What to Know About Respite Care for Breast Cancer Caregivers

Being the primary caregiver for a person with breast cancer can be a powerful show of love. However, the role can be physically demanding and emotionally taxing. Between managing a loved one’s symptoms, medication, appointments, emotions, and home, you may find little time left for yourself.  

Primary caregivers often have an increased risk for health issues including depression, anxiety, sleep problems, and high blood pressure. Though you may find it difficult to take a break from caregiving duties to focus on your health and well-being, doing so can help you avoid burnout.

“It's so important as a caregiver to make sure that you're taking care of yourself,” says Liz Farrell, MSW, LICSW, a breast oncology clinical social worker at Dana-Farber Cancer Center. “Like on an airplane, if you don't put your own oxygen mask on first, you're not going to be able to really take care of the people around you [who] need your help and support.” 

That’s where respite care comes in. Respite care allows you to take a short break while someone else steps in to take care of the person who is sick. This creates space for caregivers to rest, recharge, and take care of their own needs.  

Insurance doesn’t often pay for respite care services, leaving many people to pay out of pocket. There are, however, state-level grants and programs to help offset the costs. And there are nonprofit and volunteer organizations nationwide that can offer support.   

Respite care can come in many forms, from friends dropping by for a couple hours to help out to long-term overnight stays in licensed health care facilities.

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  In-home care: Trained caregivers offer support to the person with cancer at  home for a few hours. They might help with their medicines, personal care, and managing their symptoms. Volunteer and professional caregivers may also help with meal prep and house cleaning.

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  Overnight care: Trained caregivers stay overnight in the home of the person with cancer for a night or two to give caregivers longer breaks.  

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  Residential respite care: Your loved one may stay overnight in a group home or nursing home for several days to several weeks. 

You might use the time away to attend your own health appointments, manage your personal tasks, take a workout class, see friends, or tend to your mental health.   

Taking time away was crucial for Sam Simon as he cared for his wife Susan while she was being treated for breast cancer and later with a post-double mastectomy recurrence. Sam said that despite Susan’s poor prognosis, he maintained a hopeful demeanor around her. 

“The hardest thing was that you couldn't be sad or afraid in front of her. My conviction that she wasn't going to make it — she never saw that,” Sam said. 

When Sam needed a space for emotional support, he turned to the community at his synagogue. Spending time away from home to tend to his faith and lean on friends buoyed him through the process. He also regularly saw a psychiatrist, who he said helped him remain emotionally resilient as a caregiver. 

Carving out time to hand off your caregiving duties to someone else may feel like yet another job on your to-do list, but there are small first steps you can take. 

Start by taking stock of your caregiving duties, then think about how you can ease the burden. That may include asking a friend to help drive your kids to activities, hiring a routine home cleaning service, or tapping into nonprofit meal delivery programs. 

You might reach out to family members or friends who are close to you or your loved one. Farrell recommends being specific about what you’re asking for. Do you need a half day off to run some errands and work out? Or would you like multiple days away to fully reset? 

“There are often multiple people who want to help out, but they just don't want to overstep, so they're not offering,” Farrell says. “When you really ask someone very concretely, ‘Can you come here from 5 to 8 p.m. on Thursday?’ they may be happy to do it.” The person with cancer may also welcome seeing other family and friends and having a change of pace at home, she added.

A conversation about professional respite care often begins with the clinical care team of the person with cancer. Most cancer centers have support services including a team of clinical social workers and nurse navigators who can help you understand your options. The oncology, palliative care, or primary care teams can refer you to respite services. 

“Develop a relationship with your oncology team, because a lot of the time these caregiver resources are referral based or need some kind of medical explanation,” explained Julie Rynearson, a breast oncology social worker at Stanford Medicine. Health insurers may require a physician to certify that a patient meets criteria for respite services, such as having a defined chronic condition. 

Caregiver support networks can also be great resources for finding respite options in your community. Other caregivers may know of local organizations that offer free or reduced-cost respite programs. 

There are several websites that can help you find caregivers. Access to Respite Care and Help has a registry of national and state organizations for in-home, adult day, or residential respite care. Organizations like the American Cancer Society, National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, and Caregiver Action Network are also good resources. 

If the person you’re caring for is in hospice, you may be able to find a hospice respite care provider through Medicare.gov. Your oncologist or hospital social worker can also connect you with a local hospice that provides respite care.

Rynearson recommends checking that the organization is licensed through your state health department or accredited by the Joint Commission or Community Health Accreditation Services. These are organizations that make sure health organizations are providing safe and reliable services.

If you’re having a hard time knowing which caregiver to choose, Rynearson said “old-school word of mouth” is often the best way to know if an organization or caregiver is reputable. 

Some insurance plans, including Medicare and Medicaid, cover respite care, usually for limited periods of time. 

Medicare and Medicaid

Medicare and Medicaid will typically only pay for respite care for people in hospice. Hospice is usually reserved for people with a prognosis of six months or less to live.  

Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans will cover five consecutive days of respite through a Medicare-approved facility, such as an inpatient hospice facility or nursing home.  

Some Medicare Advantage plans also cover home care and respite regardless of whether you are in hospice or not. Check with your Medicare plan. 

Some state Medicaid programs offer in-home respite and community-based respite through Medicaid waivers. Contact your state’s Medicaid agency for more information.

Private insurance plans

With the exception of long-term care insurance, most private health insurance plans won’t cover in-home, live-in, or residential respite services, so you may need to pay for the services out of pocket. According to a 2025 survey by Genworth and CareScout, the national median cost of having a skilled nurse in the home is $90 an hour, while non-medical home support is $35 an hour. The median rate for an assisted living community is $6,200 per month. 

Before you pay out of pocket, contact your insurer to check your benefits. 

Vouchers and grants

Some states offer respite vouchers, grants, or stipends for respite care through the Lifespan Respite Care Program or other state-funded programs. Such programs can help you pay for services if you don’t qualify for help through Medicaid or Medicare. Your state may also support volunteer or faith-based respite services that offer free or low-cost care. 

Veterans benefits

Veterans enrolled in VA Health Care may also have benefits that can offset costs. The Veterans Administration offers programs for home respite care and adult day care. Veterans can also go to a nursing home for a maximum of 30 days each calendar year.

Adjusting to a new caregiver is not always seamless. 

“For patients, this can feel like such a loss of control, and cancer is already the epitome of a loss of control,” Farrell says. 

She recommends having a conversation with the patient before starting respite care to understand how to make the change, even if temporary, most comfortable for them. For instance, they may feel comfortable being bathed by a professional caretaker, but not by their adult child.  

It can also be helpful to start building in little breaks as soon as you start your caregiving duties. That can both give you the space for self-care and help you ease into the experience of letting a new caregiver take over. Asking a temporary caregiver to be part of the fold early on can also build trust between them and the patient, she says. 

Taking the time to care for yourself can be good for both you and your loved one. 

“Sometimes taking respite is actually something you can do for them. When they see you taking that break — going for a bike ride, meeting up with friends for a dinner — that makes them feel better,” Farrell says. “It's hard to feel like somebody's whole world has become about taking care of you, and they need you to have things outside of them too.”