Are you providing all of the support for a loved one? Do you need a break from care giving? Do you want to provide activities for your loved one--art, music, holiday celebrations--without having to worry? Would you like meals provided?

About Respite Care

The Jewish Community Respite Program is located at the Jewish Community Center, Maitland Campus. This is the only respite program in the Orlando area that addresses the special religious, cultural and dietary needs of the Jewish community. The program, a partnership between Share the Care, Jewish Community Center, and the Jewish Pavilion of Central Florida provides respite for caregivers of the elderly who care for family members at home with memory impairments and dementia.

How We Serve Our Clients
The respite site is open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Fridays. The Jewish Community Center has access to handicap restrooms and a kitchen. A maximum of 10 clients per day are served. Clients attending the site have to be cognitively impaired, ambulatory and require no more than a single-person assist in the restroom. All clients receive an in-home assessment by a Share the Care case manager. All clients must meet the program criteria of a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease or other memory impairing condition, the existence of a full-time caregiver in the home and residency in the service area. Clients may be transferred to other appropriate services such as in-home respite or adult day health care if they exhibit behavioral and/or medical issues which require more attention than is available in a social model respite. This determination will be made by Share the Care case managers during their initial assessments and six-month reassessments or as problems arise.  

The respite site is staffed with one professional who can be assisted by volunteers. A one-to-four staff to client ratio is maintained at all times. Staff and volunteers engage clients in a variety of dementia appropriate activities such as exercise, crafts, games, and music therapy with special attention to the Jewish culture.

About the Jewish Pavillion
The Jewish Pavilion’s mission is to enhance the lives of the Jewish elderly who reside in our community’s nursing and assisted living facilities.  This is accomplished by providing Jewish services, enrichment activities and oversight in keeping with the Jewish heritage.  The Jewish Pavilion volunteers and staff have implemented an outreach program, bringing programs and services to more than 30 nursing and assisted living facilities in central Florida.  Programming includes:

• Sabbath services and meals
• Jewish holiday celebrations and family meals
• Musical programs
• Rabbi/Clergy visits
• Challah delivery for the Sabbath
• Jewish programming
• Friendly visitors

The respite care project brings these same principles of Jewish service to the Jewish Pavilion neighborhood respite site.


About Share the Care, Inc.
Share the Care, Inc. is a non-denominational, non-profit organization that has specialized in adult day care and respite care for frail, physically and/or cognitively impaired adults and their care givers since 1986.  Share the Care staff members understand that care giving can last for many years, and it is 24-hour care.  By enrolling one’s family member in a neighborhood respite care program, the caregiver can take a break each week knowing that his/her loved one is comfortable and safe.  Rates for most services are based on the recipient’s income and are on a sliding scale fee.

For More Information

Cathy Swerdlow, Program Coordinator, The Jewish Pavilion
407-678-9363