Respite Care

What respite is

DC’s approved waivers describe respite as relief for the family member or primary caregiver who looks after the person at home. It can be planned, such as a vacation or other scheduled time away, or used in an emergency.

It is not a pause in the person’s life. The waivers require that they keep doing the community activities in their Individual Support Plan (ISP) during respite, including school or other activities, with transportation included, so their routine is not interrupted.

Who it is for, and who it is not for

Respite is for:

• Adults enrolled in the IDD Waiver or the IFS Waiver. The minimum age for both is 18.
• People who live in their own home or their family’s home.

Respite is not for:

• People who live in an intermediate care facility (ICF).
• People receiving Supported Living, Host Home or Residential Habilitation through the IDD Waiver. A Host Home provider must provide or arrange 14 days of Host Home Respite a year, so the waiver does not pay for respite separately.

How much is allowed

• Up to 720 hours or 30 days per person each calendar year. The limit is the same in both waivers.
• Only what the person’s ISP and Plan of Care authorize. The 720 hours are a ceiling, not an automatic amount.
• More than 720 hours needs DDS approval. The provider sends DDS a written justification describing a temporary emergency and why no other support is available, with a revised ISP.
• On the IFS Waiver, respite also counts toward the waiver’s overall limit of $75,000 per person per ISP year.

How to ask for it

• Talk to your DDA Service Coordinator. The waivers make the Service Coordinator responsible for telling you about every waiver service and offering a choice of services and providers during planning.
• Ask for respite to be written into the ISP. Respite is approved through the ISP and Plan of Care, so say when you need breaks and how many hours you need over the year.
• Choose your provider. The choice of agency is yours.
• Ask again when things change. The person’s needs assessment is updated at least once a year and whenever their support needs change significantly.

What Mercyland offers

Mercyland is a DDS-certified provider in Northeast Washington, DC. Respite is one of the services we offer in person, alongside In-Home Support and Companion Services, for people whose ISP includes it. Whether it fits depends on your waiver, your ISP and our staffing, so call us to talk it through.

DC requires every respite worker to be at least 18, pass a criminal background check, hold CPR and First Aid certification and complete DDS training, and the person receiving support must find each worker acceptable.