Taking care of a loved one and need a break? The State of North Dakota might pay for it

(Fargo, ND) -- The State of North Dakota is offering support for people who spend significant amounts of time providing care for others.

"If you are on a plane, what do they say, take the oxygen before you help the people you are traveling with and I think that is really, really important in care giving, is you need to take that time for yourself," said Mary Weltz, the Caregiver Support Administrator for the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services. 

Weltz says the state provides financial assistance to allow a caregiver to hire an approved provider, including another family member, to take over care giving while the primary caregiver takes a break. Those breaks could range anywhere from two to three hours. Weltz says a caregiver can apply to receive up to $2,300 every three months to be used for what she calls "respite care".  She says the funds are available to caregivers, regardless of income or assets. 

"These unpaid family caregivers across the nation truly are the backbone of people being able to remain at home. They're the ones who are getting people to their doctor's appointments, picking up their groceries, and in some cases doing really complex medical care," said Weltz. 

You can learn more about the program by using the link below.

LINK: https://carechoice.nd.assistguide.net/adult-caregivers