Accessing short term respite care – from a few hours to a few weeks at a time – can make a significant difference to the wellbeing of carers and the people they’re caring for.
Residential respite care is a short-term stay in a residential aged care facility (or nursing home). As a temporary resident you enjoy all the facility’s services, including meals, laundry, social activities and personal and medical care.
If you or a loved one needs continuous carer support for most daily tasks, short-term respite offers:
- A break for both the carer and the person being cared for
- Additional time to arrange permanent care
- A chance to “try before you buy” and experience day-to-day life in a residential aged care facility
Here are five things you should know about short term respite care:
1. The Australian Government subsidises up to 63 days per year
To make residential respite care affordable for everyone who needs it, eligible people can access up to 63 days of subsidised respite care each financial year. This 63-day allowance ‘resets’ on 1 July each year.
You can request extensions of up to 21 days at a time with approval from your aged care assessor.
Read more: How to get respite care | govt-funded short-term residential respite
Can you get free respite care?
Respite care in Australia is not free, but subsidies are available through government programs like My Aged Care and the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). Eligibility for financial support depends on the individual’s circumstances, and out-of-pocket costs vary based on the type of care and provider.
2. You must complete an ACAT assessment to access subsidised care
To access respite care, you firstly need to complete an ACAT assessment.
ACAT (Aged Care Assessment Team) assessments are coordinated by government organisation My Aged Care. These assessments evaluate the care needs of individuals and determine who can access government funding. ACAT assessments determine access to subsidised residential aged care, home care and respite care.
Who can apply: Australians aged 65 years and older, or 50 years and older for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, can apply for an ACAT assessment.
How to apply: My Aged Care have an eligibility checker on their website, which lets you quickly check whether you meet the requirements for an ACAT assessment before you apply.
This handy guide outlines everything you need to know about ACAT assessments including how they work and how long they take:
ACAT Assessment Guide – everything you need to know (agedcaredecisions.com.au)
3. You can plan short-term respite care in advance
Respite care is often swiftly organised in response to some kind of emergency or sudden occurrence.
If you investigate respite care services in advance, you can sidestep the stress of finding and securing last-minute care arrangements.
Comparing and choosing potential providers before respite care is needed, means you’ll have your preferred options lined up if you need to arrange care at short notice.
Read more: The benefits of planning respite care services in advance (agedcaredecisions.com.au)
This is where Aged Care Decisions can help.
Our FREE service assists thousands of Australian families to find, compare and secure short-term respite care options. We also help families find permanent residential aged care vacancies and home care providers.
Aged Care Decisions’ Placement Specialists use custom-built software creates an aged care option report based on your location, budget, specific care needs and personal preferences. This personally tailored report narrows down your search to include ONLY vacancies and available providers that specifically match your needs.
Here’s how our 100% FREE service works:
Essentially, we do all the running around for you. After a quick conversation you can be comparing your options in about 20 minutes.
4. A minimum 2-week stay is usually required
Most providers will ask for a minimum of two weeks per short term respite care stay. This ensures that both the individual and the carer can maximise the benefits of a short-term break. It also gives the facility enough time to get to know the temporary resident and their care needs.
You can often negotiate length of stay with individual aged care facilities.
5. You can receive short-term respite outside of aged care homes
Residential respite care is only one of several types of short-term respite care options available for elderly Australians. Other options include:
Community respite care
This can be accessed via the Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) if eligibility criteria is met.
Community care can be delivered during the day, overnight or over weekends. It is tailored for people who need occasional carer support to manage some of their daily tasks and activities.
Read more about the CHSP: All about CHSP – the Commonwealth Home Support Program (agedcaredecisions.com.au)
Short-term restorative care
Short-term restorative care provides support to older people who are seeking to avoid, or at least delay long-term care and support services.
As part of this service, a team of health professionals will develop an individualised plan to address the difficulties being experienced. Short-term restorative care promotes independence and can be very helpful for people who wish to keep living independently for as long as possible.
Read more: Short-term restorative care | My Aged Care
Transition care
Transition care offers tailored support following a hospital stay. It aims to assist in recovery and help people regain independence as soon sa possible. Care can be delivered in the own home, in the community, in an aged care facility or a combination of these.
You can use transition care to help you reach the goal of returning safely to everyday life. It can also help you to delay the need for longer term care and support.
Read more: Transition Care can help you recover after being in hospital
Find short-term respite care vacancies
Aged Care Decisions matches tens of thousands of Australian seniors with suitable and available aged care providers every month.
Connect with us now to claim your FREE, tailored, interactive Options Report, shortlisting respite care options for you to review, consider and compare.
