What is respite?
Respite provides short term and time limited
breaks for carers on a planned or emergency basis to support
and maintain the primary care giving relationship while
providing a positive experience for the care recipient.
Respite means providing parents or carers with a break
from their usual caring roles and duties. It can take
many different forms according to the needs of individual
families and the services available. For example:
- respite can be planned or unplanned or happen in response
to a crisis or emergency situation,
- respite can be regular, happening at a regular time
each week or at regular intervals or can be arranged
only as required at regular times,
- respite can last a few hours, overnight or for several
days,
- respite can happen in a families' own home, in a facility
or in the community.
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Are you a carer?
A carer is someone who provides care for a family member
or friend on a voluntary basis. Carers can be parents,
partners, brothers, sisters, other relatives, friends
or children of any age. Carers may care for a few hours
a week, or all day every day. Carers may be caring for
someone who is frail aged, terminally ill, someone who
has dementia, a disability or a mental illness.
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Why is respite important?
Carers are often on duty 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
They need time out to attend to other matters, other family
members, and above all, have time for themselves. Respite
can reduce the stress of caring and assists carers to
look after their own health and wellbeing.
Respite care gives carers time out for themselves and
enables them to continue in their caring role. Respite
care also gives the person being cared for the opportunity
to have a break from the routine of home.
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What is the Commonwealth Carer Respite Centre?
The Commonwealth Carer Respite Centre has support workers
who can visit you in your own home and work with you to
explore and plan for your respite needs. A carer support
worker is someone who can assist the carer especially
in times of crisis, or when difficulties are being experienced
in finding the most appropriate supports.
A carer support worker can:
- listen to carers and offer emotional support
- link carers into appropriate supports
- assist to organise flexible respite options
- assist with immediate and long term planning to meet
carers needs
- visit carers in their own home
- provide information about residential respite services
- introduce carers to Carer Support Groups and Networks.
The Carer Respite Centre also provides Emergency After
Hours Access for carers needing to access short-term respite
in emergency situations occurring outside office hours.
You can access the Commonwealth Carer Respite Centre
even if you are funded for respite through another service
provider.
Download
the Carer Respite Centre brochure (PDF)
For further information and support Free Call 1800 059
059
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What options are available for carers?
- Emergency Respite: Emergency, unplanned care
used when carers are unable to provide immediate care.
- Facility based or Residential Respite: This
includes overnight or longer stays in respite houses
located within the community.
- In-Home Care: Respite care can be provided
in your own home, eg. personal care or home help. Services
are provided by local councils, nursing services, specialist
services, specialist providers or by private attendant
care agencies. In-home respite is usually provided for
a few hours but can be arranged overnight.
- Centre-Based Respite: Day programs, which offer
regular day activities with a social or recreational
focus, eg. adult day activity support services, day
centres, child care centres and holiday programs. These
provide carers with a planned break during the daytime.
- Host Family Care / Alternative Family Care (Respite
Care in Providers' Homes): Some programs provide
respite care in the host carer's own homes, eg. Interchange,
foster care and family day care.
- Recreation & Leisure Activities: Assistance
is given to enable older people or people with disabilities
to make friends and/or take part in recreation activities,
camps, holidays or group recreation programs.
- School Holiday Programs: Varying programs are
organised throughout the school holidays. Programs have
a recreational and social focus.
- Flexible Respite / Brokerage Support Services:
Provide coordination and funding to enable responsive
needs-based respite options to be met.
- Child Care: Child Care Centres provide care
to children with disabilities up to 6 years.
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What other services are available to support carers?
There are many other services available to support carers
including:
- Carer Support
- Advocacy
- Information Services
- Therapy
- Transport
- Alcohol, Drug & Gambling Services
- Health Services
- Support Groups
- Counselling Services
- Employment, Education & Training Services
- Financial & Legal Services
- Housing Services
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