The idea of respite care is to give someone a break from the stressors of caring for a person with a disability. Taking time away from your responsibilities can be highly beneficial and may improve your health. Respite options can be NDIS short term accommodation or long-term, depending on the need.
Short Term Accommodation
This is an option for people who require a short-term stay in a care facility, such as those staying with family or friends.
Short-term accommodation can be used for many reasons, including medical reasons, respite care, and to help people live independently at home.
Respite Care
This short-term service allows a person with a disability to rest and recover from the effects of their impairment. This can occur in the person’s home or an alternative location, such as their family or friend’s house or another care facility. Respite care can also be provided temporarily at their residence when the disabled person has been admitted into the hospital for treatment purposes, e.g., during the surgery recovery period.
Respite services are generally provided by organisations that employ staff trained to provide specialised support for people with disabilities and/or chronic conditions, including respite workers who provide personal assistance to individuals during their stay in residential aged care facilities or community settings such as supported accommodation units (SAUs).
Common types of respite services include:
- Home-based respite – where services are provided directly within the client’s own home;
- Hospital bedside nursing;
- Residential aged care facilities;
Respite costs vary depending on what type of service is required and who provides it, but there are options available that may be subsidised by government programs such as Community Care Cards (CCCs). For example, family members often agree to provide their loved ones with temporary relief from caring responsibilities while they are away at work during the daytime or over weekends.
Camps
These are excellent options for respite. They provide an exciting and fun environment that can help you get away from the daily tasks of caring for your loved one. Camps are available for adults and children, so they’re a good choice if you want to have some fun. You can meet new people, learn new skills, and enjoy some time away from home while still providing care for your loved one.
NDIS short term accommodation services include:
- Aged Care Services (e.g., nursing homes)
- Community-based providers (e.g., private rental properties/units)
- Specialist Charities (e.g., Annerley Gardens)
Supported Holidays
These are holidays when a person with a disability goes away with the support of their family or an organisation that assists people with disabilities.
The organisation will provide support for the person with the disability, as well as their family members. This might include help with transportation and domestic tasks such as laundry and cooking. It is also common for organisations to offer counselling services to families recently impacted by a disability in the home.
It is worth noting that many supported holidays only accept applications from people who live within specific geographic areas (such as Australia).
This post must have given you a better understanding of available respite options for people with disabilities. Knowing that the issue of finding appropriate and affordable care for a person with a disability can be stressful and confusing, this was a small initiative to help those in need.
