How to apply for NC Lifespan Respite Voucher — up to $750 a year for family caregivers in North Carolina

Who it's for

The NC Lifespan Respite Program pays back unpaid family caregivers for up to $750 in respite care each calendar year, so they can take a break. The person you care for can be any age. You choose who provides the break: adult day care, overnight respite, a licensed home care agency, or a private worker who does not live with the person you care for. A local agency — such as your Area Agency on Aging or county social services — must refer you and fill out the online application with you. Funding is limited, and applications are taken only when funds are available.

What you'll need

• Referral from a local professional organization (it completes the online application)
• Signed Caregiver Certification

Where to apply

Step by step

1. Check that you are an unpaid caregiver age 18 or older and live in North Carolina. Make sure neither you nor the person you care for already gets ongoing publicly funded in-home services or respite. If the person is on a waiting list, you can still apply.
2. Contact a local professional organization, such as your Area Agency on Aging or county social services, and ask for a referral to the NC Lifespan Respite Voucher program.
3. Gather the required paperwork. You will need a referral from the local professional organization and a signed Caregiver Certification.
4. Complete the online application with the local agency that refers you. The local agency must fill out the online application with you.
5. Choose the type of respite care you want to use if you are approved. You can choose adult day care, overnight respite, a licensed home care agency, or a private worker who does not live with the person you care for.
6. Use the approved funds within 90 days of approval. Funding is limited, and applications are accepted only when funds are available.

What to expect: After you apply, the local agency and program will review your application when funding is available. Priority goes to caregivers with the greatest economic need. If you are approved, the program can pay back up to $750 each calendar year for respite care. The caregiver is the applicant, even if some rules are listed for the person receiving care. The benefit follows the calendar year, and approved funds must be used within 90 days.

Renewals

calendar year; funds must be used within 90 days of approval