GAPP respite care: how to get backup nursing hours

You can't do this alone forever. Respite care gives you a break while a trained nurse takes over.

What respite care means in GAPP

Respite care is temporary relief for you. A nurse or PCS aide comes to your home so you can step away. Sleep, run errands, go to a doctor's appointment, or just sit somewhere quiet for an hour without anyone needing you.

It's not a different program. It's built into GAPP. Your agency requests respite hours as part of your child's care plan. The respite nurse handles everything your regular nurse would. Meds, monitoring, trach care, whatever your child needs.

Respite isn't a luxury. If you're the primary caregiver for a medically fragile child, burnout is real. Respite hours exist because the system knows you need breaks to keep going.

Who qualifies for GAPP respite care

Your child is already receiving GAPP services (RN, LPN, or PCS)
Your child has an active prior authorization
Your physician includes respite in the care plan or supports adding it
You're the primary caregiver and need temporary relief

You don't need a separate application for respite. It gets added to your existing GAPP authorization. Talk to your agency and your child's doctor. If you're not sure whether your kid qualifies for GAPP at all, read about what GAPP services cover.

How many respite hours can you get?

There's no single answer. Respite hours depend on what Medicaid authorizes and what your physician orders. Some families get a few hours a week. Others get a block of hours per month. The amount depends on:

Your child's medical complexity
How many regular nursing hours you already receive
What the physician documents as medically necessary
Medicaid's authorization decision

Tip: If you're not getting enough respite hours, ask your doctor to write a letter explaining why you need more. Medicaid responds to documented medical necessity.

How to request respite hours

Five steps. Your agency does most of the heavy lifting.

Talk to your GAPP agency

Tell your care coordinator or intake person that you need respite hours. They handle this kind of request regularly. If you don't have an agency yet, find one in our directory.

Get your doctor involved

Your physician needs to include respite in the care plan or write a supporting order. Tell your doctor you're the primary caregiver and need periodic relief to maintain your own health.

Agency submits the request

Your agency submits the respite hours as part of your child's prior authorization to Medicaid. This may be included in a renewal or submitted as a modification to your existing auth.

Medicaid reviews and approves

Approval typically comes with your regular authorization. If denied, your agency can appeal with additional documentation from your doctor.

Schedule your respite shifts

Once approved, work with your agency to schedule the hours. Some families use them on a regular weekly schedule. Others save them for when they need a longer break. Families in Gwinnett County and other metro areas tend to have an easier time finding nurses for respite shifts.

What a respite shift looks like

The respite nurse arrives at 8am on Saturday. You walk her through your child's morning routine. When the next med is due, what to watch for with the vent settings, where the backup supplies are. Then you leave. You go to the grocery store alone. You get coffee. You sit somewhere quiet. The nurse handles everything. Meds, feedings, suctioning, diaper changes. You come back at noon and your child is fine. That's respite.

Some families use respite for overnight coverage so both parents can sleep. Others use it during the week so the primary caregiver can work a part-time job. A few families have a paid family caregiver handling weekday shifts and use agency respite nurses on weekends. There's no wrong way to use it as long as a qualified nurse is with your child.

What gets in the way (and how to fix it)

"My agency says they can't staff respite shifts."

This is the most common problem. If your agency can't find nurses for respite, ask if they can pull from a different pool or hire per diem staff. If they still can't, consider a second agency for respite-only hours. Or look for a new agency that has better staffing. Search our directory to compare options, or read our guide on how to switch GAPP providers.

"My doctor didn't include respite in the order."

Doctors don't always know to add it. Call the office and say: "I need respite hours added to my child's GAPP care plan. Can we update the physician order?" Most will add it once you explain what respite means in GAPP.

"Medicaid denied my respite hours."

Ask for the denial reason in writing. Have your doctor write a letter of medical necessity explaining caregiver burnout risk and impact on the child's care. Your agency can resubmit or appeal. For more on the process, see our GAPP application guide.

Respite care FAQs

Is respite care free through GAPP?

Yes. Respite hours are covered under your child's GAPP authorization. There's no out-of-pocket cost if your child has active Medicaid and an approved prior auth.

Can I use respite hours to go to work?

Yes. You can use respite hours however you need to. Work, sleep, errands, medical appointments, or just taking a break. The nurse is there for your child regardless of where you go.

Do I have to use the same agency for respite?

Not necessarily. Some families use a second agency specifically for respite hours if their primary agency can't staff them. Talk to your care coordinator about options.

How often can I use respite?

As often as your authorized hours allow. Some families use a few hours every week. Others save up hours for a longer break once a month. It depends on what Medicaid approved.

What if I need respite right now - like today?

Call your agency and ask for emergency coverage. Most agencies have per diem nurses who can fill short-notice shifts. If your agency can't help, call other agencies in your area from our directory.

Can respite nurses do everything my regular nurse does?

They should be able to. Respite nurses need to be trained on your child's specific care plan. Before the first respite shift, have the nurse review the care plan and walk through your child's equipment and routines.

Need a GAPP agency that can staff respite hours?

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This directory is not affiliated with the State of Georgia or the official GAPP program. We help families find providers but are not a state agency.