Respite care explained: a break for carers and the people they support

Respite care is short-term care that gives a regular carer a break, while making sure the person they support is safe and well looked after. It is one of the most useful, and most underused, parts of the support system in Australia. Many carers only learn it exists when they are already exhausted, or when something goes wrong and they suddenly cannot provide care themselves.

This guide explains what respite care actually is, the different forms it takes, and the three main doorways into it: My Aged Care for older people, the NDIS for people with disability, and Carer Gateway for support aimed at the carer. The right doorway depends on who the care is for and why.

A point worth making at the start: taking respite is not a failure or a luxury. The evidence is consistent that carers who never get a break are more likely to burn out, become unwell themselves, and end up unable to continue caring at all. A planned break protects both people in the relationship.

What respite care is, and what it is not

Respite care means someone else provides care for a period of time so the usual carer can rest, work, attend to their own health, travel, or simply have time off. It can last a couple of hours, a full day, a few nights, or a couple of weeks.

It is not the same as permanently moving someone into care, and it is not a judgement about how well the carer is coping. It is a deliberate, temporary arrangement. The person receiving care goes home afterwards, or the support worker leaves, and normal arrangements resume.

Respite can be planned in advance (a standing weekly arrangement, a booked block while the carer takes a holiday) or used in an emergency (the carer is hospitalised, or has a sudden crisis). Both matter, and it is worth setting up access before an emergency arrives rather than during one.

The main types of respite

Respite is usually grouped by where it happens and how long it lasts.

• In-home respite. A support worker comes to the home so the carer can leave or rest while the person is cared for in familiar surroundings. Good for people who are unsettled by new environments.
• Centre-based or day respite. The person attends a day program or centre, often with activities and social contact, for part or all of a day. This doubles as social engagement, which can be valuable in its own right.
• Overnight and residential respite. The person stays somewhere, often a residential aged care home for older people, for one or more nights up to a block of weeks. This is what makes a genuine holiday or recovery period possible for the carer.
• Emergency respite. Care arranged at short notice when the carer cannot continue, for example due to sudden illness. This is where having registered in advance pays off, because arranging it cold takes longer.

Some people use a mix: a regular day program each week, plus an occasional block of residential respite once or twice a year.

Doorway one: respite for older people through My Aged Care

If the person needing care is older (generally 65 and over, or 50 and over for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people), the main pathway is My Aged Care, on 1800 200 422.

Respite is available through the entry-level Commonwealth Home Support Programme for smaller amounts of in-home and day respite, and as residential respite in aged care homes for overnight and longer stays. Government-subsidised residential respite requires an aged care assessment first (the comprehensive assessment people still call an ACAT assessment). Our guide to the aged care assessment explains how to get one and what happens.

There is a limit on how many days of subsidised residential respite a person can use in a year, with the possibility of extension in some circumstances. The exact day allocation and the daily fees are set by the government and change over time, so confirm the current numbers with My Aged Care rather than relying on any figure published here. As a rule, you contribute a basic daily fee towards residential respite, similar in principle to the fees that apply in permanent residential care; see our guide to aged care fees for how those work.

If the person is on an ongoing in-home care budget under Support at Home, talk to the provider about how respite fits within or alongside it. See our guide to home support for how that program works.

Doorway two: respite for people with disability through the NDIS

The NDIS does not use the word "respite" in the way the aged care system does. The same need is met mainly through two kinds of funded support:

• Short Term Accommodation (STA), which includes respite. This funds a stay away from home (including the care, accommodation, food and activities during it), typically for a person whose informal carer needs a break. It is usually funded as a number of days per year in the plan.
• Core supports that fund a support worker to assist the person at home or in the community, which can give the carer time off during the day.

Whether these are in a plan depends on the person's assessed needs and goals. Respite-type support is funded where it helps sustain informal supports (in plain terms, where a break for the carer helps the whole arrangement keep working). If it is not in the current plan and the need is real, it can be raised at a plan reassessment. Our guides to the NDIS and choosing an NDIS provider cover how plans and providers work. The NDIS contact line is 1800 800 110.

Doorway three: Carer Gateway, support built around the carer

Carer Gateway is the national service for carers themselves, on 1800 422 737. It is worth knowing about regardless of which system the person you care for uses, because it is oriented around the carer rather than the care recipient.

Carer Gateway can arrange or fund respite in some circumstances, including emergency respite when a carer cannot continue care at short notice. It also offers counselling, peer support, coaching and practical help. Many carers find it the most direct way to get a break organised quickly, and to talk to someone who understands the role. Our guide to support for carers covers what else is available.

What respite costs

Cost depends on the pathway:

• Through My Aged Care, in-home and day respite usually involve a small co-contribution, and residential respite involves a basic daily fee. Amounts are set within government rules and change over time; confirm the current figures with My Aged Care or the provider.
• Through the NDIS, funded STA and support-worker time are paid from the plan budget, so there is no separate out-of-pocket fee for the funded portion, though everyday costs like some meals may apply.
• Through Carer Gateway, some respite is funded directly; ask what applies to your situation.

Financial hardship provisions exist across the aged care system. If a fee is a barrier, say so directly to My Aged Care or the provider rather than going without.

How to set respite up before you need it

The single most useful thing a carer can do is register and get assessed before a crisis, so that emergency respite can be arranged quickly if it is ever needed.

1. Work out which doorway applies: My Aged Care (older person), the NDIS (person with disability), or Carer Gateway (support for you as the carer). Often more than one applies.
2. Make the call and ask specifically about respite. Use the phrase "I need respite" plainly; it is a recognised term and triggers the right pathway.
3. Get the assessment done if one is required (residential aged care respite needs one).
4. Once you are in the system, set up a regular arrangement if you can, not just an emergency plan. Regular breaks prevent the crises that emergency respite exists to catch.

To find providers that offer day programs, in-home support and residential respite near you, browse the home support and aged care directory on Our Mate, where listings are verified against official registers.

Frequently asked questions

What is respite care?

Respite care is short-term care that gives a regular carer a break while making sure the person they support stays safe and well cared for. It can be a few hours of in-home support, a day program, or an overnight or longer stay in a residential setting. The person returns to their usual arrangements afterwards.

How do I arrange respite care in Australia?

It depends on who the care is for. For an older person, call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 and ask about respite; residential respite needs an aged care assessment first. For a person with disability, respite-type support is funded through the NDIS (call 1800 800 110). For support aimed at you as the carer, including emergency respite, contact Carer Gateway on 1800 422 737.

Is respite care free?

Not usually entirely, but it is heavily subsidised. Aged care respite generally involves a small co-contribution or a basic daily fee. NDIS-funded respite-type support is paid from the plan budget. Some Carer Gateway respite is funded directly. Financial hardship provisions exist if a fee is a genuine barrier; raise it directly rather than going without.

Can I get emergency respite if I suddenly cannot care for someone?

Yes. Emergency respite exists for exactly this. Carer Gateway (1800 422 737) is a fast route to arranging it. It is much quicker to organise if you have already registered and been assessed, which is why it is worth setting up access before an emergency arrives.

How many days of residential respite can an older person use?

There is an annual limit on subsidised residential respite days for older people, with the possibility of extension in some circumstances. The exact allocation is set by the government and changes over time, so confirm the current number with My Aged Care on 1800 200 422.

Does taking respite mean I am giving up as a carer?

No. Respite is a planned, temporary break, not a permanent move into care and not a sign of failure. Carers who take regular breaks are more able to keep caring sustainably. Using respite protects both you and the person you support.