If you’re going on holiday or preparing for a hospital stay – or even if you just want to be ready in case of an emergency – planning respite care services in advance is an easy way to safeguard the wellbeing of you and your loved ones.
Why pre-plan respite care?
Planning respite care services in advance lets you sidestep the unnecessary stress and running around associated with finding last-minute care arrangements.
Pre-planning respite care will also:
1. Give you more respite care service options.
Being more organised means having more choices.
Planning for respite care in advance lets you discover the services you need before you need them. As they say, the early bird gets the worm.
Planning respite care in advance can be particularly important in busy metropolitan areas such as Melbourne, Sydney, and Perth, where demand for respite care services is high.
2. Ensure a good match with your respite care service providers.
By taking the time to consider factors like location, availability, qualifications, experience, personality traits and service costs, you’ll have a better chance of finding a service provider closely matching your respite care needs.
Finding a compatible service provider means your specific care needs are more likely to be consistently and comprehensibly met during periods of respite care.
3. Help you to manage expectations around respite care.
Planning for respite care in advance allows for plenty of time to discuss, acknowledge and prepare for a temporary change in care arrangements.
Carers can manage expectations, and those receiving care can feel confident that their care needs will be accommodated while they’re receiving respite care.
More time to prepare means a more positive respite care experience for everyone.
A guide to preparing for respite care – Aged Care Decisions
Frequently asked questions about respite care services
Respite care is temporary care provided by somebody other than a person’s usual carer. Having someone else do the caring for a few hours or days has many benefits for both the carer and the person being cared for.
How can respite help both carer and the person they care for? – (agedcaredecisions.com.au)
How do I find and organise respite care services near me?
Finding and securing respite care for you or your loved one can be confusing, frustrating and time consuming – especially if you don’t have much time up your sleeve.
If you need help navigating respite care options in your area, contact Aged Care Decisions.
Aged Care Decisions connects thousands of elderly Australians with aged care providers. Our custom-built software matches your care needs, location, budget, and personal preferences with available respite care services that best suit you.
Our service is 100% free for families. Providers pay us a set fee on placement, so we are 100% independent and completely unbiased. We take the stress out of finding respite care services. Connect with Aged Care Decisions using this form and get a customised options report listing available respite care providers near you.
Here’s how Aged Care Decisions helped Chris find and secure respite care for his mum:
How Aged Care Decisions Helped Me: Chris – Aged Care Decisions
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How much does respite care cost?
Respite care is funded by the government for eligible elderly Australians. What you need to contribute for respite care services will depend on your income and the assets you hold in your name.
Most Australians over 65 (over 50 for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people) who need assistance with everyday living are likely to qualify for respite care.
To find out if you can access government subsidised respite care, you can complete an aged care assessment and eligibility check online or contact My Aged Care on 1800 200 422.
You will need a referral number allocated by My Aged Care to access government-funded respite care.
My Aged Care Guide: Everything you need to know | Aged Care Decisions
How can I get subsidised respite care? – Aged Care Decisions
What types of respite care can I access?
Short-term respite care is designed to give carers a break, while ensuring the level of care delivered to loved ones is maintained. Respite care can be provided from a few hours, up to a few weeks at a time and can be regularly scheduled or just accessed every now and then.
5 things you need to know about short term respite care | Nursing Homes (agedcaredecisions.com.au)
Respite care can be delivered in home, in community, in aged care facilities and in emergencies:
The benefits of in-home respite care
The main benefit of in-home respite care is that the person receiving care remains in their familiar home environment. Carers can be sure they are safe and comfortable, and interruptions to care routines are minimal.
In-home respite care is also beneficial for someone transitioning home after a hospital stay. Help with personal tasks, nursing support, and delivery of therapies, counselling, and allied services (such as speech pathology and podiatry) can be delivered in-home, assisting in recovery without the need to temporarily relocate.
The benefits of residential respite care
Short respite stays in aged care homes allow people receiving care to ‘try before they buy’ and experience the facilities, services, social, and recreational aspects of living in a nursing home.
Residential respite care is a great option for people who need regular short-term care because it can be booked on a regular basis. Sixty-three days of subsidised respite care (including emergency care) are accessible over the course of each financial year. Respite care in a residential aged care home is usually for a minimum of 2 weeks.
The benefits of community-based respite care
Community-based respite care can be delivered in day care, club, residential and in-home settings. Spending time in a community-based respite care program can provide structure, stimulation and social interaction for the person receiving care, while the carer takes a break.
A range of short-term and occasional care options can be accessed including day, overnight and weekend care.
How do I get respite care in an emergency?
Emergency respite care is required in the event of an unseen crisis. It is a great idea to have compared, chosen and contacted providers before respite care is needed, so you have your preferred options lined up if you need to arrange care at short notice.
Contact Aged Care Decisions to get a customised list of respite care options in your area.
More resources and information about respite care:
Respite care and home help | Health and wellbeing | Queensland Government (www.qld.gov.au)
Aged Care Decisions can match you with respite care options near you.
Aged Care Decisions makes it easy to ‘find respite care services near me.’ We are committed to helping Australians navigate their aged care journey – and we currently assist over 10,000 families every month. Connect with us to receive a customised Options Report containing a list of respite care options for you or your loved one, at zero cost to you.
