respite care

British

noun

social welfare occasional usually planned residential care for dependent old or handicapped people, to provide relief for their permanent carers

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Caregivers were also in favor of resources for respite care, requiring employers to provide paid leave for caregiving and direct payments to caregivers.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 26, 2026

While that’s important, he says they need support from peers and employers, and respite care.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 10, 2026

By July, however, Mack was receiving respite care, which was described as “the toughest part of her journey.”

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 6, 2025

Complete caregiver breakdown would also not qualify someone for respite care, because respite care is specifically designed to be temporary relief.

From Slate • Apr. 22, 2025

Alessi, now aged four, requires round-the-clock nursing, and Reagan, her sole carer, only receives six hours a month of respite care from the Jessie May charity.

From BBC • Mar. 30, 2025

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023