New respite home in Altoona offers help to caregivers of those with special needs

ALTOONA, Pa. (WJAC) — Local officials cut the ribbon on a new respite home in Altoona to be operated by Skills of Central Pennsylvania.

The home gives caretakers of family members with intellectual or developmental disabilities a chance to refresh and relax.

The facility features four private bedrooms, accessible entries and large common areas.

Skills' CEO says many caretakers don't have a substitute.

“With this respite house they can bring their family member here for a summer break if they want to do a vacation," says CEO of Skills of Central Pennsylvania Rebecca Aungst. "If they have an emergency in their own personal family they need to attend to and they need to go out of town, they can do it for up to a total of 30 days."

Aungst says the respite home is expected to be fully staffed and operating 24/7 by September.

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