Respite Care

Respite care is defined as short-term care services provided to a person when their primary caregiver is absent or needs relief.

Primary caregiver(s): Person or people principally responsible for the care and supervision of the person who receives services.

In-home respite: Respite provided to a person in their home. This can include time spent in community locations used by the general public (e.g., malls, parks, libraries) while the person continues to stay in their home.

Out-of-home respite: Respite provided to a person in a licensed setting or unlicensed setting that is not the person’s home. This can include time spent in community locations used by the general public (e.g., malls, parks, libraries) while the person stays in a licensed or unlicensed setting that is not their home.

Respite services cover:

• Level of supervision and care that is necessary to ensure the person’s health and safety.
• Room and board when the person receives respite in a licensed setting.
• Individualized home supports: Individualized home supports (IHS) are services for people who live in their own home or family home that provide support and/or training in the community living service categories listed in the covered services section. There are three types of IHS:
• Without training.
• With training.
• With family training.

All types of IHS can be provided in the person’s own home, family’s home, or community spaces used by the general public, either in person or remotely.

Support in community living service categories: Cueing, skill maintenance, guidance, instruction, assistance with activities of daily living, assistance with coordination of community living activities, or direct supervision. Support must be within an allowable community living service category.

Training in community living service categories: Skill-building and instructional services to acquire, retain, and improve the person’s experience living in the community. Training must be within an allowable community living service category, and training must meet identified needs specified in the person’s assessment (e.g., MnCHOICES, long-term care consultation).

Service options for IHS: The IHS service options available to a person are based on their age, living arrangement, and the type of support and/or training they need.

• Without training: This service option is provided to adults or children when they need support in at least one of the community living service categories.
• With training: This service option is provided to adults when they need support and training in at least one of the community living service categories.

This option meets the habilitation requirement for the DD Waiver. For more information about the habilitation requirement, refer to CBSM – Habilitation.

• With family training: This service option is designed for people who live with their family to provide training to the person and their family members. The training increases their capabilities to care for and maintain the person’s ability to live in the home.

This service option is provided to adults when the person and their family need support and training in the family’s home in at least one of the community living service categories.

This service option is provided to children when either of the following is true:

• A person needs support and training in at least one of the community living service categories.
• A person and their family need support and training in at least one of the community living service categories.

IHS covers community living services in four categories:

• Community participation.
• Health, safety, and wellness.
• Household management.
• Adaptive skills.