Respite care is a program of planned admissions to the hospital for short periods of time to give the caregiver and family a rest from caring for the disabled person at home. It complements day hospitals, day care and home care. The Assiniboine Centre, a 201-bed rehabilitation/extended care facility in Brandon, Manitoba, has a respite program for the elderly and for multihandicapped children and adults. Family physicians are in an ideal position to encourage families to use the respite program because they know the family background and relationships, the caregiver's mental and physical strengths and weaknesses and can identify problems before they become a crisis.