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.

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.

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. 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

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.

My Aged Care has a list of things to consider when choosing a care provider, as well as a helpful tool to find a provider (Opens in new tab).

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 (Opens in new tab).

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

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

Before the person you care for can access government-subsidised aged care services for the first time, they will need to be assessed.

Use the online tool (Opens in new tab) to check if the person you care for is eligible for an assessment (Opens in new tab).

The person you care for will need to apply for an assessment through My Aged Care and provide information about their needs. They can apply:

• online (Opens in new tab)
• by calling My Aged Care on 1800 200 422
• in person (Opens in new tab)

The person you care for can request to register a supporter relationship (Opens in new tab). Read more to decide if having or being a registered supporter (Opens in new tab) is right for you.

After the person you care for submits a form, the assessment organisation will contact them to let them know the outcome of their application and what to do next. It will tell them if they are eligible for government-subsidised services. It will also have the support plan, if they are eligible.

What happens next and how long it takes will vary based on the program the person you care for has been approved for. They may be approved for in-home respite care through the:

• Commonwealth Home Support Program (Opens in new tab)
• Support at Home program (Opens in new tab)

Flexible respite care in-home is also available through the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Flexible Aged Care Program (Opens in new tab) and through the Multi-Purpose Service Program (Opens in new tab).

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 may be eligible for short-term accommodation funding (Opens in new tab). This funding can be used for respite accommodation.

If the person you care for is not already a National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) participant, visit the NDIS (Opens in new tab) website or call 1800 800 110 to see if they are eligible.

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

The costs may depend on:

• their financial 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 Program (Opens in new tab). 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 (Opens in new tab) years.

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

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.

Visit Carer Gateway (Opens in new tab) 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 (Opens in new tab) to find respite services in your area.

Services like My Aged Care (Opens in new tab) or the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) (Opens in new tab) may support respite care for the person you care for. You can apply for a My Aged Care assessment online (Opens in new tab) or call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422.

Dementia Australia (Opens in new tab) 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 (Opens in new tab) through My Aged Care.

Languages other than English

• My Aged Care has information available in languages other than English (Opens in new tab).
• 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.
• NSW Health Carer Information and Support department has resources (Opens in new tab) 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.