Respite services provide options for caring for the person with Alzheimer's when the caregiver is unavailable or needs a break. There are two types of services: residential, where the patient temporarily moves to a facility, and in-home, where a care worker temporarily supervises the person with dementia at home.

Residential respite services provide temporary, time-limited care for the person with Alzheimer's in a residential or institutional setting.The person with Alzheimer's must have a stable and safe home to which they can return at the end of the respite stay.

In-home respite services enable family members to engage in activities outside the home with the assurance that the person with Alzheimer's is receiving adequate care.Family members are then free to attend a support group, go to a medical appointment or go to a movie with a friend.In home respite can also be provided in emergency situations in which the caregiver is absent, such as a hospitalization.In-home respite is generally limited in time and scope.If regular care is needed, it may be necessary to obtain alternative services.

Most residential respite in New York City is in a nursing home setting and requires a P.R.I. (Patient Review Instrument) to be filled out. This is quite expensive if the applicant does not have Medicaid. Medicaid pays for up to six weeks of residential respite in a year.