Serving Oakland · Macomb · Wayne counties
Veteran Care
Respite care for families caring for a veteran
If you are the one who helps your veteran every day, you need time off too. VA can authorize in-home respite, and a VETTED caregiver can step in so you can rest.
At a glance, in VA's words
- What it is
- "Respite Care is a program that pays for care for a short time when family caregivers need a break, need to run errands, or need to go out of town for a few days."
- Who is eligible
- "All enrolled Veterans are eligible for Respite Care IF they meet the clinical criteria for the service and it is available."
- What help is included
- Care for the veteran for a short time while the family caregiver is away. VETTED provides in-home respite only.
- Cost
- "A copay for Respite Care may be charged based on your VA service-connected disability status and financial information."
- How to start
- Talk with the veteran's VA social worker. You can ask for in-home respite with VETTED by name.
Source: VA Respite Care. VA decides eligibility and authorized hours.
Who respite is for
Respite is for family caregivers. It might be a wife who has helped her husband bathe and dress for years. A son who stops by every morning before work. A daughter who moved back home to look after her father. Caring for someone you love is meaningful work, and it is also tiring.
VA recognizes that. VETTED accepts VA community care referrals for in-home respite across Oakland, Macomb and Wayne counties.
Taking a break is not giving up. It is how many families keep going.
How much respite, and when
VA decides how much respite time to authorize, based on the veteran's needs and the family's situation. Some families use respite as a regular block each week, such as every Tuesday afternoon. Others save it for a stretch of days, like a family wedding out of state or recovery from their own surgery. Tell the VA social worker what would actually help you. Once VA authorizes respite, we plan the visits around your calendar, within the time VA has authorized.
What we do during respite
We keep the day on track
- Meals, snacks and help with eating
- Bathing, dressing and toileting help
- Safe transfers and help moving around
- Medication reminders at the usual times
- Light housekeeping and laundry
- Company, conversation and familiar routines
- Calm, patient support for veterans with memory loss
You take the time you need
Sleep. See your own doctor. Visit a friend. Go to a grandchild's game. Sit in a coffee shop with a book. How you use the time is up to you.
Before your first break, we sit down with you to learn the routine you have built, down to the small things only you know. That way the veteran's day feels normal while you are away.
Our caregivers do not give medications or injections, provide wound care or make medical assessments.
How to ask for respite
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Call the veteran's VA social worker
Tell them you are the family caregiver and you need a break. Be honest about how much you are doing and how you are holding up.
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Ask for in-home respite with VETTED
You can say: "I'm my husband's caregiver and I need some respite. We'd like it at home, and we'd like to ask for VETTED by name." The agency has to be one VA can use, and VA makes the final arrangements.
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VA reviews and authorizes respite
The VA team looks at the veteran's needs and decides how much respite time to authorize, then sends the referral.
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We call you and plan the first break
We set up a visit to learn the routine, then schedule respite around the time you need.
Not sure what to say? Call us at 248-794-9292 and we will help you prepare.
Support for you, not only the veteran
VA also runs a Caregiver Support Program for people caring for veterans. It offers resources and support for family caregivers, and the details of what is available depend on the veteran and the caregiver's situation. You can learn more at the VA Caregiver Support Program website, or ask the veteran's VA social worker to connect you.
VETTED is not part of that program. We mention it because it is easy to miss, and it was built for people in your position.
Common questions
Does respite cost us anything?
VA pays VETTED directly for authorized respite. Many veterans owe no copay. The VA social worker can tell you what applies to your veteran.
Can we get respite if the veteran already has Homemaker / Home Health Aide care?
It can be. They are separate authorizations, and VA decides. Ask the VA social worker about both. You can read more about Homemaker / Home Health Aide care.
Do I have to leave the house during respite?
No. Some caregivers leave, and some simply rest in another room. Respite is time when you are off duty, wherever you spend it.
Will it be the same caregiver each time?
We try to send the same person, because familiar faces matter, especially for veterans with memory loss. If that has to change, we let you know ahead of time.
My veteran doesn't want a stranger in the house. What can we do?
That is common, and it is understandable. It often helps to start small: a short first visit while you are home, so the veteran can meet the caregiver with you there. Once the veteran is comfortable, you can step out for longer. We will go at the pace that works for your family.
Independent and veteran-owned. VETTED is not part of, and does not speak for, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. VA alone decides eligibility and authorized hours. Information on this site is general and is not a benefit determination.