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Would like to get a break and get away, but can’t find a local respite facility. I am in eastern Montgomery County, PA

Is the 30 days affordable? It might be nice to have time before or after your vacation to be relieved of those responsibilities.
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Reply to JTQJOTSM
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What's wrong with 30 days? Mom may like the AL so much she will want to move in permanently! And if not, you'll get a good break for a month. Win-win.
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Reply to lealonnie1
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I had two different women come to my home to watch my father while I was away for two weeks. Yes, it costs a bit but your mental health AND LO’s level of comfort and familiarity are both important. :) I have cameras inside and outside my house so occasionally I would check to make sure everything was ok. :)
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Reply to Mfanelli
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Harrylcnm Aug 20, 2025
If you can’t find a facility then I recommend an agency if it’s more than for a day or two.. You can get an independent caretaker but if that person gets sick or has some emergency and you’re out of town then you have a real problem. Find an agency that can guarantee full coverage.
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Medicare pays for up to two weeks of respite care in a nursing home or memory care facility.

Call all the nursing homes in your area. I've never heard of a respite facility who only does that. Nursing homes that usually have a dementia unit often accept a respite stay because Medicare pays for it. You can try contacting the state's Ombudsman's Office or the local Agency on Aging and ask them to give you a list of care facilties that offer a respite short stay. Then call them all.

You also have the option of hiring an independent caregiver from a site like care.com or others and you would pay this person privately. Hiring like this is they are hired and stay for however long you will be away and they are paid a flat fee that you can negotiate. This kind of job is not paid hourly so don't let anyone try to convince you that it is.

Some homecare agencies will send a respite caregiver for a week or two weeks or however long you want to go for. You might have to make a lot of calls, but you'll find one.
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Reply to BurntCaregiver
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Foamergirl Aug 19, 2025
All private pay caregivers, even ones referred by my hospice agency, will not accept flat fee - want to be paid hourly - even to sleep since my husband sleeps at night. I feel so frustrated.
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Did you try Berks County towards Reading ? Or Lancaster County ? There are some Mennonite run homes that are reasonable , but I’m not sure if they do respite . I know there are a couple in or near Ephrata in northern Lancaster County , which is not as far west from you as the City of Lancaster .
Should be cheaper than Montgo.
FYI , Lehigh County ( north of you ) is pretty expensive too, but you could call and ask , there are a lot of places in Lehigh .
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Reply to waytomisery
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Any chance of family stepping in? Because to be honest, no one will accept this care and responsibility lightly or without great cost. This is one of the things that makes it tough. I sure wish you luck and hope you will update us if you come up with a plan.
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Reply to AlvaDeer
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Is mom on Hospice or is she eligible for Hospice? If so Hospice covers the cost of Respite I think about 1 week each year (although others on this forum have gotten more respite than that so I am not 100% on the time)

How long do you want?
If the 30 days is less expensive than doing 14 days (2 weeks) then that might be the way to go. If you take her home before the 30 days it may still be less than paying for a 2 week stay. (does that make sense?)
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Reply to Grandma1954
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Beethoven13 Aug 13, 2025
Our hospice provided 5 days respite in a local skilled nursing facility per month. We never used it but it was a huge safety net. 5 days a year does not seem reasonable or much help.
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DMarie17,



The Eldercare Locator is a public service provided by the Administration on Aging  that connects older adults, caregivers, and families to local resources and services across the United States.
Phone: (800) 677-1116.

They can point you in the right direction.
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Reply to HaveYourBack
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So ALs want 30days? Did you try Delaware? Even NJ?
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Reply to JoAnn29
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Respite care in my area is $300-500/day depending on the facility. Minimum stays are usually at least 5 days. Medicare continues to cover Medical costs; the fee is for "room and board" which is paid out of pocket.
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