The Medical Respite Budget Tool is intended to provide medical respite care providers and funders with a framework for understanding and planning for program costs in operating a medical respite. There are 5 factors that will impact program budget planning:
- The Model of Medical Respite Care that the program aligns with.
- The program Staffing Model and whether clinical services are provided onsite staff or through partner organizations.
- Program expenses (dependent on: costs for providing room and board, client medical needs, housekeeping and office supplies, nursing supplies and types of clinical care provided).
- Start-up costs for new programs (one-time costs for starting a program).
- Revenue structure and reimbursement restrictions.
Establishing program costs is beneficial when starting and operating a medical respite program and can be used to determine funding needed for sustainability and investment needed for program growth in development. The Budget Tool is developed in alignment with the Standards for Medical Respite Care and the Guiding Principles of Medical Respite Care.
Please review the following recommendations in order to use the Budget Tool most effectively:
- Review the following resources to determine the program’s Model of Care (or proposed Model of Care) and staffing needs:
- There are multiple tabs/sheets to navigate. Review the first tab, “About the Services Budget Tool” and the “Basic Input and Assumptions” tab before editing any data.
- The data/costs that are currently in the spreadsheet are simply placeholder data to serve as an example. Budget categories, staff positions, and the specific dollar amounts can all be edited. The default assumption is a 17-bed program but can be adjusted. Programs should check with local/state guidelines regarding staffing ratios for the number of clients served in the program.
- Tab 8, General Start-Up Costs, includes a list of medical and miscellaneous supplies needed within medical respite care programs. This list may be useful to complete to determine miscellaneous expenses in the program costs in Tabs 4, 5, 6, & 7.