Respite Program
(Cumberland and Burlington Counties)Our Respite Program is offered in Cumberland and Burlington Counties.
For our Cumberland County office please call: (856) 825-0255.
Please ask for Kristin Fox
For our Burlington office please call: (609) 747-7745.
Please ask for Kristin Fox
The New Jersey Statewide Respite Care Program gives a short-term or periodic break to family (or other caregivers) from the demands of daily care for functionally impaired persons, including the frail elderly. The sliding scale ranges from 0% to 25% of the cost of services, based on the care recipient’s (and spouse’s) income.
This program provides respite care services in order to relieve caregivers of stress from providing daily care.
This respite may be provided for a short time, or once in a while. For example, services could be provided to:
- Allow the caregiver to take a vacation
- Cover care when a caregiver needs surgery or has an emergency
- Give the caregiver time to take care of him/herself, run errands, etc.
What are the eligibility requirements?
The person being cared for (the “care recipient”) must:
- Receive daily, basic care and/or daily supervision by an uncompensated caregiver (spouse, family, friend, etc.) who is age 18 or older.
- Have functional impairments that require the care of another person, certified by the care recipient’s licensed medical provider.
- Be age 18 or older.
- Reside in the community (not in a facility).
- Have documented evidence of eligibility according to income and asset guidelines.
- Be a resident of the state of New Jersey.
- Not currently participate in a Medicaid program (NJ FamilyCare, MLTSS, etc.), JACC, Alzheimer’s Adult Day Services Program, or Congregate Housing Services Program. A participant can switch from JACC or the Alzheimer’s Adult Day Services program and onto Statewide Respite.
What are the financial guidelines?
- Single person (unmarried or widowed): Maximum $2,349 monthly income in 2020 (gross, before deductions); maximum $40,000 in liquid assets
- Married person: Maximum $4,698 combined monthly income in 2020 (gross, before deductions); maximum $60,000 in combined liquid assets
What else should I know?
I don't think I'm a caregiver...
You are a caregiver if you:
- Take care of someone who has a chronic illness or disease.
- Manage medications or talk to doctors and nurses on someone’s behalf.
- Help bathe or dress someone who is frail or disabled.
- Take care of household chores, meals, or bills for someone who cannot do these things alone.
-From “The First Step in Care: Becoming a Family Caregiver” by Next Step in Care
Tips for Caregivers
- The Division of Aging Services compiled 10 Tips for Caregivers.
We hope you find them helpful.
For additional information and support, contact:
- Family Caregiver Alliance: caregiver education, support, policy, and advocacy, 1-800-445-8106
- Next Step in Care: online for caregivers on caregiving topics in English, Spanish, Russian, and Chinese
- American Association of Caregiving Youth: information and research regarding young (age8-21) caregivers, a model support program for young caregivers, 1-800-508-9618
- Alzheimer’s New Jersey: education, support, and advocacy, 1-888-280-6055
- Alzheimer’s Association: education, support, research, and advocacy, 1-800-272-3900
- Care2Caregivers: peer support hotline through COPSA at Rutgers, 1-800-424-2494
- Well Spouse Association: support and social opportunities for the “well” spouse, 1-800-838-0879
- Mom2Mom: a 24/7 helpline for mothers with special needs children
- Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration: information, support, and research regarding frontotemporal dementias (Pick’s disease, progressive supranuclear palsy, and others), 1-866-507-7222
- National Parkinson Foundation: education, support, and outreach, 1-800-4734636
- Parkinson’s Disease Foundation: research and education, 1-800-457-6676
- Huntington’s Disease Society of America: education, research, and advocacy, 1-800-345-4372