Data last verified: August 2026
Respite care provides a short-term stay for a resident so a family caregiver can take a scheduled break, typically ranging from 15 to 30 days.
Sadie G. Mays’ respite care program includes nursing care, medication administration, meals, and activities during the stay.
Families can confirm current pricing and availability with the admissions team before scheduling a stay.
Respite care is a planned, short-term residential stay that gives a family caregiver scheduled time away from caregiving duties while a resident receives nursing care, medication administration, and daily support from facility staff.
The stay is temporary by design, distinguishing it from the ongoing residency of skilled nursing or long-term care, and families schedule it in advance around a specific need such as travel, illness, or caregiver rest.
Nursing staff provides care during a respite stay, including medication administration, while dietary and activities staff manage meals and engagement to keep the resident comfortable and occupied.
The respite care fee covers room, board, activities, and nursing services; physical, occupational, and speech therapy are billed separately and are not included in the base respite fee.
Families must supply the resident’s medications for the duration of the stay.
Residents on a respite stay can access the same amenities and social and recreational activities available to long-term residents.
What’s Included | What’s Not Included |
Room and board | Physical, occupational, or speech therapy |
Activities and social programming | Resident’s medications (family-supplied) |
Nursing services, including medication administration | — |
Respite stays at Sadie G. Mays typically range from 15 to 30 days and are scheduled in advance around the caregiver’s specific need.
Families arranging a respite stay around a planned trip, medical procedure, or extended rest period should contact admissions early to confirm dates, since availability depends on current bed capacity.
Families must pay for respite care in advance by cash, check, or credit card. Payment may also be arranged through VA benefits or a hospice provider, though each pathway has its own eligibility rules separate from Sadie G. Mays’ payment policy.
Eligible veterans may qualify for the VA’s Nursing Home Respite Care benefit, which covers a short-term stay of up to 30 days per calendar year in a VA Community Living Center or a participating community nursing home — but eligibility depends on meeting clinical criteria, service availability, and, for a community provider, community-care eligibility rules, and may involve a copay.
Families should confirm authorization and any copay with a VA social worker or case manager before assuming VA coverage applies to a specific stay, and can review veterans benefits for nursing home care in Georgia for Aid & Attendance and other coverage details.
Families whose loved one is already receiving hospice care should note that Medicare’s hospice benefit includes a separate inpatient respite provision, capped at up to five consecutive days per CMS hospice program rules — a different and shorter benefit than Sadie G. Mays’ own 15-to-30-day respite program, so families should ask their hospice provider which benefit would apply to a given stay.
Respite care is a planned, temporary stay for caregiver relief, while long-term care and skilled nursing care are ongoing arrangements for residents with continuing medical or daily-living needs.
A resident on a respite stay receives nursing, dietary, and activities support from the same care teams serving long-term residents, and returns home or to their previous living situation once the caregiver’s break period ends.
Families arrange a respite stay by contacting the admissions team to confirm bed availability, current pricing, and payment method before the stay begins.
The admissions team can also confirm whether VA benefits or a hospice provider can be applied toward the stay.
Families managing ongoing caregiving responsibilities may also find the facility’s guidance on caregiver self-care helpful when planning a respite stay.
Families ready to schedule a respite stay can reach the Sadie G. Mays admissions team at 678-420-2946.
How long can a respite care stay last?
Respite care stays at Sadie G. Mays typically range from 15 to 30 days, scheduled in advance based on the caregiver’s needs. Exact availability depends on current bed capacity, so families should contact admissions as early as possible to confirm dates.
What does the respite care fee cover?
The respite care fee covers room, board, activities, and nursing services, including medication administration. Physical, occupational, and speech therapy are billed separately and are not included in the base respite care fee.
Do families need to provide the resident’s medications during a respite stay?
Yes. Families must supply the resident’s medications for the duration of the respite stay, and nursing staff administers those medications as part of standard care. The respite care fee does not separately itemize a medication-supply charge, since the family provides the medications directly.
How is respite care paid for?
Families must pay respite care in advance by cash, check, or credit card. Payment may also be arranged through VA benefits for eligible veterans or through a hospice provider, though each pathway has separate eligibility requirements families should confirm in advance.
Can veterans use VA benefits to pay for respite care?
Eligible veterans may qualify for the VA’s Nursing Home Respite Care benefit, up to 30 days per calendar year, but eligibility depends on clinical criteria and service availability. Families should confirm authorization and any copay with a VA social worker before the stay.
Does hospice coverage include respite care?
Medicare’s hospice benefit includes a separate inpatient respite provision capped at up to five consecutive days, which is shorter than Sadie G. Mays’ own respite program. Families should ask their hospice provider which benefit applies to a specific stay.
Is respite care the same level of care as long-term care?
Respite care residents receive nursing, dietary, and activities support from the same care teams as long-term residents. The difference is duration and intent — respite care is a planned, temporary stay, while long-term care is an ongoing residency.
Can a respite stay be extended past 30 days?
Respite care at Sadie G. Mays is designed as a short-term stay, typically 15 to 30 days. Families needing care beyond that window should discuss transitioning to long-term care or skilled nursing care with the admissions team.
Respite care at Sadie G. Mays typically runs 15 to 30 days, covering room, board, activities, and nursing services; therapy and medications are handled separately.
Payment can be made in advance by cash, check, or credit card, or coordinated through VA benefits or a hospice provider; each is subject to its own eligibility rules, separate from the facility’s policy.
Families ready to schedule a respite stay can reach the Sadie G. Mays admissions team at 678-420-2946.
