The Respite Care and Wellness Program of Alzheimer’s New Jersey

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Respite Care?

Respite Care is a form of short term relief for the primary family caregiver. “Respite” is for the caregiver; “Care” is for the person with Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive brain disease that destroys memory and thinking skills and eventually, the ability to carry out the simplest tasks of daily living. It is the most common cause of dementia. The continual demand for care can create emotional and physical stress for caregivers.

What is The Respite Care and Wellness Program?

The Respite Care and Wellness Program has been designed to help family caregivers learn about and experience  the importance of respite care services when the family member is providing primary caregiving services for someone with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. The program offers family caregivers information about available community respite care resources such as home health care, adult day care and residential respite, as well as a one-time financial scholarship to help offset the cost of respite care.

Funding for The Respite Care and Wellness Program is limited, so we do not guarantee that an applicant will receive a financial scholarship. However, we encourage you to apply. If the funding is not available when you apply, your application will be kept on file until June 30th following your date of application. Applicants will be required to complete and submit a new application after June 30th if they are still interested in being considered for the Program.

Who is eligible for The Respite and Wellness Program?

To be accepted into The Respite Care and Wellness Program,

*the primary family caregiver and the person with Alzheimer’s disease must live together full-time in the State of New Jersey.

*the primary family caregiver must be a United States Citizen.

*the primary family caregiver must submit medical certification from a physician that the person receiving care has Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia.

*the primary family caregiver must submit an application complete with all required information. This application will require a notarized financial attestation.

How does the program work? What is the amount of financial assistance received through The Respite Care and Wellness Program?

The Respite Care and Wellness Program provides a one-time per family, financial scholarship of $1,000 to the primary family caregiver who is in need of respite care services.

When the completed application packet is received and it is deemed to be complete and all the eligibility criteria have been met it is then approved. If there is scholarship funding available, the scholarship is awarded by mail.

If the application is deemed to be complete and is approved, but there are no funds available at that time, the application will be maintained on file until June 30th following the date you apply. No applications are carried forward after June 3oth. An applicant must reapply following this date in order to be considered for the new fiscal year funding allocation.

If your application is deemed to be incomplete or you do not meet the eligibility criteria, you will receive a letter, which will detail the reason your application is not being approved.

Why do I need to fill out a W-9 form (Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification)?

Alzheimer’s New Jersey is required by the Internal Revenue Service to report our financial activities. As a result, recipients of scholarships through The Respite Care and Wellness Program will be sent a 1099-MISC (miscellaneous income) form for the tax year in which a scholarship was received. Please consult your own tax advisor with any questions.

What kinds of respite services can the scholarship funding be utilized for?

*In-Home Services: personal care services provided in the home by a certified home health aide (CHHA) employed and supervised by a licensed health care services firm or licensed home health care agency or a companion supervised by a licensed health care services firm.

*Adult Day Services: care provided in a social adult day care program or a licensed adult day health services program. Social day care is defined as a program of recreational and social group activities designed and staffed specifically for the daycare of individuals needing supervision for safety and activities of daily living.

*Overnight Respite: temporary placement in a licensed facility to allow the caregiver to travel, receive medical care or have a complete rest.

Alzheimer’s New Jersey Helpline can provide information about respite care services available throughout our service area but we do not make any specific recommendations concerning the choice of respite services. The family caregiver is responsible for the selection and arrangement of respite care services.

What if I receive the Scholarship Award but don’t use it all for respite services. What am I required to do?

If you do not utilize the complete $1,000.00 financial scholarship as outlined by the terms of the program, you are required to return the amount you did not use as a donation back to the program.

Can you reapply for participation in The Respite Care and Wellness Program?

No. An applicant can only be a recipient of the scholarship award once.

Fore more information:

For more information about the Respite Care and Wellness Program, please contact us: toll-free at 888-280-6055 or 973-586-4300. Website: http://www.alznj.org

This was revised 12/21/2015

Disclaimer: This information was taken directly from the Alzheimer’s New Jersey pamphlet and since I have never used the service, I don’t have an opinion, yes or no, on what the program is like. Please call their number that is enclosed for more information and any questions you might have for them.