California Caregiver Resource Centers: A Much-Needed Source of Respite for Family Caregivers

April 18, 2023

Family Caregiver Alliance celebrates President Biden’s recent executive order focused on expanding access to affordable, high-quality care, and specifically supporting family caregivers. One key part of it includes offering caregivers respite, which is “short-term help to give a primary family caregiver a break.”

Over the decades, the California Caregiver Resource Centers (CRCs) have provided respite for unpaid family caregivers of persons with dementia and other cognitive impairments.

More than 119,378 hours of consumer-directed respite to 2,080 family caregivers (FY 2022)
More than 135,650 hours of consumer-directed respite to 3,248 family caregiver (FY 2021)
More than 149,184 hours of consumer directed respite to 3,095 family caregivers (FY 2020)
Over last three years since the augmentation (FY20-FY23) more than 400,000 hours of respite have been provided to 8,423 family caregivers
Since the CRCs started (FY 1985): millions of hours of respite have been provided to tens of thousands of families using a variety of care options that fit their preference for care and availability in the community that include: in-home (direct pay or home health agencies/registries), out-of-home short term stays, and day care. In addition, many CRCs have started volunteer care in-home or day programs in partnership with communities.

To learn more:

Read the press release about the executive order.

See the most recent evaluation report about the CRCs.