By Fran Williams
Reviewed by the Willhaus Living Founding Team. Willhaus Living was founded after our founder searched for memory care for his mother following her Alzheimer’s diagnosis during the COVID-19 pandemic. Unable to find options that honored her dignity, someone who had dedicated her life to caring for her family, he built what he wished had existed. That founding experience shapes everything at Willhaus, including our approach to supporting the family caregivers who carry so much.
If you’ve been caring for a parent or spouse living with dementia, the weight of that role is probably with you every hour of the day. You may not have slept through the night in months. You may have set aside your own health appointments, your relationships, and your sense of self. And you may feel guilty even thinking about a break.
That’s exactly who respite care is designed for.
Respite care is temporary, professional care provided to a senior living with Alzheimer’s or another dementia so the family caregiver can rest. It can last a few hours, a few days, or several weeks, depending on the arrangement and the caregiver’s need. It’s not a permanent transition. It’s a chance to breathe, recover, and come back to caregiving with more to give.
According to the AARP and National Alliance for Caregiving “Caregiving in the US 2025” report, an estimated 63 million Americans are now family caregivers, a 45 percent increase over the past decade.1 Roughly 1 in 4 adults in the U.S. is providing unpaid care to someone with an illness, disability, or aging need. Nearly two-thirds of those caregivers report high emotional stress.
For dementia caregivers specifically, the demands are even more intense. Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s often involves round-the-clock vigilance, behavioral unpredictability, and little margin for the caregiver’s own health needs. Respite care exists because caregiving is only sustainable when caregivers are supported too.
This article explains how respite care works, what forms it takes, and what to look for if you’re considering it for your family.
Who Uses Respite Care?
Family caregivers use respite care, and there are more of them than most people realize. The data in the Caregiving in the US 2025 report makes clear that caregiving in America has reached a scale that few support systems are built to handle. Most family caregivers do not identify as caregivers at all. They’re just doing what needs to be done, quietly, and often alone.
Respite care is for any family caregiver who needs a sustained break, whether that’s a few hours on a Tuesday afternoon or two weeks during a planned family trip. You don’t have to be in crisis to use it. You don’t have to earn it. Needing rest is not a failure of commitment.
What Types of Respite Care Are Available?
In-Home Respite Care Offers Flexible Relief on Your Schedule
A trained caregiver from a home care agency or a trained volunteer comes to the home so the family caregiver can step away for a few hours. This is the most flexible option and is often easiest for seniors who resist change since they remain in a familiar environment with familiar routines.
Adult Day Programs Provide Structured Support During Daytime Hours
Adult day centers offer structured, supervised programming during daytime hours, typically on weekdays. For family caregivers who work, this can be a regular source of weekly relief. Texas’s Day Activity and Health Services (DAHS) program, administered through Texas Health and Human Services, serves seniors with Alzheimer’s and other conditions at licensed centers across the state.2
Short-Term Residential Stays Deliver Professional Care Around the Clock
Some assisted living and memory care communities offer short-term stays in a residential setting, giving your loved one consistent professional care while you get days or weeks of true relief. Short-term stays also give families a firsthand look at what professional memory care feels like, which often eases anxiety about future transitions. Willhaus Living, opening in Georgetown, TX in Fall 2026, will offer this option as part of its residential care program.
How Respite Care Helps Families Caring for Someone with Dementia
The Administration for Community Living’s National Family Caregiver Support Program reports that respite services were provided to more than 604,000 caregivers through nearly 6 million hours of temporary relief.3 Their data shows that caregiver support services, including respite, enable families to provide care longer than would otherwise be possible, reducing the need for premature long-term placement.
In concrete terms, respite care helps in these ways:
-
- Allows caregivers to sleep, recover, and manage their own health appointments
- Reduces the buildup of caregiver stress, which is associated with increased risk of depression and physical illness
- Provides the person living with dementia a change of environment, social engagement, and professional care
- Gives families firsthand insight into what professional memory care looks like, which often eases anxiety about future transitions
Is Respite Care Available in Georgetown, TX?
