Knoxville Senior AdvisorWhat respite options exist for caregivers around Knoxville?
Families use adult day health care on weekdays, in-home respite from a private agency, and short-term respite stays in an assisted living community or nursing home, typically for a week or two.
Many ACLFs in the seven counties offer furnished respite apartments when they have openings; ask about the minimum stay and whether the resident must have a recent physical and TB test.
Does TennCare pay for respite care?
Yes, for eligible CHOICES Group 2 and 3 members: up to 216 hours of in-home respite and up to nine days of inpatient respite in a nursing home or ACLF per calendar year.
Adult day care is also covered for CHOICES members, up to 2,080 hours a year. The member's care coordinator arranges it.
What caregiver support does ETHRA offer?
ETHRA's Area Agency on Aging and Disability runs the National Family Caregiver Support Program for the region, which can provide information, counseling, training and some respite for people caring for an older relative.
Call 1-866-836-6678 and ask specifically for caregiver support. Funding is limited, so ask about waiting times and what can start right away.
What are the warning signs of caregiver burnout?
Exhaustion that sleep does not fix, irritability, withdrawing from friends, getting sick more often, feeling resentful or hopeless, and neglecting your own medical care are the common signs.
Burnout also shows up as mistakes: missed doses, forgotten appointments, short tempers. Those are signals to add help, not personal failures.
How can a respite stay help us plan?
A respite stay doubles as a trial: your parent experiences a community, staff learn their needs, and the family sees whether assisted living might work long term.
Many permanent moves in the Knoxville area begin as a two-week respite stay after a hospital visit or a caregiver's own surgery.
How can working caregivers in Knoxville protect their jobs?
Ask your employer about the federal Family and Medical Leave Act, which lets eligible employees take up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave a year to care for a parent with a serious health condition, and about flexible schedules or employee assistance programs.
Adult day health care during working hours, at about $80 a day at Tennessee's median, is often what lets a caregiver keep working. Keep your manager informed early rather than after a crisis.
Side by side
| Respite care is | Respite care is not | |
|---|---|---|
| Length | Short-term, from hours to a few weeks | A permanent placement |
| Setting | At home, adult day or a licensed community | Unlicensed informal arrangements |
| Payment | Private, or limited CHOICES hours and days | Covered by Medicare |
| Purpose | Rest for the caregiver, safety for the parent | A sign of giving up |
Sources: Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. chapters 0720-26, 0720-21 and 0720-18; Health Facilities Commission, TennCare and Department of Disability and Aging pages; CareScout and VA rate tables, as cited above. See our editorial standards.
