How respite stays work
Many assisted living and memory care communities accept short-term residents when they have a furnished apartment open. Mom gets the same meals, care, and activities as other residents. Communities usually need a health assessment and a minimum stay, and pricing is often daily. Ask each one.
Why families use it
- Caregiver break: a vacation, a surgery of your own, or just rest
- After a hospital or rehab stay, when Mom isn't ready to be alone
- A trial run before a permanent move
- Hurricane season, for a parent who lives alone
Adult day programs
For daytime breaks, adult day programs offer supervision, activities, and meals. CareScout's 2025 area median for adult day health care was $1,625 a month [1]. On their state profiles, 840 of the 1213 state-listed ALFs in our three counties report offering adult day care services [2].
Free caregiver support
Your county's aging agency can tell you about local respite programs. Statewide, call the Elder Helpline at 1-800-96-ELDER (1-800-963-5337) [3]. County helplines.