Our family is going on holidays and it has been suggested that I organise respite care for my father at a nursing home. Can you explain what it is?
Hi Rita,
There are different types of respite care to suit your mother’s situation and needs including in-home respite, overnight or weekend respite in the community or residential respite in an aged care home. For community based respite care your mother will need a free assessment with RAS to work out if you are eligible and if so your assessor will work with you to find a suitable service in your area. You can also call MyAgedCare. If you are seeking residential respite care you will need to ring the respective aged care home that you prefer for your mother to see if there are any available places for your dates. You will require an ACAT assessment for residential respite care which sounds as though you may have already organised. If you are looking at community based respite then I think you should ring MyAgedCare on 1800 200 422 to get more information on your options.
Regards The Aged Care 101 team
Hello I just wanted to ask about respite. I would like to arrange it for my mother for the 6th and 7th of July is that possible? I have a code for respite but have not used it yet.
Hello Ronald,The costs for respite care vary depending on your circumstances and how much help you need. The Commonwealth subsidises a range of aged care services for Australians, but if you have the funds, you will be expected to pay for some of the costs of your care.If you are given residential respite care through a nursing home, you wont have to pay an accommodation fee or any additional income-tested fees.However, you will be asked to pay a basic daily fee and sometimes a booking fee, which is a prepayment of your respite care fees. This fee cannot amount to more than a full weeks basic daily fee or 25 per cent of the fee for your stay, depending on which figure is the lowest. The maximum basic daily fee for a respite resident is fixed at 85 per cent of the single basic Age Pension. The final rate you pay will be agreed on between you and the organisation that provides your respite care before you receive t
Thank you Jill, and would you mind answering how muchdoes respite care costs?
As for permanent care, you will need an assessment from an Aged Care Assessment Team (or Aged care Assessment Service if you live in Victoria) to find out if you are eligible. The availability of services varies from region to region, and the ACAT assessment will determine your needs in line with what help is available in your area.You will also need to set up a client record with My Aged CareYou can call the My Aged Care contact centre on 1800 200
Thanks and how do I organise respite care?
Respite care is a form of short term care to support someone if their carer requires a short break for whatever reason.You are eligible for up to 63 days of respite care per year in an aged care home (nursing home). This is known as residential respite care and is usually booked in advance, though it can be organised in an emergency .This can be extended in lots of 21 days if further assessment finds it is necessary.
You would need to hire a healthcare professional to provide respite care. Ther are three different types of respite care:
1. In-home Care
A professional care provider would come to your father’s home, assuming he still lives at home. This type of respite care allows care recipients to remain in the comfort of their own homes. It’s typically available during the day and overnight. You would need to find a home care service provider for this. The service may be covered if your father has a home care package.
2. Centre-based
This options provides care recipients with opportunities to socialise and interact with others. At these care centres, recreational and group activities offer a pleasant change of pace for participants who might otherwise be cooped up at home.
3. Overnight or Extended Services:
In the event a primary caregiver has to step away for an extended period of time, respite workers can be brought in to stay at the care recipient’s home for multiple nights. Longer breaks for caregivers can also be bridged with cottage respite and residential respite care, during which care recipients stay in an aged care accommodation setting or aged care home.
Here’s more information on respite care in case it’s useful:
“Respite” or Taking a Break