Respite is a service designed to give primary caregiver/s a break from the stress of taking care of their disabled family member. DDDS has two sources for Respite funding. Non-waivered Respite services (State-funded) or Waivered Respite Services for individuals 18 or older and enrolled in the Lifespan Waiver.
Some respite options include:
A private provider (person of your choice)
A respite camp
On a case by case basis, some paid activities may be eligible for use of Respite funding.
Non-waivered respite request must be a minimum of 1 hour in duration, but no more than 10 hours per day.
The caregiver must not be required to be present nor be responsible for the care of the individual during this time.
Please review our letter to families regarding updates to the respite process.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Children Ages 3-9 determined to be preliminarily or fully eligible for DDDS Services
2. All DDDS Eligible Service Recipients who do not have another funding source available such as:
Service Recipients approved for the Lifespan Waiver have access to an increased budget for respite and respite camps and are therefore ineligible for state funded respite and camps. Please contact your Community Navigator for more information.
Service recipients with the Diamond State Health Plan Plus (LTSS) Medicaid can access in home supports like respite and personal care; Please contact your Managed Care Organization (MCO) Case Manager for more information.
DDDS Family Resource Coordination Unit can provide information about Camps.
The Primary Caregiver will email the Respite Unit (DHSS_DDDS_RespiteRequest@delaware.gov) at least 2 weeks prior to the start date. A respite coordinator will contact you to help you through the process.
Emergency Requests must be submitted as soon as possible prior to, or immediately following the requested respite date(s).
The request must include the following information:
Begin and End Date for the respite services
Number of hours per day OR the number of nights
Name of DDDS service recipient
Name of the Primary Caregiver requesting respite
Must include Supplier I.D. Number
Name of person providing the respite service
Current address including county
Your request will be reviewed based on availability of DDDS funds, individual family circumstances, and any previous usage during the current fiscal year.
All new respite recipients must complete a State of Delaware W9 (so the State can issue payment/s).
To complete the process, read the FAQ/Contact Us section, and then the Step By Step User Guide and select New Supplier.
After the request is approved, the respite coordinator will email the primary caregiver a prefilled Service Invoice (review the invoice to ensure the information accurate).
Once the respite service has been completed, the primary caregiver will sign and return the Invoice to the respite coordinator ASAP via email attachment.
The reimbursement process normally takes 6 weeks from the ending date of your respite.
Signed agreements/contracts received more than 45 days past the Respite may NOT be honored for payment.
