Just Released! Our new documentary beautifully illustrates the impact Respite for All’s social model of care is having in communities across the country. (41 minutes)

Group photo of participants at Respite #42 in Ohio, holding a sign and waving, with a variety of people gathered in a large room

Voluntters and participants posing together, smiling at the camera. They are wearing colorful T-shirts and name tags, standing in a hallway.

A group of people sitting in a circle holding colorful ribbons attached to a large central structure, engaged in a Respite for All activity.

A large group of people engaged in a Respite for All activity, standing in a room with their hands raised, smiling and interacting with one another.

A group of people engaging in a Respite for All activity, sitting at tables with materials in front of them. They are holding up their hands, some with paper trophies, while smiling and interacting with each other.

A group of people participating in a Respite for All activity, all with their hands raised and smiling in a church setting. Several volunteers are also present among the group.

Alzheimer’s & Dementia Respite Ministry

We guide churches and organizations in how to build successful respite communities that provide social support for families living with dementia.

A New Way Forward in Dementia Care

Over 6 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s in the U.S., and by 2050 that number is projected to be more than doubled. New systems need to be implemented to provide a better quality of life for those living with dementia – and give care partners a much-needed break. Churches across the country are answering the call for this new way forward, and you can too.

Respite for All shows you how to develop a thriving Respite Ministry through an award-winning, proven, faith-based, volunteer-driven model that will bring hope to your community by providing a new way forward for your neighbors living with dementia.

We’re a nonprofit with a mission to inspire, grow, and mentor new respite communities and are here to help you implement this easy-to-replicate, sustainable model of social care for your friends living with dementia.

If you’re ready to get started, reach out to our Resource Director, [email protected], and let us guide you through the next steps.

Daphne Johnston and Bishop Lawson Bryon at a Respite for All Foundation event.

Brain Science Luncheon highlight image showing Lisa Genova and her book, Still Alive

2025 Brain Science Luncheon

Join Us on October 9!

Sponsor Info

Book cover for Reclaiming Joy Together includes multi-colored hands with hearts.

How This Movement Began

Get Daphne Johnston’s Book

Learn More

2024 Respite for All Foundation Annual Report Cover

2024 Annual Report

See Our Progress

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Respite for All communities are based on a social model of care.

No medical staff is required for this respite social model because no medical care is provided, and no medications are given during the 4-hour Respite day. These are volunteer-staffed ministries for individuals living in the early to middle stages of a diagnosis who:

Are able to care for their own restroom needs
Are comfortable in a large group setting.
Are able to eat on their own
Ambulation requirements, along with paid care attendants, are decided by local communities.

Learn more about the social model of care.

Our Estimated Impact During 2024

Respite Communities

Trained, Active Volunteers

People Living With Dementia Engaged

Volunteer Hours Served

Volunteers Find New Purpose

The Respite for All model was initially designed to give a break to care partners. However, it quickly evolved to extend that same break to the volunteers. Volunteers are the lifeblood of Respite Ministry. In fact, a recent research project uncovered the remarkable growth in discipleship volunteers are experiencing through their participation in respite ministry. Watch the presentation.

“It amazes me how often those who’ve come to serve are on the receiving end and vice versa. Everyone connected to Respite reaps rewards.”

Kevin Blanton, Respite Volunteer

Respite for All Foundation Blessing Bags are packed and ready.

“At Respite for All, we reclaim joy daily through love, hugs, sharing, and meaning. It’s neighbor helping neighbor. That’s how we’ve grown and how we’ll keep working towards one on every corner, but we can’t do it without your support.”

Daphne Johnston, Co-Founder and Executive Director

Donate Today

Discover Respite Community Locations

If you are looking for support for a loved one living with dementia, click below to see our current list of communities across the US. If you don’t see a Respite community in your area, why not champion the cause? We’ll help you get started.

Find a Community

Respite for All friends sit in a row facing each other keeping balloons in the air with pool noodles.

New systems must be implemented to provide a better quality of life while living with dementia.

The Respite for All social model affords those diagnosed with levels of engagement and socialization that other care models are unable to do.

But don’t just take it from us. Trusted medical experts say the same.

Read the Article

Preview image of an article titled “What is the value of respite programming from the healthcare provider perspective?”

The Respite for All Roadmap includes various print and online materials like onlne courses and offline forms to show you how to build a respite community.

The Respite for All Roadmap™  is a national, award-winning, comprehensive blueprint for creating, launching, and maintaining a thriving Respite Ministry in your community.

Learn More

Build a thriving Respite Community in your neighborhood.

The Respite for All Roadmap is a one-of-a-kind program that shows you exactly how to build a thriving Respite Community through a proven faith-based, volunteer-driven model, ultimately bringing hope to your community by addressing a significant social need for those with dementia and their families.

If you know people in your community who’ve ever been touched by Alzheimer’s or dementia, this program can help your church or faith-based organization become a proven response to the support needed, one that brings hope, healing, and renewal to your family or others.

Start a Community

The Herb of Memory

Rosemary has been linked to the concepts of enduring love, memory enhancement, and in the 14th Century, it was believed to restore vitality. The three rosemary sprigs of the Respite for All Foundation logo represent people living with dementia, their care partners, and community volunteers—all of whom are in need of the spirit of Respite.