What is Respite?

Many people have a family member or friend who provides care, support and assistance to help them continue to live at home.

What if you're a Carer for a frail older person, a person with a chronic illness or an adult or child with a disability, it's an ongoing, full time responsibility but you just need a rest - what can you do?

Anyone who is a Carer can ask for respite. Respite care provides breaks for Carers and the people they care for. Respite allows you to have a rest, to have time for yourself and to help restore the balance in your life.

For the person being cared for it may provide a new face, a different place and contact with others. Respite can be in home, at a day centre, in a residential facility or elsewhere. It can be for a few hours, a day or a couple of weeks and during an emergency.

Respite is a break from the responsibility of looking after someone. It may be for a few hours, a day, a night or even weeks.

Respite is a way of relieving the stress of being a carer. Making time for yourself is important for your own health and well-being and to help you in your caring role.

Respite is when another person takes over your caring responsibilities temporarily so that you can have a break.

Respite can be provided by family members, friends, neighbors or trained workers. It can be in different places and can vary from a couple of hours to a few days or a number of weeks.

Respite can mean different things to different people. To some respite may mean the person they care for to stay somewhere elsewhere (other than the home) for a few days or an extended period, respite to another may mean a person to take on the caring role in order for the Carer to go do shopping, occasionally.

Respite can be staying together but giving the carer support. It may be so they can have a night of unbroken sleep. It may be a regular weekly event or it may be something that happens only once a year such as an extended holiday.

Finding respite that suits the carer and the person being cared for is important. Carers sometimes need support to just keep going and ‘recharge’ their coping ability.

As a carer you may need a break for a few hours or a few days, or you may need help for a short period. For example, if you are ill or recovering from an illness.

Respite care is a chance for you and the person you care for to ‘take a break’. This can be:

• In their home with care ranging from a few hours a week to overnight care;
• In a Day Care Centre which provides full or half day care; or
• In a residential aged care home facility for two or three weeks.
• In a Cottage respite facility

If you think you or the person you are looking after may need respite care, you can talk to your local G.P./ doctor, your Aged Care Assessment Team or contact your Commonwealth Carer Respite Centres.

When talking to your G.P. ask them about Carer Respite and if they would consider the benefits from Carer Respite worthwhile for you. If they aren’t aware of the need for and benefits of Carer Respite please ask them to ring us and we will gladly send information to them for future reference.

What Does the Commonwealth Carer Respite Centre Offer?

Support, information and advice about respite options by acting as a single point of contact for carers through our 1800 059 059 number.

• Assistance with short term and emergency respite.
• Purchase respite from a specific service if necessary.
• Referral to appropriate services where required.
• Help with organising planned respite.
• Coordinate residential respite or Cottage Respite bookings.
• Provides flexible respite options.
• Someone to "lend an ear" to listen to your needs.

What respite care options are there?

• In Home Respite - trained care workers provide help including supervision, personal care tasks and companionship in your home.
• Day Centre Respite - social and recreational activities with others.
• Residential Respite - is a temporary stay in a residential facility where the care is provided by trained and experienced staff.
• Flexible Respite - provides breaks for carers and/or the person cared for that has been individualised to help meet the carers needs.
• 24 hour Emergency Respite - information, support and in-home emergency respite.
• Cottage Respite- in a variety of locations across both the regions
• After hours emergency respite care service
  

What is an emergency?

An emergency is when a carer is unable to look after someone due to a number of reasons that may include:

• Sudden illness of the carer.
• Death of a family member.
• If the carer needs to take a break urgently due to stress to stay fit and healthy both physically and mentally.

You can contact the Centre if you are in an emergency situation 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

Who can I talk to?

Staff at the Commonwealth Carer Respite Centre are available to listen to your concerns and discuss appropriate respite options to meet your needs. Contact details: Freecall 1800 059 059* (EXCEPT from mobiles)

An Australian Government Initiative