Caregiver Hours & Respite Planning Calculator
Estimate your total weekly caregiving hours, recommended respite time, and burnout risk level based on your caregiving schedule and tasks.
Formulas Used
Total Weekly Hours:
= (Personal Care + Medical + Mobility + Meals + Supervision) × Care Days/Week
+ (Night Disruptions × 0.5 hrs × 7 nights)
+ Transport hrs/week + Admin hrs/week
Recommended Respite (ARCH National Respite Network guidelines):
≥40 hrs/week → 8 hrs/week respite
20–39 hrs/week → 4 hrs/week respite
<20 hrs/week → 2 hrs/week respite
Burnout Risk Score (0–100):
= min(Total Weekly Hrs / 84, 1) × 40 [Hours Intensity]
+ min(Months / 36, 1) × 20 [Duration]
+ min(Night Disruptions / 5, 1) × 20 [Nighttime Burden]
+ max(0, 1 − Support Persons / 2) × 20 [Support Deficit]
Economic Value of Care:
= Total Weekly Hours × 52 × $15.65/hr (BLS 2024 median home health aide wage)
Assumptions & References
- Nighttime disruptions are estimated at 30 minutes each, occurring 7 nights per week regardless of care days.
- Maximum realistic weekly caregiving hours capped at 84 (12 hrs/day × 7 days) for burnout score normalization.
- Burnout risk thresholds: Low (<25), Low-Moderate (25–49), Moderate (50–74), High (≥75).
- Respite recommendations based on ARCH National Respite Network guidelines and the Lifespan Respite Care Act framework.
- Economic value uses the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) 2024 median hourly wage for home health and personal care aides ($15.65/hr).
- Duration risk factor reaches maximum at 36 months (3 years), consistent with research on chronic caregiver stress accumulation (Schulz & Sherwood, 2008).
- Support deficit assumes risk is eliminated with ≥2 additional caregivers sharing duties.
- This calculator is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical or professional advice.