# Respite care for family carers: how to apply to your municipality

Respite care can give you a break from particularly demanding care work. Learn what is free, how to explain your needs, apply to the municipality and appeal a decision.

Canonical: https://samfunnprep.no/en/articles/avlastning-parorende-soke-kommunen
Language: en
Publisher: SamfunnPrep
Author: Hlib Suslov
Published: 2026-10-04T15:37:51.598+00:00
Modified: 2026-10-06T14:00:01.072837+00:00
AI use policy: https://samfunnprep.no/ai-policy.txt

## Key takeaways

- Respite care is free Municipal respite care services are free, regardless of the type of service or where it is provided.
- Describe the full burden Include care tasks, night-time work, how long it has lasted and how it affects your family.
- You must receive a written decision The decision must explain the extent and organisation of the service, or give reasons for refusing it.

Respite care can give you a break from particularly demanding care work for a child or an adult. You apply to the municipality, which assesses your family’s needs. Respite care is free. You must receive a written decision explaining what help you will get, or why your application was refused.

## Who can get respite care from the municipality?

You may be entitled to support when your care work is particularly demanding. The municipality must assess your situation and offer the necessary support for family carers.

**Family carer** here means someone who cares for someone close to them. This may be a parent of a child with additional needs, a partner or someone else who provides substantial help at home. Apply on the basis of the tasks you perform, not only the name of a diagnosis.

The municipality may offer training, guidance, respite care or a care allowance. This does not mean that everyone will receive the specific service they want. The municipality must assess the need and the family’s overall situation.

This guide was checked on **3 October 2026** against [Helsenorge’s information about respite care and support for family carers](https://www.helsenorge.no/hjelpetilbud-i-kommunene/avlastningstiltak/). SamfunnPrep also has an overview of [rights related to disability](https://samfunnprep.no/en/articles/funksjonshemmede-rettigheter-norge).

## What does “particularly demanding care work” mean?

The municipality considers how extensive and burdensome the care is. Many hours, demanding tasks and interrupted sleep at night may all be relevant.

Describe what you do on a typical day and night. “I am tired” explains less than “I have to get up three times every night.” Also explain how caring affects your work, other children and your ability to spend time with other people.

Helsenorge mentions factors including:

- many hours of care work
- physical or mental strain beyond what is usual
- night-time work or interrupted sleep
- how long the care work has lasted and is likely to continue
- whether the tasks are needed every day or in certain periods
- loss of income related to caring.

This is not a test that you must pass by meeting every point. The list can help you explain the burden. This guide does not set a general number of hours that automatically gives you the right to respite care.

## What kind of respite care can you get?

Respite care may be provided at home or somewhere else, by the hour or as a day, night or weekend service. It must give you necessary time off and prevent you from becoming overburdened.

Someone may take over care at home while you rest. The person you care for may instead have a stay or take part in an activity. Discuss with the municipality which arrangement might work.

The service must be developed together with both the carer and the person receiving care. Explain what that person likes, what helps them feel safe and what support must actually be available.

| Need you describe | Question to ask the municipality |
|---|---|
| You get too little sleep | Can respite care at night be considered? |
| You need regular breaks | Can help be provided on set days or at set times? |
| You need time for your other children | What arrangement would provide a safe, predictable break? |
| The person needs peace and familiar surroundings | Can respite care be provided at home? |

These are questions to help plan the service. The table does not promise a particular service or a fixed number of hours.

## Is respite care free?

**Respite care services are free, regardless of the type of service or where it is provided.** Another municipal service is not automatically a respite care service.

For example, a short institutional stay may be for the person’s own treatment or rehabilitation. Different payment rules may then apply. Ask the municipality to explain the purpose and type of service covered by its decision.

Hamar Municipality explicitly distinguishes respite care from a time-limited stay for medical assessment or treatment. This is a [local example of respite care in Hamar](https://www.hamar.kommune.no/helseogmestring/parorende/avlastning-for-parorende-og-avlastningsplasser/), not a list of rules for every municipality.

