Respite Care in Southwest Florida

As long as you need — a few hours so you can get to your own appointments, regular weekly relief, overnight or weekend coverage, or extended care while you travel or recover from your own surgery. Many families start with one afternoon a week and adjust from there.

That worry is the biggest reason caregivers don't take breaks — and the best answer is a gradual start. Request a caregiver before you absolutely need one, begin with short visits while you're still home, and stay present to evaluate and guide. Once you've found a good fit, we recommend a routine schedule — support you can count on, from a familiar face your loved one knows. And if you later need more coverage, you already have a trusted caregiver to call first.

In most cases, yes. Tell us what your days actually involve — supervision, redirection, transfers, personal care — and we'll refer caregivers with the credentials and experience those needs require. The honest answer: the best time to start is before things are critical. When dementia has progressed to where someone may be a danger to themselves or a caregiver, finding the right fit is more challenging — not impossible, and we'll gladly try, but we won't know until we know. One more reason not to wait.

Absolutely — that's actually what we recommend. Regular, scheduled respite is the most effective kind, because a consistent caregiver becomes a familiar face rather than a stranger, and a family caregiver who takes care of themselves is able to keep being there for their loved one. Every Tuesday afternoon does more for burnout than one rescue weekend a year.

You can request a different caregiver at any time — no hard feelings, no hassle. The right personality match matters, and your feedback helps us identify better candidates for you. We'll keep working with you until you find the right fit.

Often within 24 hours during the work week — the real timeline depends on how quickly the key pieces come together: documents, payment arrangements, and your caregiver preferences. Once those are in place, we can make a match. That said, this isn't a perfect world, and emergencies happen. If you're facing a crisis — a fall, a hospital discharge, a family caregiver who's burned out — call us, and we'll prioritize your search. In urgent situations, care can be arranged in as little as an hour.

Medicare generally does not pay for ongoing private caregivers. Long-term care insurance often does once the policy's benefit triggers are met, and Abby Services helps with the documentation insurers expect. Learn how long-term care insurance works with Abby Services. Veterans and surviving spouses may also qualify for VA benefits that help offset the cost.

Respite is priced like other in-home care. Your cost depends on the caregiver you choose and the schedule you need, and the total includes our registry fee. Typical 2026 totals run about $40–$45 an hour for 4–6 hour visits and $30–$35 an hour for 6–12 hour visits, with shorter visits costing more per hour. See the cost table on this page or our full cost guide.