Respite Care
WA DSHS HCLA
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Respite care is a service where another trained person or staff at a facility provide planned, short-term care for the person you care for so you have time away from caregiving. It may be delivered in the home, through an adult day center, or at a residential care facility, and may be provided by home health care agencies, adult family homes, boarding homes, adult day health or adult day care programs, nursing facilities, or family, friends, and volunteers.
What it covers
Cost
How to apply
Where to get this in Washington
32 organizations deliver this program. Coverage varies, so check the area each one serves.
East Wenatchee, Adams County
Free public agency that helps older adults and people with disabilities in central Washington find in-home care, caregiver support, nutrition, transportation, and benefits help.
Spokane, Ferry County
AAA for the Spokane region; one number connects callers to information, caregiver support, dementia help, Medicaid in-home care, Medicare counseling, and nutrition.
Yakima, Asotin County
Council-of-governments AAA covering eight southeast Washington counties; one call connects callers to information & referral, case management, nutrition, caregiver support, and Medicaid in-home care.
Vancouver, Clark County
Free public AAA for the Vancouver/Longview area covering five counties; one stop for caregiver assistance, dementia resources, in-home help, kinship care, Medicare counseling, and WA Cares Fund support.
Camano Island, Island County
Senior center in Camano Island, Island County. Senior centers are the most-underrated stay-home resource. Most are free or donation-based, with classes, fitness, lunch, and social activity. Operated by Camano Center.
Seattle, King County
Home of the Sunshine Garden Chinese Senior Community Center, with culturally tailored elder programs in Cantonese, Mandarin, Russian, Vietnamese, and more across King County.
Nespelem, Okanogan County
Tribal AAA on the Colville Reservation; serves all seniors 55+ on the reservation with nutrition, family/kinship caregiver support, legal services, SHIBA, and case management.
Toledo, Lewis County
Cowlitz Indian Tribe program for elders age 60 and up, with meals, homebound food delivery, transportation, and an Elder Care Advocate.
King County
Seattle-based nonprofit operating adult day health centers, in-home caregiver respite, and elder companionship programs for older adults and people with chronic illness or disability in King and Snohomish counties.
Kent, King County
Khmer Senior Village and Caregiver Respite for Cambodian elders 55 and older, with social outings, technology classes, and intergenerational programs.
King County
Culturally specific continuum of care for Asian elders in King County. In-home care, assisted living, adult family home, short-term rehab/skilled nursing, and wellness classes with multilingual staff (Cantonese, Mandarin, Toishanese, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Korean).
King County
Kin On's licensed in-home care agency for King County Asian elders. Personal care assistants speak Cantonese, Mandarin, Toishanese, Vietnamese, and Tagalog and can shop and cook to cultural tastes.
Where to go from here
A Matter of Balance
A Matter of Balance is a structured eight-week class developed at Boston University and managed nationally by MaineHealth. Trained coaches lead small groups through discussion and gentle exercises that help participants reduce fear of falling, set realistic goals for activity, change environments to lower fall risk, and exercise to increase strength and balance. The CDC recognizes it as an evidence-based fall prevention program. In Washington it is hosted by Area Agencies on Aging, senior centers, hospitals, and faith communities.
ACRS Care Transitions
ACRS Care Transitions gives short-term help to adults coming home after a hospital stay. Staff help them follow their discharge plan, manage medications, get to follow-up appointments, and connect with ongoing community resources. It works alongside the ACRS Health Home program, which offers longer-term Medicaid care coordination through a health plan built around each person's needs.
ACRS Case Management for Older Adults
ACRS case managers, who speak many languages, meet with homebound older adults and adults with disabilities to understand their needs and build a full care plan around them. The goal is to help older adults live safely at home with support from their families and caregivers. Staff pay close attention to the language and cultural needs of Asian and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander communities.
ACRS Food Bank
The ACRS Food Bank gives out healthy foods that fit people's cultures, including rice, tofu, noodles, and fresh produce, matched to the diets of Asian and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander families across King County. Anyone in the community can use it, but the food is chosen for Asian and Pacific Islander cooking that most food banks don't carry.
Not sure this one fits your situation? Your local Area Agency on Aging can check what you qualify for and point you to the right programs, for free. No one will sell your information, and no one will cold-call you.
Source www.dshs.wa.gov/altsa/home-and-community-services/respite-care
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