Respite Care in Tucson: How Short Stays Work

Respite care is a short, planned stay in an assisted living home. Your loved one moves in for days or weeks, receives full care, and then goes home. Nothing about it is permanent.

When families use it

• The caregiver needs to be away. A trip, a surgery of their own, or a family event.
• After a hospital or rehab stay. When someone isn't quite ready to manage at home.
• Burnout. Caregiving without a break wears people down. A planned pause helps both of you.
• A trial run. A short stay shows how a person does in a care setting before anyone commits to a move.

What to arrange ahead of time

Arizona assisted living homes need a few things before any stay, short or long. Start a couple of weeks ahead when you can.

• A current list of medications and the medications themselves, in original packaging.
• Paperwork from the physician. The home will tell you which forms it needs.
• An honest picture of daily needs: mobility, bathing, eating, sleep, and memory.
• Clothes, toiletries, and a few familiar things from home.
• Emergency contacts and who can make decisions if you can't be reached.

What to ask the home

• Is there a minimum or maximum length of stay?
• Is the daily rate all-inclusive, or are care services billed separately?
• Will my loved one have a private room and bathroom?
• Do respite guests join meals and activities with everyone else?
• Who do I call for updates, and how often will I hear from you?

Respite at Heritage Oaks

Guests on a respite stay with us receive the same care, dining, and daily life as our full-time residents, in a private suite in one of our two homes on the St. Joseph's Hospital campus. Certified caregivers are awake and on site day and night. Availability depends on open suites, so call early.

If your loved one only needs daytime support, adult day care may be the better fit. To ask about dates, call 520-999-0797 or schedule a visit.