The Respite Care Association of Wisconsin, in collaboration with the ARCH National Respite Network and Resource Center, will host the 2022 National Lifespan Respite Conference in Madison, WI, on September 14-15, 2022. The conference will be preceded by the Lifespan Respite Grantee and Partner Learning Symposium for grantees and partners (by invitation only) on September 13, 2022.

The theme for the conference, Reimagine Respite, is meant to be timely as well as inspirational. The pandemic may be ongoing, but we can now imagine a more hopeful future. COVID-19 cast a harsh light on the lack of support for family caregivers, but it also presented opportunities to raise awareness and rethink how we provide traditional supports.  How was respite care adapted during the pandemic? Might adaptions provide a model to Reimagine Respite post-COVID?

This conference will provide a space to ‘dream’ big, ‘explore’ new ideas, and ‘create’ different ways to ‘achieve’ respite. It will also ‘inspire’ us to build on what we’ve learned and ‘discover’ new ways to meet the respite needs of the nation’s more than 50 million family caregivers.

Previous National Lifespan Respite Conferences have been very successful, and we expect no less from the 2022 conference in Madison! The conference will offer valuable, up-to-date information for families, professionals and other stakeholders related to respite supports for caregivers. Conference keynote speakers and breakout sessions will offer a multitude of opportunities to Reimagine Respite for Lifespan Respite Care Programs and the broader respite network that supports caregivers.

This call for presentations is an opportunity to come to  Madison to share your innovative best practices related to respite care, envision a new path to caregiver support, and benefit and learn from what you and the respite network have accomplished.

• You will learn and grow in a friendly, caring, fun, and inclusive environment and come away personally and professionally revitalized.
• You gain visibility and recognition as a national leader in Respite.
• You are provided an opportunity to network with and learn from other professionals and caregivers from across the nation.
• You will have the satisfaction of sharing best practices in respite care systems and services.
• You will receive a $100 discount off the “early bird” registration cost of $395, reducing the cost of the conference registration for presenters to just $295.