Respite care in Winnipeg for family caregivers
Call 204-798-0490
Free consultation
Respite care in Winnipeg from Friendly Caregiver Seniors Care means one of our caregivers takes over at home so a family caregiver can rest, work, travel or keep their own appointments: an afternoon, a full day, or up to 24 hours at a time, seven days a week, planned or on short notice. Call 204-798-0490 or contact us. The phone is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Who respite care is for
- A spouse who has been the full-time caregiver and has not had an unbroken night’s sleep in months
- A family with a trip or out-of-town responsibilities coming up
- Families caring for a senior living with dementia at home, who need a familiar person to step in, not a stranger
What a respite visit includes
Our caregiver does what you would normally do, apart from anything medical:
- Company, conversation and the activities your loved one enjoys
- Meals and the dishes afterwards
- Help with bathing, dressing and grooming if that is part of the day (see personal care)
- Gentle reminders, including reminders to take medication that is already set out
- Light housekeeping, so you do not come home to a mess
- A report back to you on how the visit went
What we do not offer
Our care is non-medical. Friendly Caregiver does not employ licensed nurses, so our caregivers do not give injections, administer medication, change dressings, or provide nursing or palliative care.
Private respite vs the WRHA respite program
The Winnipeg Regional Health Authority runs Manitoba’s public Home Care Program, and its respite comes in two forms: in-home respite hours from a home care worker, and facility respite, a short stay in a personal care home. Both start with an assessment through the Home Care intake line at 204-788-8330, and the hours, dates and worker depend on that assessment.
Private respite has no assessment. You choose the days and hours, your loved one stays in their own home, and the same caregiver comes each time. Many of our families use both.
Respite options in Manitoba
- WRHA in-home respite. Assessed hours, free to eligible residents. Intake: 204-788-8330.
- WRHA facility respite. A short stay in a personal care home, arranged through your case coordinator, subject to bed availability and a standard subsidized daily fee.
- Adult day programs. A supervised day out, a few days a week, through WRHA Home Care, with a daily fee.
- Private in-home respite. This page: your schedule, your home, your caregiver.
- Self and Family Managed Care. Families approved for SFMC can direct their public funding to a private agency like ours.
24-hour and live-in care
When a family needs more than a visit, we cover the full 24 hours, for a week while you are away or for the long term. Sharon Hanson’s mother has had that for three years:
“The wonderful caregivers from Friendly Caregiver Seniors Care have provided my mom with kind and excellent 24-hour care for three years and have brought enjoyment to her life.” Sharon Hanson
How does respite work in Manitoba?
With us, it works like this:
- Call 204-798-0490, any hour, or send the contact form.
- A free consultation in the home with Loreta Stukaite, the owner, about what a normal day looks like and which hours you need covered.
- Loreta matches one caregiver to your family and attends the first visit.
- You book a standing weekly slot, a block of days, or a one-off. Care usually starts within days, and short-notice respite is often possible when a caregiver is available.
- The same caregiver returns each time.
What it costs
Respite is billed by the hour with a 3-hour minimum per visit. Rates depend on the care plan, so we do not publish a price list; you get a quote on the free consultation call, with no obligation. Self and Family Managed Care funding can pay for our visits, and we provide clear invoices for your SFMC records.
Where we serve
Winnipeg: the senior’s own home, and inside 55+ buildings, assisted living and personal care homes when a family wants extra time covered there.
Why Friendly Caregiver
- Locally owned in Winnipeg and family-run since 2009
- The owner matches every caregiver and attends the first visit; the same caregiver comes back, in some families for years
- Every caregiver has a criminal record check, an adult abuse registry check and a child abuse registry check before starting with a family
- Insured
- Phone answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day of the year
Frequently asked questions
Can I get respite care through WRHA Home Care in Winnipeg?
Yes. Call the WRHA Home Care intake line at 204-788-8330 to ask for an assessment; respite hours, or a short facility stay, are set by the case coordinator. Private respite from us covers the hours the assessment does not.
Can you provide respite on short notice in Winnipeg?
Often, yes, when a caregiver is available, and after a discharge from a Winnipeg hospital the first visit can usually be in place within days. Ken Waldhauser’s parents needed help at night on very short notice, and we were there.
Will Self and Family Managed Care pay for private respite?
Yes. Families approved for Self and Family Managed Care can spend that funding with us; how the program works is on our SFMC page.
Do you offer respite over the summer and the December holidays?
Yes. We do not close for holidays. Summer vacations and December travel are busy, so call ahead to hold the dates.
Book a break
Call 204-798-0490 or contact us. The consultation is free. See also overnight care and private home care in Winnipeg.