Family Caregivers

Options for Respite Care

In-home respite care can be provided by paid respite workers or volunteers coming to your home. Individual respite workers can be requested from:

Agencies that provide financial management services to families receiving in-home support through the Kansas Medicaid waivers
Social service organizations
Home health agencies
Homemaker service agencies

Another option for in-home respite is for families to self-direct their respite services by locating, hiring and training their own respite providers. Self-directed respite can be paid for privately or through Kansas Medicaid waivers as applicable.

Out-of-home respite care can be provided in a variety of settings such as family care homes, foster care homes, respite centers, nursing facilities, hospitals, adult day care centers, specialized camps, faith-based programs and other community-based organizations that provide periodic respite care

For more information on self-direction, visit http://selfdirect.ks.gov/. For information and referrals, visit the Kansas Aging and Disability Resource Center or call 855-200-ADRC (2372).

Some considerations when choosing the best respite to suit your needs may include:

Is transportation a concern?
Is special equipment needed, and if so, does it have to be transported?
Would the care recipient be more comfortable in the home setting or would he or she enjoy an opportunity to experience different surroundings and cultivate peer relationships?
Would the family caregiver be more comfortable having the care recipient at home or would he or she enjoy the opportunity to have quality time at home without distractions?
Cost of service

Resources

ABCs of Respite: A Consumer Guide for Family Caregivers. This guide is provided by the Access to Respite Care and Help (ARCH) National Respite Network and is useful for determining what types of respite programs are available, how to locate, interview and hire a personal care provider to meet your needs, and ideas on how to pay for respite.
Respite Care: Finding and Choosing Respite Services. This website details types of respite care services, how to select and pay for respite care services and providers, and strategies for successful respite care.
The Kansas Personal Assistance Supports and Services (K-PASS) Self-Direction Toolkit provides individuals with disabilities the information and tools needed to self-direct any component of their personal assistance services with information on recruiting, training, and evaluating personal care assistants.
Hiring an Agency for Respite Providers – Although independent respite providers are generally the least expensive, home care agencies or health care agencies are often easier to use. An agency finds and places providers, handles payroll and usually provides substitutes for sick or absent personnel. If problems occur, you also have specific avenues of recourse (complaints, mediation or arbitration) that are not available when working with individuals.

For more information on respite for specific ages or conditions, see the ARCH National Respite Network and Resource Center for free downloadable ARCH Fact Sheets. ARCH also provides National Respite Guidelines that may help you learn what to look for high quality respite.

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Respite Provider Screening Questions
The following are sample interview questions to help with screening potential respite providers. Remember to keep in mind how much time you will have for questions and answers and limit your interview questions accordingly. Discuss rates and payment procedures. (If these are determined by a publicly-funded program, it is important that both the provider and the family have this information.)
1. Why are you interested in providing respite care services?
2. Tell us about your education and/or experience as a respite care provider.
3. Do you have CPR, first aid, and/or medication administration training?
4. Do you have any special training or experience you would like me to be aware of?
5. Have you had any experience caring for a person with (the particular illness or disability of our family member)?
6. Describe your strengths. How would you describe yourself?
7. Why did you leave your last position?
8. What do you like best about this work?
9. What do you like least about this work?
10. How do you believe difficult behaviors should be managed?
11. Are you willing to take my loved one out on activities?
12. Do you have a valid driver’s license?Do you have your own transportation and car insurance?
13. Are you willing to have a criminal background check done?
14. Do you have any health problems that could affect your ability to do this job?
15. Would you be comfortable with changing diapers for adolescents or adults?
16. How would you know if my loved one likes a particular food or activity if he cannot speak?
17. What would you do if we disagreed about something? How shall we give each other feedback?
18. If my loved one had to be taken to the hospital for an emergency, what steps would you take?
19. What would you do if you found a loved one with an open bottle you suspect is poison?
20. What situations make you tense or nervous?
21. Describe a difficult situation you’ve had to handle with a child or an adult. How did you handle it?
22. This position will require that you make independent decisions. Can you give an example of a situation in which you made a job-related independent decision?
23. Why are you the right person for the job?
24. Do you smoke?
25. Are you comfortable working with pets in the home?
26. What hours are you able to work? During the day, weekends, holidays? Are there specific times when you are unable to work? How much prior notice do you require before scheduling?
Checklist When Considering a Respite Provider
- Always include the potential care recipient in the screening process if he or she is able to participate, to ensure that both parties are comfortable and that your family member’s needs are respected.
- Conduct an in-depth interview with each candidate. Screening applicants on the phone should always be followed with a personal interview.
- Be specific about all of the tasks, skills, and schedules involved.
- Discuss compensation and payment schedules. Do not pay for services in advance.
- Request several work and personal references, and check them carefully. Verify the information provided, and ask all references about reliability, trustworthiness, punctuality, and the care provider's ability to handle stress.
- Ensure a criminal background check is conducted.

Protecting Kansans, Promoting Recovery & Supporting Self-Sufficiency

Family Caregivers

Options for Respite Care

Resources

Respite Provider Screening Questions

Checklist When Considering a Respite Provider