There is help available. The Missouri Department of Mental Health's Division of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities has Regional Centers around the state that provide services for people with developmental disabilities and their families, including respite care. Respite care is short-term relief for families of individuals with developmental disabilities or chronic illnesses. For more information, check MRDD's services section for a Regional Center in your area. A developmental disability is a long-term condition that significantly delays or limits mental or physical development and greatly interferes with communication, learning, decision making, mobility, the capacity for independent living, and caring for oneself.
Mental retardation is just one of any number of developmental disabilities.