What is respite care?

Respite care is when someone else takes care of the person you usually care for, so that you can take a break.

Respite care provides an organised, temporary break both for the carer and the person they care for. Letting someone else do the caring for a few hours or days has benefits for both of you.

Sometimes carers get physically and emotionally tired. It's important that you can have a break so you can be a better carer.

Respite care also benefits people who receive care. This includes children or adults with disability, people with mental illness or dementia, or older people who are frail. It gives them an opportunity to meet new people, do new activities and have fun.

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When might I need to use respite care?

If you are a carer you might use respite care if you want to go on holiday, attend to everyday activities or just relax. Signs that you might need a break include:

• feeling tired all the time
• difficulty concentrating and getting things done
• getting annoyed easily
• not wanting to do things you used to enjoy
• getting into arguments more often than before

Respite care can last from a few hours to a few weeks. You can organise regular respite care or you might want to have respite care now and again.

Sometimes you might need emergency respite care. You may get sick or need to go to hospital and can no longer provide care.

What are the types of respite care?

Family, friends or professional aged care or disability services can give respite care. There are many different types of respite services. The type you choose depends on your situation and what services are available in your area.

In-home respite care

In-home respite means the person who provides respite care comes to your home. This type of respite care can happen during the day or overnight.

Centre-based day respite

Centre-based day respite usually happens at a day centre or club. It offers activities and outings for the person receiving care. It gives them the chance to socialise with other people in a safe environment.

Day respite may include transport to and from the centre.

Overnight or weekend respite

This type of respite care may be provided in different settings. It can include the home of a host family or a respite ‘cottage-style' house.

Residential respite care

If the person you care for needs help every day, you may consider residential respite care. This involves a short stay in a care home, while you have a break for a few days or longer.

Residential respite care can be planned or arranged in an emergency. To organise this type of respite care, the person receiving care needs to have an assessment in advance — to check that they are eligible — and to find a place that suits their needs.

Emergency respite care

If you suddenly can't take care of the person that you usually care for, emergency respite care can help you. You might need emergency respite care if:

• you have a major illness
• there is an urgent event that makes it difficult for you to provide care

When you call, you might need to give some information. This is to make sure the right type of care is given.

If you need emergency respite care in an aged care home (known as residential respite), the person you care for needs to have had an assessment. This is to check if they are eligible.

If they haven't had this assessment, they might still be able to get short term care in an emergency.

It's a good idea to make a plan for emergency care before it's needed. So, someone else knows what to do if you can't provide care.

Transition care

Transition care is for people who have been in hospital and are ready to go home. But they still need more help than usual.

Transition care provides short-term care focused on therapies like:

• physiotherapy
• occupational therapy
• speech therapy
• dietetics
• podiatry
• counselling
• social work
• nursing support
• personal care

How can I get respite care for the person I care for?

The person you care for may need an assessment to get some types of respite care. Assessments help to work out how much help the person you care for needs. It also helps work out the type of services they are eligible for.

For most types of respite care, contact an organisation nearby that provides the type of care needed. Check if they have a place available for the person you care for.

If the person you care for has a veteran gold or white card, they may be able to get respite care through the Department of Veterans' Affairs.

If the person you care for is aged 65 years or over

If you the person you care for is aged 65 years or over, My Aged Care may be able to provide respite care. Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples are eligible from 50 years of age.

The person you care for will need to:

• Register with My Aged Care and provide information about their needs. They can register online or call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422.
• Meet with an assessor. The assessor will usually make an appointment to visit the person you care for in their home.
• Have an assessment.

If the person you care for needs:

• A low level of care, they will meet with an assessor from a Regional Assessment Service (RAS).
• A higher level of care, they will meet with a doctor, nurse, social worker or other healthcare professional from an Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT, or ACAS in Victoria) for a more in-depth assessment.

The assessment will mainly be about the type of help they need. The assessor can give you and the person you care for information about the services that are available nearby. It can take from a few weeks to a few months to have an assessment, so it's worth planning ahead.

They may also ask the person you care for, for permission to talk to their doctor.

Once the assessment is finished, they will receive a letter to let them know:

• if they are eligible to receive government services
• what type of services they are approved to receive

You can appeal the ACAT decision if you're not happy with the assessment outcome.

If the person you care for is aged under 65 years

If you care for a person with disability and they are aged under 65 years, they can use their National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) package to support respite care.

You will need to talk to a Local Area Coordinator about including respite in the package to check which services are available in your area.

If the person you care for is not an NDIS participant, visit the NDIS or call 1800 800 110 to see if they are eligible.

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How much does respite care cost?

Some respite services are free. Other respite services need to be paid for, either partly or fully, by the person getting care.

The costs will depend on:

• their situation
• what type of care they need
• how long they will spend in respite care
• which services they choose

If the person you care for receives community-based respite care, it may be funded by the government's Commonwealth Home Support Programme. If they can afford it, they will be asked to contribute to some of the cost.

If the person you care for receives residential respite care in an aged care home, they will have to pay a basic daily fee and sometimes a booking fee. The maximum basic daily fee for respite is set at 85% of the age pension.

Find out more about costs of respite care for people aged over 65 years.

Making the most of respite care

It's important to plan ahead to make respite a positive experience for the person you are caring for. This might mean:

• telling respite staff clearly about the needs of the person you care for
• telling respite staff about the likes and dislikes of the person you care for
• starting with small breaks and building up to longer breaks to give both of you confidence about the experience
• talking to other people in a similar situation about what has worked for them

Can I use respite care if I am caring for someone with dementia?

If you are caring for a person with dementia, they might have difficulty adjusting to a new environment. Sometimes they may not wish to leave their family or home for a break. They may behave in a way that's not usual for them when using respite care or afterwards.

These problems are not unusual and should not stop you taking a break.

It's often a good idea to seek help and support, such as respite care, early in your caring role. This way, you and the person you care for will have an easier time getting used to respite care.

Resources and support

Visit Carer Gateway or call 1800 422 737 to find out about respite services in your area or for help getting emergency respite care.

Use the My Aged Care search tool to find respite services in your area. You can register online or call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422.

Services like My Aged Care or the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) may support respite care for the person you care for.

Dementia Australia offers support, information, education and counselling for people with dementia, their carers and family. To find out more, call the National Dementia Helpline on 1800 100 500.

Learn about support available for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples through My Aged Care

Languages other than English?

• My Aged Care has information available in languages other than English.
• If you speak a language other than English, you can call the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) on 131 450. They can help you talk to My Aged Care or with an aged care provider about services for the person you care for.
• Carer Information and Support has resources available in languages other than English. These resources explain how to access carer services and support, such as Carer Gateway, Centrelink and My Aged Care.

You can also call the healthdirect helpline on 1800 022 222 (known as NURSE-ON-CALL in Victoria). A registered nurse is available to speak with you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.