Caregiver Break
Family caregivers need time to rest, travel, or handle personal commitments. Respite care ensures your loved one is safe and supported while you take care of yourself.
Respite Care in Ottawa
Short-term stays that give family caregivers a break, allow recovery after hospitalization, or provide a trial period before committing to a move.
What Is Respite Care?
Respite care is short-term stays in a retirement residence, typically ranging from a few days to a few months. It's designed to give family caregivers a break, allow recovery after hospitalization, or provide a trial period before committing to a move.
During respite stays, residents have full access to all residence services and activities—meals, housekeeping, social programming, and care support if needed. It's essentially a "test drive" of retirement living.
Why Families Choose Respite Care
Post-Hospital Recovery
After surgery or illness, a short stay in a retirement residence can provide the support needed for recovery—meals, medication management, and assistance with daily activities.
Trial Before Moving
Many families use respite care to see if a residence feels right before making a longer-term commitment. If it goes well, the transition to permanent residency is often smoother.
Emergency Situations
When a family emergency arises or a caregiver becomes unavailable, respite care provides immediate short-term housing and support.
What's Included in Respite Care
Respite care residents receive the same services as long-term residents:
- • Private or semi-private suite
- • All meals (usually 3 per day)
- • Housekeeping and linen service
- • Access to all amenities and activities
- • Care support as needed (medication management, personal care)
- • 24-hour staff availability
- • Emergency call systems
Typical Costs
Respite care in Ottawa typically costs $150-250 per day or $3,000-6,000 per month, depending on:
- • Residence quality and location
- • Suite type (private vs. shared)
- • Level of care required
- • Length of stay (sometimes discounts for longer stays)
Short-term stays often have a slightly higher daily rate than long-term leases, but they include all services. Some insurance plans may cover respite care—we can help you explore options.
Planning a Respite Stay
Here's what to consider when arranging respite care:
- Length of stay: Most residences require minimum stays (often 1-2 weeks), though some accommodate shorter emergencies
- Availability: Respite suites are subject to availability—book in advance when possible
- Care assessment: The residence will assess care needs to ensure they can provide appropriate support
- What to bring: Personal items, clothing, medications, familiar objects to make the space feel like home
- Transition planning: If it might lead to permanent residency, discuss this with the residence upfront
How We Help
We can help you find respite care options that match your loved one's needs, schedule, and budget. Because we've visited every residence, we know which ones offer the best respite experience and which ones are less suitable.
We can also help you think through whether respite care might lead to a permanent move—and if so, how to plan for that transition from the start.
Find Respite Care OptionsRelated Care Types
Frequently Asked Questions
Respite care is short-term stays in a retirement residence, typically ranging from a few days to a few months. It's designed to give family caregivers a break, allow recovery after hospitalization, or provide a trial period before committing to a move. During respite stays, residents have full access to all residence services and activities.
Respite care in Ottawa typically costs $150-250 per day or $3,000-6,000 per month, depending on the residence, level of care, and suite type. Short-term stays often have a slightly higher daily rate than long-term leases, but they include meals, activities, and all services. Some insurance plans may cover respite care—we can help you explore options.
Absolutely. Many families use respite care as a 'test drive' to see if a residence feels right before making a longer-term commitment. If the stay goes well, the transition to permanent residency is often smoother because your parent is already familiar with the community, staff, and routines. We can help you plan for this possibility from the start.
Need Short-Term Care or a Trial Stay?
We'll help you find respite care options in Ottawa—whether you need a caregiver break, recovery support, or want to trial a residence.