, many of whom experience periods of emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion while caring for loved ones.

Respite care has also been shown to be beneficial for patients, offering a change in routine, the company of others, and, at Connecticut Hospice, the ambiance of our beautiful waterfront facility.

Reasons for Respite Care

Hospitalization of caregiver
Caregiver breakdown
Travel out of state
Family functions
Family vacation

Smiling elderly couple, wofe pushing husband in wheen chair.

Respite Requirements & Eligibility

A patient must be signed onto a hospice benefit plan of care.
A respite stay is for a maximum of 5 days and cannot exceed that amount.
A maximum of two (2) 5-day stays allowed in the first 180 days, one (1) per 90-day certification period. The respite stays must be in different certification periods.
After the first two 90-day certification periods, the certification periods change to 60 days each, which allows for respite care for a maximum of 5 days in a 60-day period.
Medicare and Medicaid Hospice cover respite care. Connecticut Hospice accepts private insurance for respite care through Anthem

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.