In-home respite care means someone comes to your relative's home so you can step away, such as for three hours on a Tuesday. Seniors Helping Seniors® Scottsdale does not provide home health or hospice. Your relative stays in their own chair, their own routine, their own house.
The short version
- In-home respite care is a short break for a family caregiver, where someone else stays with your relative for a few hours, an evening or a few days.
- Start by writing down the hours you need, the tasks that fill them, and the days that are hardest.
- Eligible families with Traditional Medicare and a dementia diagnosis can receive up to $2,500 a year of respite through the Medicare GUIDE model.
- Arizona's Area Agency on Aging and the Arizona Caregiver Coalition can point you to respite options and funding help.
- Ask any provider for the rate in writing and the shortest visit they will schedule before you agree to anything.
Talk to someone in Scottsdale
Call Seniors Helping Seniors® Scottsdale on a weekday and a person answers. Describe the week you have had and you will hear what makes sense next, with no obligation.
What does in-home respite care look like day to day?
A respite caregiver is a paid helper who is not a family member. They come at set times and cover what you normally do.
That is usually company, meals, rides to an appointment, light housekeeping, and help with bathing or dressing. The caregiver can remind your relative to take medication. They cannot give it, and they do not provide wound care or therapy. Non-medical care is a different thing from skilled care at home, which a clinician provides.
A typical visit runs a few hours. Many families begin with one or two a week. Others book a longer stretch, such as an overnight, when they need real rest.
Before the first visit, you write down the routine. Include your mother's meal times. What calms your father when he gets restless? Which door must stay locked? A good caregiver reads that list and follows it.
The Arizona Caregiver Coalition (opens in new tab) says its partner network offers in-home care, emergency respite, adult day health centers and overnight support. Adult day centers are worth a look if your relative likes being around people. Some seniors do better at home with one familiar face.
If your relative needs skilled care at home, you will want a separate provider for that, and you can still use respite alongside it.
The Respite Care page explains the service in more detail. The Scottsdale Senior Home Care page lists the service area.
How do families pay for respite care?
Most families pay privately for at least part of it. The CareScout Cost of Care Survey 2025 (opens in new tab) puts the Arizona median for a non-medical caregiver at $38 an hour, against $35 nationally. Your own rate will differ, so get it in writing.
Four public and private sources are worth checking.
- Medicare GUIDE. The CMS GUIDE model (opens in new tab) covers respite services up to $2,500 annually for people with dementia. You need Traditional Medicare and a dementia diagnosis, and the program has to accept you.
- Veterans benefits. The VA lists respite and Homemaker and Home Health Aide care among its home and community based services (opens in new tab). Veterans and surviving spouses who get a VA pension may also qualify for Aid and Attendance or Housebound benefits (opens in new tab), a monthly add-on for people who need help with daily activities.
- Long-term care insurance. Many policies reimburse non-medical home care. Read yours for the daily limit and the waiting period, and ask the provider for the paperwork the insurer wants.
- Contact the Area Agency on Aging, Region One (opens in new tab) about caregiver support and respite in Maricopa County.
The Arizona Caregiver Coalition also says it helps families get respite funding. Ask about vouchers when you call.
What should you do first?
- Write down the hours you need and the days that are hardest.
- List what your relative needs help with, and what they refuse help with.
- Gather the insurance card, any long-term care policy, and a VA letter if there is one.
- Call the Area Agency on Aging and ask what respite or caregiver support it has for your zip code.
- Call two or three home care providers. Ask for the rate in writing, the shortest visit they schedule, and how they handle a caregiver who is sick that morning.
- Meet the caregiver before the first break, with your relative in the room.
Stay close the first time, then leave for an hour. Lengthen it from there.
What happens if you call Seniors Helping Seniors® Scottsdale?
Andy Lask owns the office, and his staff answers the phone Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 6 PM, with 24/7 coverage for emergencies. Emails get a reply in under 4 hours. Our Caregivers are seniors themselves and every one is background-checked, and the office is bonded and insured. We offer a free care visit with no obligation. We are also a Medicare GUIDE respite provider. Eligible families with Traditional Medicare and a dementia diagnosis can receive up to $2,500 a year of in-home respite at no cost to the family. You can call (480) 674-5400 or Request a Free Care Visit online.
Not sure which kind of help fits?
Every family's week looks different. Tell Seniors Helping Seniors® Scottsdale what yours looks like and you will get a plain answer on what would help in Scottsdale, and what it would cost, before anything is booked.
Questions families ask about respite care
How short can respite care be?
It depends on the provider, so ask for the shortest visit they schedule. Some agencies set a minimum of a few hours. Short breaks are common for errands, a doctor's appointment of your own, or a nap.
Can I get respite care for a parent with dementia?
Yes. Caregivers can offer company, supervision and routine. If your parent has Traditional Medicare and a dementia diagnosis, ask about the GUIDE model's respite benefit of up to $2,500 a year.
Does Medicare pay for respite care?
Not in general. The [CMS GUIDE model](https://www.cms.gov/priorities/innovation/innovation-models/guide) offers respite benefits for eligible people with Traditional Medicare and a dementia diagnosis. Ask your parent's plan what it covers before you count on anything.
Is there help in Scottsdale if I cannot afford private rates?
Ask the Area Agency on Aging, Region One about respite support in Maricopa County. Then ask the Arizona Caregiver Coalition about respite funding. Veterans can also ask the VA about its respite services.
Can a respite caregiver give my mother her pills?
No. A caregiver can remind her to take them and note that she did. Giving medication is outside non-medical care. If she needs that, talk with her doctor about options.
What if my father refuses a stranger in the house?
If your father refuses help but you need to keep your own doctor's appointment, arrange a short introduction before that day. Stay while the caregiver joins his usual routine, then discuss what help he will accept during your appointment. Meet the caregiver together, keep the first visit short, and stay nearby.
