Assistant Secretary for Aging Greenlee Announces Lifespan Respite Care Program Awards

Twelve grantees will develop and enhance coordinated, accessible, community-based respite care programs for caregivers across the lifespan.

Recognizing the daily sacrifices and challenges faced by family caregivers across the nation who work tirelessly to keep their loved ones at home, HHS Assistant Secretary for Aging Kathy Greenlee today announced 12 awards totaling nearly $2.3 million to implement the Lifespan Respite Care Program. Respite provides temporary relief for caregivers from the ongoing responsibility of caring for an individual of any age with special needs.

Awards of up to $200,000 each were made to the following: Alabama, Arizona, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Illinois, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas. The announcement was made by Assistant Secretary Greenlee during the opening session of the 2009 National Respite Conference being held Sept. 24-25, 2009 in Burbank, Calif.

“Respite is a lynchpin of caregiver support and does much to strengthen the family system while protecting the health and well being of both caregiver and care recipient,” Assistant Secretary for Aging Kathy Greenlee said. “Respite is a key component of the long-term care system which relies heavily on the work and dedication of informal family caregivers.”

Funding was made possible through the enactment of the Lifespan Respite Care Act of 2006 which defines respite care as “planned or emergency care provided to a child or adult with a special need in order to provide temporary relief to the family caregiver of that child or adult.” The Lifespan Respite Care Program is intended to accomplish several objectives, including expanding and enhancing respite services in the states, improving coordination and dissemination of service delivery, improving access and filling gaps in service delivery, and improving overall quality of respite services currently available. Those funded to implement Lifespan Respite Care Programs will work to expand and enhance respite care services to family caregivers of children or adults of all ages with special needs, who might not otherwise have access to respite services.

Grantees will also be improving statewide dissemination and coordination of respite care and providing, supplementing, or improving access to and quality of respite care services. The ultimate goal of these activities is the reduction of family caregiver strain.

The following agencies were awarded the grants:

Alabama Department of Senior Services

Arizona Department of Economic Security, Aging and Adult Services

Connecticut Department of Social Services, Aging Services Division

District of Columbia Office on Aging

Illinois Department on Aging

Nevada Aging and Disability Services Division

New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, Special Medical Services

North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Aging and Adult Services

Rhode Island Department of Elderly Affairs

South Carolina Lieutenant Governor’s Office on Aging

Tennessee Commission on Aging and Disability

Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services

Grantees will be supported in their efforts to develop, expand and enhance Lifespan Respite Programs with targeted technical assistance and support provided by the Family Caregiver Alliance (San Francisco) working in partnership with the ARCH National Respite Coalition (Annandale, Va.) who received funding under a separate program announcement to work on a range of activities to support caregiver program development, including Lifespan Respite Programs.

For more information about the Lifespan Respite Care Program, please contact Greg Link at Greg.Link@aoa.hhs.gov For more information about the U.S. Administration on Aging, please visit: www.aoa.gov