Respite care
Respite care for family caregivers
Westmark respite care gives family caregivers a break without leaving their loved one alone. A trained caregiver comes to the home and follows the same routine for a day a week, an overnight, or several days while you travel, work or rest. Rates start at $34 an hour, there is no contract, and a single booking is fine.
Taking a break is part of caregiving
Most of the families who call us are not looking for full-time care. They are a spouse who has not had an afternoon off in months, or an adult child driving over every evening after work. The care is going fine. The caregiver is not.
Respite is how that stays sustainable. One reliable day each week can be the difference between keeping a parent at home and a move nobody wanted.
Respite care without the guilt · Caregiver burnout and respite
Ways families use respite
A regular day off
The same caregiver on the same day each week, so you can plan around it.
A full night's sleep
An awake caregiver overnight while you sleep, at $38 an hour.
Cover for a trip
Several days or a week of live-in or around-the-clock care while you are away.
Your own appointments
A visit booked around your doctor, your work or your own recovery.
What it costs
| Respite option | Rate | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Companion care day | $34/hour | 6 hours = $204 |
| Personal care day | $38/hour | 6 hours = $228 |
| Dementia care day | $40/hour | 6 hours = $240 |
| Awake overnight | $38/hour | 10 pm–8 am = $380 |
| Live-in, while you travel | $816/day | A long weekend (3 days) = $2,448 |
Weekends and holidays add $3/hour. Bookings with under 24 hours' notice add $4/hour. See the full rate card.
Before your first respite day
- Write down the daily routine: wake time, meals, naps, favorite shows, bedtime
- Leave the medication schedule and where the pill organizer is kept
- List the doctor, pharmacy and an emergency family contact
- Note anything that upsets or calms your loved one
- Book the first visit while you are still home, so you can introduce the caregiver
Questions families ask
What is respite care?
Respite care is short-term care that gives a family caregiver a break. A trained Westmark caregiver comes to the home and takes over the same routine, for a day each week, an overnight, or several days while the family caregiver travels, works or rests.
How much does respite care cost in Massachusetts?
Westmark respite care is billed at the normal hourly rate for the level of care needed: $34 an hour for companion care, $38 for personal care and $40 for dementia care, with a six-hour standard visit. A six-hour companion care day is $204. Awake overnight care is $38 an hour, and live-in care is $816 a day.
Can we book respite care just once?
Yes. There is no contract, so respite can be a single day, a recurring day off each week, or cover for a trip. Booking with more than 24 hours' notice avoids the $4 an hour short-notice charge.
Does anything help pay for respite care in Massachusetts?
Sometimes. Massachusetts' Family Caregiver Support Program, run through local Aging Services Access Points, may help family caregivers with respite. Long-term care insurance and VA benefits can also apply. Westmark supplies the itemized invoices insurers ask for. How families pay for care.