Respite Care Services/Facilities
A respite care service means a person or any legal entity that provides short-term temporary care on an intermittent basis to persons with special needs when the person's primary caregiver is unavailable to provide such care. (description continued.......)
Continued description......
Some Respite Care Service Providers are not required to become licensed. They are:
A person or facility that is currently licensed under the Health Care Facility Act.
Example's listed below.
Licensed Child Care Facility
Licensed Assisted Living
Licensed Long Term Care Facility
Licensed Adult DayAn agency that recruits, trains or screens a person to be a respite care provider.
An agency that matches or refers a respite care provider with a person with special needs.
A person who provides respite care to fewer than eight unrelated people in any seven day period in the provider's home or the recipient's home.
A nonprofit agency that provides group respite care for no more than eight hours in any seven day period.
Any person intending to establish, operate, or maintain a respite care service, that is required by law to be licensed, must first obtain a license from the Department. An applicant for an initial or renewal license must demonstrate that the Respite Care Service meets the care, treatment, operational, and physical plant standards contained in
175 Nebraska Administrative Code (NAC) 15 Sections 006 and 007.
A license is issued only for the premises and persons named in the application and is not transferable or assignable.
The first stage consists of the applicant’s submission of affirmative evidence of the ability to comply with the operational and physical plant standards contained in 175 NAC 15 Sections 006 and 007. The application is not complete until the Department receives documents specified in
The second stage consists of the Department’s review of the completed application together with an inspection of the Respite Care Service. The Department determines whether or not the applicant for an initial license meets the standards contained in
An applicant must:
- Submit a written
- Pass an on-site inspection as specified in
Upon receipt of a completed application, contact will be made to schedule an initial inspection date. A Respite Care Service cannot operate until the inspection has been completed and a license can be issued.
All Respite Care Service licenses expire October 30th of each year.
All application materials must be submitted to:
Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services
Regulation and Licensure
Respite Care Services
PO Box 94986
Lincoln, NE 68509-4986All Respite Care Service licenses expire October 30th of each year.
Notice of renewal is sent to the licensee’s preferred mailing address not later than 30 days prior to the license expiration date. To renew a license the following must be submitted:
- A completed written application with the information required by
- Required licensure fee specified in
- List of names and addresses of all persons in control of the respite care. The list must include all individual owners, partners, limited liability company members, parent companies and members of boards of directors owning or managing the operations and any other persons with financial interests or investments in the facility. In the case of publicly held corporations, the individual owners listed must include any stockholders who own 5% or more of the company’s stock
- Current Certificate of Occupancy issued by the Nebraska State Fire Marshal or delegated authority dated within the 12 months prior to the license expiration date.
Final Notice: If a renewal application is not postmarked or received by November 1, the Respite Care Service will be sent a final notice.
If a renewal is not received by December 1, the license will be placed in lapsed status. During lapsed status, the facility may not operate until the license has been reinstated.
Refusal to renew: The Department can refuse to renew a license. (
The form may be completed on-line, however, it cannot be submitted via e-mail due to the fact that all applications and forms require original signatures. If you complete the form on-line, you must print the form and mail it to the address below.
A duplicate or reissued license is available for a fee of $10.00.
Licensing & Regulatory Affairs
PO Box 94986
Lincoln, NE 68508-9486
To participate in the Medicaid Aged and Disability Waiver Program, contact the local Health and Human Services office in your area.
| Initial and renewal licensure fees: | |
| License Capacity 8-16 | $50 |
| License Capacity 17-50 | $100 |
| 51 or more | $150 |
| Service through volunteers | $50 |
| Refunds for denied applications: | If the Department did not perform an inspection, the license fee is refunded except for an administrative fee of $25.00. |
| If the Department performed an inspection, the license fee is not refunded. |
Rules and Regulations/Statutes
Office Address:
| Mailing Address | Physical Address |
| Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services - Regulation
and Licensure Licensing & Regulatory Affairs PO Box 94986 Lincoln, NE 68509-4986 |
Nebraska State Office Building 301 Centennial Mall South 14th and M Streets 3rd Floor Lincoln, Nebraska |
Phone: (402) 471-2115
Fax: (402) 471-0555Office Hours:
8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (central time)
Monday through FridayMarcia Cederdahl, Administrator
(402) 471-3651
E-Mail: marcia.cederdahl@dhhs.ne.gov
Medication Aide Registry
Kathy Eberly
Phone: (402) 471-4364
e-mail: kathy.eberly@dhhs.ne.govNursing Assistant Registry
Wanda Wiese
Phone: (402) 471-0537
e-mail: wanda.wiese@dhhs.ne.govState Fire Marshal's Office
Phone: (402) 471-2027
web site: http://www.sfm.state.ne.us/Lifespan Respite Subsidy Program
web site http://www.dhhs.ne.gov/HCS/Programs/Lifespan-Respite.htmNebraska Respite Network
web site: http://www.dhhs.ne.gov/hcs/Respite-Network.htmAged and Disabled Medicaid Waiver Program
web site: http://www.dhhs.ne.gov/HCS/Programs/AD-Waiver.htmSocial Services Block Grant for Adults Program
web site: http://www.dhhs.ne.gov/hcs/ssbg/ssbg.htmDisabled Persons and Family Support Program
web site: http://dhhs.ne.gov/HCS/Programs/DPFS.htm
Change of Ownership or Location
A change of ownership (sale, whether of stock, title or assets, lease, discontinuance of operations) or premises terminates the license. An
The Department must be notified in writing within five working days when a facility is sold, leased, discontinued or moved to a new location.
Change in Occupancy
In free standing Respite Care Services Facilities, a licensee must not serve more clients at one time than the maximum occupancy for which the respite care service is licensed.
New Construction
If new construction is planned, submit construction plans for Department approval prior to any new construction affecting client living and service portions of the facility. The Department may accept certification from an architect or engineer in lieu of Department review.
Change of Administrator
The Department must be notified in writing within 5 working days when a respite care service is sold, leased, discontinued, or moved to a new location.
Change of Facility Name
The Department must be notified in writing within 5 working days when a facility has a change in name.
The Department may deny, refuse to renew a license or take disciplinary action against an Respite Care Service license. See
To determine compliance with operational, care, treatment and physical plant standards, the Department inspects the respite care service prior to and following licensure. The Department determines compliance through on-site inspections, review of schematic and construction plans, and reports of qualified inspectors.
Initial Inspections (The Department must conduct an initial on-site inspection to determine compliance with 175 NAC 15 Sections 006 and 007. The inspection must occur within 30 working days, or later if requested by the applicant, of receipt of a completed application for an initial license. The Department must provide a copy of the inspection report to the Respite Care Service within ten working days after completion of an inspection.
Physical Plant Inspections (
The Department must conduct inspections for conformity with construction plans and compliance with
Compliance Inspections (
The Department may conduct an onsite inspection at any time as deemed necessary.
Complaints – How to file
The Department investigates complaints regarding Respite Care Services. To register complaints, contact the Licensing & Regulatory Affairs Health Facility Investigations.
Written complaints may be submitted to:
Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services
Division of Public Heatlh, Licensure Unit
Health Facility Investigations
P O Box 94986
Lincoln, NE 68509-4986Fax: (402) 471-1679
web site: www.dhhs.ne.gov/crl/invest/invest.htmDue to their confidential nature, complaint allegations should not be sent via e-mail.
For complaints against licensed professionals contact the Professions and Occupations Investigations Division at (402) 471-0175.
Documents in PDF format require the use of Adobe Acrobat Reader which can be downloaded for free from Adobe Systems, Inc.
Licensing & Regulatory Affairs Page
