Family-Owned & Operated Medicare Certified CHAP Accredited 24/7 Response Serving Michigan

Home Families Respite Services

A Medicare benefit

Take a weekend off. We've got the next 5 days.

Respite lets you rest, sleep eight hours, attend a wedding, or take the trip you've been putting off. Your loved one is cared for in a Medicare-certified facility the whole time.

You've earned it. It's covered. You don't need a "good enough" reason — tiredness is a reason.

Request Respite Talk to a nurse

Out-of-pocket cost For Medicare hospice patients

What it is

Respite care, in plain English

Respite care is short-term inpatient care for a hospice patient — provided so that the family caregiver can rest. It's part of the Medicare hospice benefit, fully covered, and most caregivers don't know it exists.

It's not a sign you're failing. It's a sign you're paying attention.

Consecutive days

Up to 5 days of inpatient care per respite period — long enough for a real break, short enough to feel safe leaving.

Cost to family

Fully covered under the Medicare hospice benefit. No deductibles, no copays. Most private and Advantage plans follow.

Recurring

Use it as often as needed

As often as needed throughout the hospice period. Some families use respite once. Others use it monthly. Both are fine.

Two types of respite

Choose what fits the moment

Sometimes you need a full long weekend off. Sometimes you just need a few hours to grocery shop without the phone in your hand. We offer both.

Inpatient Respite

Up to 5 consecutive days

Your loved one moves to a Medicare-certified facility for up to 5 days. Staff there handles all daily care. You get a real break — somewhere else, on your own schedule.

Full clinical staffing — nurses, aides, meals, meds, all coordinated.
You can travel — leave town for a wedding, trip, or just sleep.
Daily updates from us — we coordinate with the facility, you can call anytime.
Transport handled — pickup and return arranged by Bluebird.

Best when: You need a real long break, or you have a planned event (wedding, surgery, family emergency, vacation).

In-Home Volunteer Respite

A few hours at a time

A trained Bluebird volunteer comes to your home for 2–4 hours so you can step away — to a doctor's appointment, the grocery store, or just a long walk in the woods.

Same trusted volunteers — you'll see the same faces over time.
Companionship-level care — reading, conversation, music, gentle company.
Available when our volunteer schedule allows — coordinated by your nurse or social worker.
No cost. Fully part of the Bluebird volunteer program.

Best when: You need recurring short breaks, can't leave town, or just want one afternoon a week to be off-duty.

How to request it

From phone call to first morning off, in four steps

Inpatient or Volunteer respite start by speaking to your nurse or social worker, who will then coordinate the service with our Volunteer Coordinator.

Call us

Tell us what kind of break you need — a weekend, a Tuesday afternoon, an emergency tomorrow. No reason needed beyond "I need rest."

We coordinate

For inpatient: we identify the right Medicare-certified facility, handle the paperwork, and confirm dates. For volunteer: we match you with the right person.

Pickup & transition

For inpatient: transport arrives, your loved one settles in, the facility staff is briefed on the care plan. For volunteer: they arrive at your door at the agreed time.

Return home

After 5 days (or whenever your respite ends), they come home — back to their familiar bed, routines, and the rest of the hospice team is right there.

Request respite

If you need a break, that's enough reason to call.

You don't need a planned event, a crisis, or anyone's permission. Tiredness alone is enough. Call us — we'll figure out what kind of respite fits the moment.

(248) 264-3704

Request Respite All caregiver resources

$0 out-of-pocket No commitment 24/7 nurse on call

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