Also ask what you need to bring for a stay. For example, Hamar asks users to bring medicines and certain medical supplies. Check the practical list with your own municipality.

## How do you prepare your application?

A brief overview of the care work can make your needs easier to understand. Describe the tasks, time involved and what happens if you cannot provide care.

You can keep a simple log for a few representative days:

1. Write down the time and the help needed.
2. Note approximately how long each task takes.
3. Include waking at night and necessary supervision.
4. Explain what help you already receive.
5. Describe which needs are still unmet.

Do not add up every hour as though it were one continuous task if the need varies. Distinguish active assistance, supervision and times when the person manages independently. This gives the municipality a clearer basis for its assessment.

Attach relevant documentation if the municipality asks for it. This may include information from a doctor or other services. Send sensitive information through the municipality’s secure service or another agreed channel.

## How do you apply to the municipality?

Apply to the municipality where the service will be assessed, following its local procedure. Look for “respite care” or “support for family carers” on the municipality’s website, or contact its service centre.

Ask for the correct application form for health and care services. If applying online is difficult, ask for a paper form or help. Hamar, for example, offers a paper form, but your municipality may use a different process.

You could write:

> I am applying for respite care because my care work is particularly demanding. I need you to assess [hours, nights or regular breaks]. I have attached a description of the tasks, the burden and the help we already receive.

Ask the municipality to assess your needs as a whole. You do not need to choose the right legal term before getting in touch. Keep a copy of the application and attachments, and note the date you sent them.

## What should the decision say?

The decision must explain which services you will receive, their extent and how they will be organised. A refusal must be explained in writing.

Read the decision alongside your overview of your needs. Check whether night-time care, your other children and the overall burden were actually considered. If help is approved, ask for a practical plan for when it will start.

Respite care means that someone takes over care. A **care allowance** is financial support for care work. These services have different purposes. Ask the municipality how different measures might fit together in your situation.

## What if your application is refused or you receive too little help?

You can appeal the municipality’s decision. Send your appeal to the municipality, which must first reconsider the case.

Follow the deadline in the decision. Explain what you think is wrong, which needs are missing from the assessment and what change you are asking for. Include relevant new information.

If the municipality does not change its decision, it forwards the appeal to the **County Governor (Statsforvalteren)**, the state appeals body for the county. The **Patient and User Ombudsman (Pasient- og brukerombudet)** can answer questions about your rights and help you write an appeal.

Your needs may change after a decision. Tell the municipality if the care work becomes more demanding. SamfunnPrep collects [tools and practical guides for life in Norway](https://samfunnprep.no/en/verktoy) to help you prepare for your next meeting and keep track of tasks.

## FAQ

### Do I have to receive a care allowance first?

You can apply for respite care based on your needs. Respite care and a care allowance are different forms of support for family carers.

### Can respite care be provided at home?

Yes. Respite care may be provided at home or somewhere else. The municipality assesses which arrangement is suitable.

### Does respite care in an institution cost money?

Respite care services are free. A stay for treatment or rehabilitation may be subject to different payment rules.

### Can I appeal if I am given too few hours?

Yes. Explain which needs the decision does not cover and send your appeal to the municipality by the deadline in the decision.

### Who can help me with an appeal?

The Patient and User Ombudsman can advise you about your rights and help you prepare an appeal.

## Sources

- [Støtte og avlastning til pårørende med store omsorgsoppgaver](https://www.helsenorge.no/hjelpetilbud-i-kommunene/avlastningstiltak/)
- [Avlastning for pårørende](https://www.hamar.kommune.no/helseogmestring/parorende/avlastning-for-parorende-og-avlastningsplasser/)
- [Rett til å klage](https://www.helsenorge.no/klage-og-erstatning/klageordninger/)

Citation: Hlib Suslov, "Respite care for family carers: how to apply to your municipality", SamfunnPrep, 2026-10-04T15:37:51.598+00:00, https://samfunnprep.no/en/articles/avlastning-parorende-soke-kommunen