What Is Hospice Respite Care, and How Does It Work?

Written and reviewed by the Lily Hospice clinical team. Updated September 2026.

Respite care is a short stay, up to five days at a time, for a hospice patient in a Medicare-approved facility so that the family caregiver can rest. It is one of the four levels of care included in the Medicare hospice benefit, it can be used more than once, and the hospice arranges it.

Why respite exists

Most hospice care in metro Detroit happens at home, and most of the hands-on work between visits is done by a spouse, a daughter, a son. Caring for someone around the clock is exhausting in a way that is hard to admit. Respite care is Medicare’s acknowledgment that the caregiver’s stamina is part of the patient’s care plan. A rested caregiver makes better decisions and can keep their loved one at home longer.

How it works

The hospice arranges a bed in a facility it contracts with, usually a skilled nursing facility or an inpatient hospice unit, and coordinates transport, medications and the care plan for the stay. The stay is up to five consecutive days per occurrence; Medicare does not set a fixed limit on how many times respite can be used, though hospices use it occasionally rather than routinely. The hospice team continues to visit during the stay. Medicare covers the facility cost with a small daily coinsurance, generally five percent of the respite rate, and many families pay nothing.

Respite is planned, not emergency care. If the patient’s symptoms become unmanageable at home, the right tool is continuous home care or general inpatient care, also covered by the benefit; ask your hospice which applies.

Other ways hospice supports caregivers

Aide visits for bathing and personal care, volunteers who sit with the patient so a caregiver can leave the house, social work help with the practical and emotional weight, chaplain support, and after a death, bereavement support for the family for more than a year. If you are the caregiver and you are running on empty, say so to the hospice nurse; it is the most common thing we hear and there is more help than most families use.

Questions families ask

How many days of respite care does Medicare cover?

Up to five consecutive days per respite stay. It can be used more than once during hospice care.

Where does respite care take place?

In a Medicare-approved facility the hospice contracts with, such as a skilled nursing facility or an inpatient hospice unit; not at home.

Does respite care cost the family anything?

Medicare may charge a coinsurance of about five percent of the respite daily rate. Many families pay nothing; ask your hospice.

Can I ask for respite even if things are going fine?

Yes. Respite is for the caregiver, not only for a crisis. Tell your hospice social worker or nurse.

Does Lily Hospice arrange respite care?

Yes, as part of the Medicare hospice benefit, along with aide visits, volunteers and social work support for caregivers across Oakland, Macomb and Wayne counties.

General education, not medical or benefits advice. Decisions about hospice are made with your loved one’s physician. Lily Hospice, 2125 Butterfield Dr, Suite 299, Troy, MI 48084. Medicare-certified since 2021. ACHC-accredited.

Hospice isn’t giving up. It’s showing up.