What is respite care?

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    Respite care is a type of care that allows a carer to have a break from their primary caregiving responsibilities. Respite care involves a professional care service worker undertaking caring tasks or duties to keep a person safe, happy and healthy while their primary carer has some time out.

    Who are carers?

    Carers are people who provide support to a friend or a family member who requires assistance. Carers often provide both physical and emotional support.

    What do carers do?

    A carer is someone who provides unpaid care and support to another person to assist them with everyday activities. These activities can include:
    • dressing
    • showering
    • toileting
    • feeding
    • transporting
    • managing medications
    • social and recreational activities
    • emotional support
    Carers support people who have one or more of the following:
    • physical disability
    • mental illness
    • development delay
    • a chronic health condition
    • drug and alcohol issues
    • are frail aged

    What is respite for carers?

    Respite care is provided to a person by someone who is not their usual carer so that their primary caregiver can take a break. Taking regular breaks while caring is so important. When carers access respite, paid support workers attend to the needs of their loved one. This gives the carer a chance to focus on their own needs during a short break.

    How respite care helps carers

    Caring for another person can be tiring. Caregivers often put the needs of others ahead of their own and this means they become run down, tired and stressed. Some caring roles are also physically straining. Carers need to take care of their bodies to be able to continue caring for others. Carers can sometimes experience:
    • headaches
    • body aches
    • emotional exhaustion
    • sleep trouble
    • irritability or anxiety
    • trouble finding joy
    • problems in relationships with others

    Respite care services

    Types of respite services

    There are different types of respite and respite care can be provided in many different ways. A carer might come to your home or your loved one might have a stay away from the home for short periods. In-home respite involves care workers visiting or staying at a person’s home while their carer goes somewhere else. Short-term accommodation enables a person to live out of home for a short period.

    Arranging respite care services

    Caring for someone is a rewarding job, but it can also draining. It is important that carers get some time out to practice self-care. It can feel unsettling and challenging to entrust the care of a loved one to someone else. At Nursed Care, we can provide home respite. A short break of a few hours here and there can make a big difference and help carers feel renewed. We can also arrange a short respite stay at one of the residential care facilities, which offers a safe environment, supportive community, and everything necessary for a comfortable stay.

    When to arrange respite care services

    Often accepting some help is a necessity. Caring, even family caregiving, can become exhausting, which increases the chance of more significant issues arising. Taking breaks can enable you to keep up caregiving with a refreshed mind and rested body. It is best to arrange respite even before you start to feel drained. Ask yourself the question “What do I need to do now to be able to continue to provide the best care that I can?” If the answer is “take a break” then it is definitely time to begin finding respite care services. Respite care can be used to enable you to have a getaway, travel to see other family members or attend to family businesses. You may want to organise respite services when you need to look after your own health, or have surgery or other medical treatments. Respite services from Nursed Care can be arranged in any of these situations.

    Time to relax and recharge

    Everyone’s caring situation is unique. When you are taking some time away, it can be hard to put your caring responsibilities out of your mind. Preparation is key when it comes to feeling confident that a professional will provide care to your loved one. Your support staff member from Nursed Care, will discuss with you the types of respite that will work best and you can make decisions together about the duration of the respite to be provided.

    NDIS Funding

    The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is a program for people with managed by the Australian Government. Through the NDIS, people with disabilities receive funding for services that improve their quality of life and enhance their connections within the community. The NDIS is for people aged under 65 years. Funding for respite can be allocated through an NDIS plan, with NDIS participants choosing to include respite as one of the services they wish to receive. Respite can also be provided directly to a carer separate from the NDIS system through other government support. Respite care gives carers a break while support is provided by NDIS-approved support staff.

    Commonwealth home support programme

    The Commonwealth Home Support Programme is another federal program, and is for people aged over 65 years of age. To be eligible for support through this program, an aged care assessment must be done. This is a free assessment conducted by a member of the aged care assessment team at My Aged Care. An older person can access many respite services, including subsidised residential respite care, day respite and overnight respite.

    What type of respite care to choose?

    When it comes to respite care, the biggest decision to make relates to if the respite will be provided on their own, or if they will be cared for somewhere else. In-home respite care means that the respite carer attends to a person at their own home. Residential respite care involves a person going to stay in a care facility or aged care home.

    What is respite care in the home?

    Nursed Care can provide home respite services. In some cases, this is best for a person who requires care, because they don’t need to travel or be accommodated elsewhere. Care services such as showering, dressing, meals and medication can all be provided in familiar surroundings, using equipment already in the home.

    What is residential respite care?

    Residential respite care involves a person being supported while they stay in an aged care home or facility that is not their usual place of residence. Depending on the type of accommodation, and your preferences, this accommodation may be shared with others. Some people prefer to see residential respite care as a chance to get out and about and stay somewhere else.

    Home vs residential respite care

    At Nursed Care, we offer both home and residential respite care. We can visit you at home for a few hours, for overnight respite or we can arrange for a residential stay. Either way, we offer high-quality care that is tailored to your needs and preferences.

    Choosing residential respite care

    Our residential respite service provides supported accommodation and care around the clock. Our sites are conveniently located in locations around New South Wales and are comfortable and accessible. A short stay away from home can give a person the chance to:
    • meet new people and try new things
    • enjoy a change of scenery
    • build connections in the community
    • achieve other goals in their NDIS care plan
    • provide their carer with temporary relief of caring duties

    Nursed Care Respite services

    At Nursed Care, our respite caregivers are:
    • Reliable- we are here when you need us
    • Fully trained to provide respite care- including any nursing and medical care
    • Passionate about supporting the important work that carers provide
    • Able to provide a range of supports – from personal care, medication, meals, transport and social support
    • Trustworthy and dedicated- we take the time to get to know you and will match you with the right person for your needs

    Emergency respite care

    Sometimes, you may find yourself in an emergency situation outside of daytime hours. If you are a carer and are unwell or injured, emergency respite care can be arranged. Contact Nursed Care on our 24hr service hotline – 0485 854 287 to arrange emergency respite care.

    Choosing emergency respite care

    Nursed Care can provide in-home or residential emergency care. Let’s not wait until an urgent situation arises – contact us today so that we can help you plan ahead and establish a clear course of direction should something unfortunate and unforeseen arise. At Nursed Care, we understand the importance of personalised, compassionate care. Our NDIS and My Aged Care respite options are designed to support caregivers, giving them the time they need to recharge.

    Contact us

    If you’re seeking some respite, reach out to us today. Your well-being matters—and so does the quality of care your loved one receives. Get in touch for further information – we are here to answer questions and help you find respite care.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    We provide respite care in our short-term accommodation facilities. Each of our sites is equipped with private bedrooms, comfortable beds, shared living spaces and equipment such as hoists so that we can meet your personal care needs.
    There are more than 235,000 young carers in Australia. Respite is even more critical for young carers so that they can be relieved of their caring duties for a little while, and meet and share with other caregivers.

    Respite care can take many forms. When deciding which type of respite care will suit you best, consider the following questions:

    • What services are available in my area?
    • How much does the care cost?
    • Does the service offer value for money?
    • Are the service providers NDIS accredited?
    • Does the service support the needs and preferences of the person being cared for?
    All services that are provided through the NDIS must comply with service standards. Any complaints or concerns about the standard of care can be reported to the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.

    Need qualified care?

    At Nursed, we offer a full range of care and disability support services, assisting you to live the life you want to live. Contact us today.

    Connect with Us

    Our friendly staff are eager to help you live your best life. Whether you need new accommodation, supports, home modifications or simply want to join our day programs we’ll ensure you’re looked after. 

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