Yes. Texas Health and Human Services provides guidance on in-home care, adult day services, and residential respite options available to families across the state, including the Georgetown and Williamson County area.4 Willhaus Living will also offer residential respite care at our Georgetown, TX community when we open in Fall 2026.
If you’re thinking ahead about what short-term memory care support might look like for your family, we encourage you to connect with us early, especially if you’re planning around a specific window, such as a family trip or a medical procedure. Building that relationship before you need it makes the process far less stressful when the time comes.
What to Look for in a Respite Care Setting
-
- Caregivers trained specifically in dementia care and behavioral redirection
- A secure environment appropriate for a person who may wander
- Programming that engages residents cognitively and socially, not just a place to wait
- Caregiver-to-resident ratios that allow for individualized attention
- A calm, home-like setting rather than a clinical or institutional environment
What that looks like in practice varies significantly by community. When Willhaus Living opens in Georgetown, TX in Fall 2026, our five-acre property, 16 private rooms, chef-prepared meals, and dementia-informed care approach will be available not just for permanent residents, but for families who need short-term support too. Every aspect of our home was designed with the whole person in mind, from the oak-shaded nature trails to the sensory-rich daily programming that was built, originally, out of love for one family’s mother.
To learn more about what short-term memory care at Willhaus Living will look like, connect with the Willhaus Living team to ask questions and get on our interest list before we open. We’d love to answer your questions whenever you’re ready
Frequently Asked Questions
Respite care is designed to support both the caregiver and the person with dementia.
Is respite care the same as memory care?
Respite care and memory care describe different things, though they can overlap. Respite care refers to the duration and purpose of the stay which provides temporary relief for a family caregiver. Memory care refers to the type of specialized dementia programming provided. A short-term stay at a memory care community is a form of residential respite care.
How long can a respite stay last?
Respite stays typically range from a few days to several weeks, though duration varies by provider and availability. Some families use respite care monthly as part of their ongoing caregiver support plan.
Does Medicare cover respite care?
Medicare has very limited coverage for respite care and only covers it under the hospice benefit for eligible patients. According to Medicare.gov, inpatient respite care may be covered when a patient is enrolled with a Medicare-certified hospice provider.5
Will my loved one be disoriented by a short-term respite stay?
Change in environment can cause temporary disorientation for people living with dementia, and that’s a real consideration worth planning around. Good respite care communities minimize this through familiar routines, calm environments, and caregivers trained in dementia support. Families often find that a well-run residential respite experience is less disruptive than expected, and sometimes genuinely positive for the person receiving care.
This article is intended as general information and educational guidance. It does not constitute medical, legal, or care-placement advice. For recommendations specific to your loved one’s situation, please consult with a qualified physician, geriatric care manager, or care professional.
Sources
[1] National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP.
“Caregiving in the US 2025: Report Highlights & Key Messages”
https://www.caregiving.org/caregiving-in-the-us-2025-toolkit/
National Alliance for Caregiving.
Accessed May 2026.
[2] Texas Health and Human Services.
“Day Activity and Health Services (DAHS).”
https://www.hhs.texas.gov/providers/long-term-care-providers/day-activity-health-services-dahs
Texas Health and Human Services Commission.
Accessed May 2026.
[3] Administration for Community Living.
“National Family Caregiver Support Program.”
https://acl.gov/programs/support-caregivers/national-family-caregiver-support-program
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Accessed May 2026.
[4] Texas Health and Human Services.
“Programs for Seniors and Aging.”
https://www.hhs.texas.gov/services/health/medicaid-chip/medicaid-chip-programs-services/programs-seniors-aging
Texas Health and Human Services Commission.
Accessed May 2026.
[5] Medicare.gov.
“Hospice Care Coverage.”
https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/hospice-care
U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Accessed May 2026.