Respite Care

What is Respite?
Respite is when someone else watches/supervises the consumer.

Respite provides:
a break in care for the consumer and family
a rest for the parents/caregivers
a special time for the person with the developmental disability
a special time for the parents to spend together
a special time for the siblings to spend with the parents

Respite can be provided in the following ways:
In Home respite
Out of Home respite, in a licensed home
A respite worker you choose (From the Respite Registry)
Nursing respite
Camp

Who receives respite?
Families of consumers who have a need for a trained person to supervise them, because of their developmental disability, may receive respite. Typically, there are either behavioral concerns or medical needs that prevent someone, without special training, from providing the care. Reasons for family stress should be discussed with your service coordinator so that together you can determine if respite care will help and what other resources may be available.

Who provides respite?
Respite can be provided by an agency or through someone selected by the family member, when the Respite Registry is used. The person providing the respite must be an adult who does not live in the household or provide ongoing care for the consumer.

How can my family make the best use of respite?
Plan how you will use the respite time. Some families like a weekly break. Others prefer longer breaks once or twice a month. Families who plan their respite use are more refreshed by the respite. Schedule respite in advance on your calendar. Respite can bring peace of mind to a family.

Here are some ways that families use respite:
Go out to dinner as a couple
Go to see a movie
Spend time with the other child/children
Go walk on the beach, read a book, relax
Get shopping done in a leisurely fashion

Frequently Asked Questions

Can respite hours be carried over if not used in the previous month?
Respite needs to be used on a monthly basis. Respite cannot be carried over from one month to another unless arrangements have been made to be funded on a quarterly basis, for those families who need the flexibility to use it within a three month block of time. Discuss the option for quarterly respite with your service coordinator. The caution is that additional respite may not be funded if the family uses all of the respite up at the beginning of the quarter. Planning is important to manage quarterly respite.

Can respite be used during work or school hours of the parent?
Time needed for work or school is considered day care. This is a parental responsibility. Speak with your service coordinator about your specific needs. Your service coordinator may be able to assist you in locating day care resources.

Can I qualify for the respite hours my friend receives for their son/daughter?
The amount of respite purchased is individualized by the consumer and family situations. All families are different. The total and unique family situation must be considered.

Can my respite provider take my son/daughter on outings (i.e. the park, fast food restaurants, zoo, etc)?
This is OK if the respite provider, respite agency and parent agree on the activity and feel appropriate safeguards are being met.

Can my respite provider watch my other son/daughter at the same time he/she watches my special needs son/daughter?
SDRC may purchase respite services only for children and adults who are eligible for SDRC services.

What kind of training and background checks do respite providers receive from the respite agency?
Agency respite providers must have CPR and First Aid training. All other training is designated according to the agency’s program design. Please feel free to contact individual agencies to obtain that information.

Do I have to give up my respite if SDRC funds camp?
Some families prefer a break using attendance at camp for their son/daughter as their respite rather than having ongoing respite throughout the year. Discuss individual needs with your service coordinator.

How soon will my respite start?
Respite starts the first day of the month following the approval of the request.

What is the Respite Registry?
The respite registry is an agency that can hire the respite worker you have chosen and then pay the respite worker directly for hours worked. This replaces the Family Member Respite program, which was also known at the Parent as Vendor program.

What if I decide I want to change back to another respite agency (i.e. from Respite Registry) or to out-of home respite, can I do that?
Yes, you can but you must give a 30 day notice to the current vendor and the new authorization, if approved, will start the first day of the month following the 30 day notice. Planning is very important in making this kind of change. If you are having difficulty receiving respite, contact your service coordinator immediately.

Will using the Respite Registry affect my tax return?
No. The respite registry becomes the employer for your respite worker. The respite worker is paid directly by the respite registry.

Can I hire anyone I want, including a family member, to provide my respite?
Most families have natural supports such as extended family, neighbors, friends, etc. to assist in giving them a break from the ongoing demands of caring for children or for the continuing care needed by adults who have a developmental disability. When the support from family and friends cannot meet all of the respite needs, SDRC may purchase respite care. The person providing the respite cannot be living in the home or be involved in any ongoing care to the consumer, as this service is being purchased to provide relief to those persons.

How will respite be arranged with the respite registry?
The person you want to hire to provide respite must be an adult and have a Social Security number. Your service coordinator will make a referral to the respite registry. An application will be mailed to the family, for the respite worker to complete. Once the respite worker has completed the application and been accepted (5 - 7 business days) and the authorization for respite has been approved, the respite registry will mail the family timecards and instructions about how to utilize the respite hours. The employee will submit timecards to the Respite Registry which will pay him/her directly.

What do I do when I do not like the respite worker that an agency sent to provide respite?
If you are not satisfied with the individual, you need to contact the respite agency to resolve the issue. If you continue to experience ongoing difficulty, please contact your service coordinator.

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4355 Ruffin Rd., Suite 200
San Diego, CA, 92123
phone: (858) 576-2996
fax: (858) 576-2873