Qu'est-ce que le relayage à domicile ?

Le relayage à domicile consiste à organiser des passages alternés de plusieurs aidants, famille ou professionnels, pour assurer la continuité de l'aide sans épuiser une seule personne.

Comment mettre en place un relayage famille ?

Commencez par lister les disponibilités de chaque relayeur, puis créez un planning partagé. Ajoutez un carnet de liaison pour les transmissions après chaque passage, afin que chaque relayeur sache ce qui s'est passé avant lui.

Quelle différence entre relayage et répit aidant ?

Le répit est un dispositif officiel qui permet à l'aidant de s'absenter pendant qu'un professionnel prend le relais. Le relayage désigne plus largement l'organisation des passages entre aidants, familiaux ou professionnels, au quotidien.

Quel est le coût d'un relayage professionnel ?

Le tarif légal minimum est de 23 € de l'heure, avant déduction fiscale. Avec le crédit d'impôt aide à domicile (50 % des dépenses), le coût net est d'environ 11,50 €/h. Des financements complémentaires via l'APA ou la PCH peuvent réduire encore ce reste à charge.

Qu'est-ce que le Baluchonnage® ?

Le Baluchonnage® est une forme de relayage longue durée (36 h à 6 jours) avec un professionnel unique qui s'installe au domicile. Il s'adresse surtout aux aidants de personnes atteintes de la maladie d'Alzheimer. Ce dispositif est en expérimentation en France depuis 2019.

L'APA peut-elle financer le relayage ?

Oui. L'Allocation Personnalisée d'Autonomie (APA) peut inclure des heures de relayage dans le plan d'aide d'une personne de plus de 60 ans en perte d'autonomie. Contactez le Conseil départemental pour évaluer les droits.

Family respite care: organising caregiver handovers

Respite care means organising handovers between several caregivers, family, loved ones, professionals, so that no one carries the burden of care alone. It's one of the most effective ways to prevent burnout in the primary caregiver, but it requires clear coordination.

What is family respite care?

Family respite care refers to organising successive or alternating visits from different caregivers around the same person. The goal is twofold: guaranteeing continuity of care, and preventing the primary caregiver from being the only one permanently present.

Effective respite care isn't just about a calendar. It requires each stand-in caregiver to know what happened before their visit, what they need to do, and how to pass on their observations.

Alternating visits between family members.
Handovers between family and professionals (home nurses, home care aides).
Handover of observations after every visit.
Shared schedule visible to every stand-in caregiver.

How to organise respite care without losing track

The main risk with respite care is losing information between two visits. If each stand-in leaves without a trace, the next caregiver starts from scratch. A shared care journal solves this problem.

The schedule should show who's coming, when, and for what. Important tasks can be assigned to a named person to avoid duplication and things falling through the cracks.

Dated care journal entry after every visit.
Tasks assigned to each stand-in caregiver.
Calendar visible to the whole circle.
Emergency sheet available offline.

Respite care and the right to respite: two complementary tools

The right to respite lets the primary caregiver catch their breath through temporary professional or institutional care. Family respite care, on the other hand, works day-to-day, without necessarily drawing on official schemes.

The two work together: the primary caregiver can rest while a family stand-in ensures continuity, safe in the knowledge that the important information is available in the shared tool.

How much does respite care cost, and how can you fund it?

The statutory rate for professional in-home respite care is at least €23 an hour, before tax deductions. This cost can be significantly reduced through several forms of financial support.

The Allocation Personnalisée d'Autonomie (APA) can fund respite care visits within the care plan of the person being helped. The Prestation de Compensation du Handicap (PCH) covers certain types of human assistance. The AEEH (Allocation d'Éducation de l'Enfant Handicapé) applies to parents caring for a disabled child. Some supplementary health insurers or pension funds also offer additional funding.

To get started: contact the CLIC (Centre Local d'Information et de Coordination) or the CCAS (Centre Communal d'Action Sociale) in your town, who can point you toward the respite and stand-in care services in your area.

APA (Allocation Personnalisée d'Autonomie) for people over 60.
PCH (Prestation de Compensation du Handicap) for people under 60 living with a disability.
Tax deduction: 50% of the cost of professional respite care through the home care tax credit.
CLIC and CCAS: your first point of contact for finding approved providers.

Baluchonnage®: long-duration respite care

Baluchonnage® is an intensive form of respite care that originated in Quebec, being trialled in France since 2019 under the ESSOC law. A professional moves into the home for anywhere from 36 hours to 6 consecutive days, nights included, to stand in for the primary caregiver.

This scheme is aimed in particular at caregivers of people with Alzheimer's disease or other cognitive disorders, for whom changes of place or surroundings are hard to cope with. The caregiver can then go on holiday, rest, or deal with a personal emergency.

Putting this into practice with Tribulys

Tribulys brings the care journal, shared calendar, tasks, medication and emergency sheet together in a single circle. You can start for free, invite the relatives involved, then add the professionals who come to the home.

Create my circle for free Read the full guide

Frequently asked questions

What is in-home respite care?: In-home respite care means organising alternating visits from several caregivers, family or professional, to ensure continuity of care without exhausting a single person.
How do you set up family respite care?: Start by listing each stand-in caregiver's availability, then create a shared schedule. Add a care journal for handovers after each visit, so every stand-in knows what happened before they arrived.
What's the difference between respite care and the right to respite?: The right to respite is an official scheme that allows the caregiver to step away while a professional takes over. Respite care refers more broadly to the everyday organisation of handovers between caregivers, family or professional.
How much does professional respite care cost?: The minimum statutory rate is €23 an hour, before tax deductions. With the home care tax credit (50% of the expense), the net cost comes to around €11.50/hour. Additional funding through the APA or PCH can reduce this out-of-pocket cost even further.
What is Baluchonnage®?: Baluchonnage® is a form of long-duration respite care (36 hours to 6 days) with a single professional who moves into the home. It's mainly aimed at caregivers of people with Alzheimer's disease. This scheme has been trialled in France since 2019.
Can the APA fund respite care?: Yes. The Allocation Personnalisée d'Autonomie (APA) can include respite care hours in the care plan of a person over 60 experiencing loss of independence. Contact the Conseil départemental to assess entitlements.