Respite Options
Department of Developmental Services (DDS) respite services provide temporary, short-term relief for caregivers of people with intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD), including autism. People receiving respite usually enjoy the chance to spend time with another person, go out in the community, or stay at a respite house. Services are often funded by DDS.
Families can also pay for respite. Private home care agencies offer respite services. MassHealth and Medicare fund some respite services. Other funding sources for respite can be available. Faith based or disability specific organizations may offer respite options.
Respite can be:
- in-home
- community-based
- in residential settings
Respite ranges from hourly to overnight care. It can be used for a few hours in a day to a weeklong stay or more.
Respite can be coordinated through DDS Service Coordinators or Regional Family Support Centers. People receiving respite must be eligible for DDS funded services. For more info, please contact your DDS Service Coordinator or Family Support Center.
Flexible Funding/Stipends may be available through DDS. Families can receive funds for their own chosen respite providers. Respite caregivers can be family members or friends. Rewarding Work offers free National Respite Care Provider Training. The online course has 10 modules and can be taken at your own pace. Sign up for respite training: https://freetrainings.net/login
Rewarding Work has an online directory for people and families in Massachusetts. People can connect to workers who offer respite, in-home and community supports. People in Massachusetts who receive DDS services can register for free. They can match their interests and locations based on carefully designed criteria to ensure successful matches.
In-home Respite
In-home respite provides companionship and care for the person with IDD. A trained respite worker can come into your home to offer short term care. They can plan activities, offer support, give companionship, help with meals or other needs and wants. In-home respite can be for a few hours or for a full day. Respite is based on the caregivers’ needs.
Community-based Respite
Community-based Respite is respite time spent in the community. The respite worker can take the person with IDD to social events that they’d like to attend. Other options might be to go out for lunch, visit a park or museum, go to movies, shop or join in other community activities.
Residential Respite
Residential Respite is the third kind of respite. Respite can be overnight for one night or more. DDS funds respite options that are run by DDS funded agencies throughout Massachusetts.
You can find DDS funded and other respite providers here: https://agingcaregiver.neindex.org/advanced-search/?search=3120
Choices are included for in-home, community, and overnight respite options.
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Disclaimer: INDEX is pleased to provide you this information. Please note, this information is not comprehensive, nor is it intended to take the place of professional advice. We encourage you to check other resources of such information. No endorsement by the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, DisabilityInfo.org, INDEX, or affiliates, should be inferred. We reserve the right to remove, to modify, or to add any information at any time, for any reason, and without notice.
