What Is Respite Care?
Respite care is short-term support provided so that a family caregiver can step away — to rest, work, attend to their own health, care for other children, handle an emergency, or simply have a few hours that belong to them.
The person receiving support is cared for by trained staff during that time. But the service exists for the caregiver. That distinction matters, because many families delay asking for respite out of a sense that needing a break means they are failing. They are not. Caregiving for a person with significant support needs is sustained, skilled, and often around-the-clock work. Rest is a structural requirement, not a luxury.
We provide planned respite on a regular schedule, occasional respite for specific needs, and emergency respite when something unexpected happens.
The most common thing we hear from families at intake is a version of: we should have asked for this years ago. If you are reading this page while running on empty, that is reason enough to call.
Who Respite Care Is For
Parents of Children with Autism
Families supporting a child whose needs make ordinary childcare unworkable.
Parents of Adult Children
Aging parents still providing primary support to an adult son or daughter with IDD.
Spouses and Partners
Partners providing daily support who have no built-in relief.
Sibling Caregivers
Adult siblings who have stepped into a primary caregiving role.
Single Caregivers
Households with one adult carrying the full load and no backup.
Families in Crisis
Households facing illness, hospitalization, bereavement, or acute stress needing immediate coverage.
Types of Respite We Provide
Planned respite
Scheduled in advance on a recurring or one-time basis — a standing weekly block, a weekend, or coverage for a specific event. Planned respite is the most valuable kind because families can build around it and actually anticipate rest.
Emergency and short-notice respite
For situations that do not schedule themselves: a caregiver's hospitalization, a family emergency, a sudden work obligation. Availability depends on staffing at the moment you call, and we will tell you straight away what we can do.
In-home respite
Support delivered in the family home, keeping the individual in their familiar environment and routine. This is usually the least disruptive option, particularly for people who find change difficult.
Community-based respite
Support delivered out in the community, which gives the caregiver space at home and gives the individual an enjoyable outing rather than a day of being minded.
Extended and overnight respite
Longer arrangements for situations requiring more than a few hours, subject to authorization and staffing.
What Respite Staff Provide
How the Process Works
Intake Conversation
We learn about the individual, the household, and what kind of relief would genuinely help — including how often and when.
Care Profile
We document routines, preferences, communication, medical needs, and any behavior support plan so staff arrive informed rather than guessing.
Staff Matching
We assign respite staff based on the individual's needs and, where possible, keep the same people so a relationship builds.
Meet and Orientation
Where the situation allows, staff meet the individual and family before the first respite shift so the first day is not the first meeting.
Respite Delivery
Support is provided as scheduled, with clear documentation and communication back to the family.
Ongoing Review
We check whether the schedule is actually working and adjust — including increasing hours if the current arrangement is not sufficient.
Funding and Eligibility in Pennsylvania
Respite is a recognized service within Pennsylvania's home and community-based services system administered through the Office of Developmental Programs, and is commonly included in Individual Support Plans for individuals enrolled in waiver programs.
Families often have authorized respite hours they are not using — sometimes because they did not know the hours existed, sometimes because they could not find a provider to staff them. Ask your Supports Coordinator what respite is currently in the plan. If you are not connected to services yet, we can help you understand where to begin.
If you have respite hours in your ISP that have gone unused, that is worth a call. Unused authorized hours are one of the most common forms of support families leave on the table.
Why Families Choose We Care for Respite
Respite only works if the caregiver can actually relax. That requires trusting the person who walked through the door — and that trust is earned through preparation, consistency, and competence.
We invest in the parts that make respite genuinely restful: staff who have been briefed on the specific individual, continuity so the same faces return, and clinical backup so that if something happens, our staff know what to do and who to call.
We also try to be realistic. If we cannot reliably staff the schedule a family needs, we will say so rather than accept the case and let them down at the worst possible moment.