Our Respite Care Program provides caregivers who are uncompensated family members or friends of someone with MS with short-term respite care to enable them to take a break from their full-time caregiving responsibilities. Because funding for financial resources is limited, requests will be based on predetermined criteria and available resources.
RESPITE CARE PROGRAM GUIDELINES:
- Eligible person is a homebound individual with MS who depends on others for total care and support. Individual must be registered with the Central North Carolina Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and must reside within the Chapter’s 15 counties.
- Length of care is limited to a minimum of four (4) hours and a maximum of 48 hours per year. In the case of "emergency" care, length of care is limited to a maximum of ten (10) days annually. "Emergency" is defined as a situation in which the caregiver is unable to provide care to the person with MS because of personal illness, injury, surgery, family death, etc.
- Respite care will only be provided for the person with MS.
- Chapter staff will coordinate respite care through a licensed home health agency.
- Prior approval for each respite care request must be made through Chapter staff.
RESPITE CARE PROGRAM EXCLUSIONS:
- Individuals who are able to receive services from other agencies or care providers.
- Individuals who carry private insurance and are covered for respite care.
- Individuals who are evaluated to be too ill or disabled and need ongoing skilled nursing care, which respite care personnel cannot provide (i.e., wound irrigation, suctioning, and intra-venous therapy).
- Individuals requiring continuous home health care.
If you have questions about our Respite Care Program, please call the Chapter at 299-4136 or 1-800-344-4867