Respite Care in Connecticut: Options, Costs, and How to Get Help

You've been caring for your parent at home for months — managing medications, helping with bathing and dressing, coordinating doctor visits, handling finances. Caregiver burnout isn't a possibility; it's an inevitability without breaks.

Respite care gives family caregivers temporary relief while ensuring their parent continues to receive safe, supervised care. Connecticut offers several pathways to access it.

What Respite Care Looks Like

Respite care comes in three forms:

In-home respite: A trained aide comes to your parent's home for several hours or overnight, handling personal care, medication reminders, and companionship while you step away.

Adult day programs: Your parent spends structured daytime hours at a licensed adult day center, receiving meals, social activities, health monitoring, and personal care. Programs typically run from morning to late afternoon, Monday through Friday.

Short-term facility stays: Your parent stays in a nursing home or assisted living community for a few days to a few weeks — commonly used when the primary caregiver needs surgery, goes on vacation, or faces their own health emergency.

How CHCPE Covers Respite Care

The Connecticut Home Care Program for Elders (CHCPE) includes respite care as a covered service within individualized care plans. If your parent is enrolled in CHCPE — either the state-funded tiers (Category 2) or the Medicaid waiver tier (Category 3) — the care manager can authorize respite hours as part of the overall plan.

CHCPE also covers adult day care programs, which serve a dual purpose: structured daytime engagement for your parent and regular, predictable breaks for you.

The key is that respite must be part of the approved care plan. Contact your parent's CHCPE care manager to discuss adding or increasing respite hours.

Connecticut's Statewide Respite Care Program

Connecticut's Area Agencies on Aging administer respite care programs for family caregivers who may not qualify for CHCPE or who need respite while a CHCPE application is pending. Contact your regional AAA:

• North Central: Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC)
• South Central: Agency on Aging of South Central Connecticut
• Southwestern: Southwestern CT Agency on Aging
• Western: Western CT Area Agency on Aging
• Eastern: Southeastern CT Area Agency on Aging

These programs may offer subsidized respite hours based on income and caregiver need. Availability depends on funding, so waiting lists are possible.

Community First Choice (CFC) for Self-Directed Respite

If your parent is already on Medicaid (HUSKY A, C, or D) and meets an institutional level of care, the Community First Choice program offers a self-directed option. Under CFC, your parent (or you as their fiduciary) hires and manages their own personal care assistants, including scheduling respite coverage.

CFC has no waiting list and no enrollment cap — it's an entitlement for qualifying Medicaid members. The trade-off is that the participant or their representative must handle the administrative work of being an employer: hiring, scheduling, timesheets, and backup coverage.

The National Family Caregiver Support Program

Connecticut receives federal Older Americans Act funding to provide caregiver support services through the Area Agencies on Aging. These services include:

• Caregiver counseling and support groups
• Training on managing specific conditions (dementia care, fall prevention, medication management)
• Supplemental respite hours beyond what CHCPE provides
• Emergency respite when an unexpected situation arises

Contact your local AAA or the Connecticut Aging and Disability Resource Center to learn about current availability. These services are typically offered at no cost or on a sliding scale.

Finding Adult Day Programs Near You

Connecticut has licensed adult day programs throughout the state. Adult day centers provide structured activities, meals, health monitoring, and personal care during daytime hours — typically 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday. Some programs offer extended hours or Saturday service.

Look for programs certified by the Connecticut Department of Public Health. The MyPlaceCT portal maintains a searchable directory of adult day services by location. Costs range from $70 to $150 per day for private-pay participants, but CHCPE-enrolled individuals often have adult day costs covered through their care plan.

Costs Without Program Coverage

Without CHCPE or AAA subsidies, private-pay respite care in Connecticut costs roughly $30–$35 per hour for in-home aides. Adult day programs range from $70 to $150 per day depending on the level of care and services offered. Short-term nursing home stays are billed at the facility's private-pay daily rate — often $500 or more per day.

For families paying out of pocket, in-home respite for 20 hours per week runs approximately $2,600–$3,000 per month. Adult day care five days per week costs $1,500–$3,250 per month. These figures underscore why enrolling in CHCPE or accessing AAA programs is worth the application effort.

When Respite Care Signals a Bigger Conversation

If you're requesting respite care more frequently, or the hours available aren't enough to sustain your caregiving arrangement, it may be time to reassess your parent's care needs. Increasing dependence on respite often signals that your parent's ADL requirements have progressed to the point where a formal CHCPE enrollment, a higher tier of care, or even nursing home placement should be evaluated.

Our Connecticut Medicaid Long-Term Care & Asset Protection Guide covers the full spectrum — from CHCPE home care enrollment through nursing home Medicaid planning — helping you make the transition when home caregiving is no longer sustainable.

See more Connecticut guides →