The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is a vital initiative in Australia. It seeks to support individuals with disabilities to ensure they lead an almost regular and independent life. While not easy to achieve, it is essential to strike the right balance between responsibilities and an individual’s well-being.

Amid the chaos of caring for someone with a disability, respite care has proven to be a great option. Respite care services are designed to give caregivers a break from caring for people with disabilities. Read this blog to understand more about respite care and what it entails.

Understanding NDIS Respite Care

NDIS respite care is typically used to offer temporary relief to individuals with disabilities and their caregivers. Also known as short-term accommodation, this kind of care primarily benefits both the people with disability and those taking care of them.

Frankly, taking care of a person with a disability is not an easy thing to navigate. Even if you love a person so much, sometimes it can get tiresome, and this is where respite care comes in. It is a form of disability support services that seeks to give carers a temporary break from their usual routine of caring for their loved ones with disability.

Carers are given a substitute to take over their role as they rest or focus on other things. Respite care is a form of short-term disability housing initiative, so the person living with disability will be well cared for, just like before. Therefore, you can go on holiday and run your errands without worrying much about how the person you provide support due to disability is fairing. Additionally, respite care allows someone with a disability to try new experiences.

Types of Respite Care Services

Respite care services can take the following forms:

Short Term Accommodation

Short-term accommodation in respite care supports the person living with disability when their career is away from home. It happens for a short period and, most times, will cover up to 28 days in a year. Usually, you can only have your loved one in short-term accommodation for 14 consecutive days at a time.

In short-term accommodation, individuals can enjoy personal care, food, lodging and activities that the caregiver and the service provider agree upon.

In-Home Respite Care

This form of respite care takes place in an individual’s home. Typically, a respite worker visits your home and handles all the responsibilities that you, as the primary caregiver, do. Therefore, you can take a break as your loved one is being cared for by someone else.

Emergency Respite Care

This is respite care offered in case of unforeseen circumstances or emergencies. You can get a respite carer to take care of the person living with disability in a situation where the primary carer cannot provide care.

Community Access Respite Care

Persons living with disabilities need to participate in recreational and social activities. This plays a crucial role in maintaining their health and well-being. Through NDIS respite care, you can get extra support to engage in programs such as learning, lifestyle activities and much more. An NDIS plan coordinator can take over this role and organize activities that benefit people with disabilities.

Eligibility and Assessment

Are you eligible for NDIS respite care? Understanding the eligibility criteria ensures that those who require support get appropriate services tailored to their needs. Here are the eligibility criteria for NDIS respite care:

• Must be an Australian citizen, a permanent resident or hold a protected special category visa.
• Must be under 65 years of age
• Must live in an area where NDIS is available.
• Must have a permanent disability that affects their ability to perform their daily activities without support.

To assess whether you are eligible for NDIS respite care, you need to do the following:

• Submit an access request to NDIS
• An assessment will be conducted to determine the individual’s disability and support needs
• A personalized plan is developed based on the input from each individual
• Upon approval, you can access respite care services through NDIS

Accessing Respite Care Services

To access the NDIS respite services, you need to take several steps. To begin with, it is essential to discuss with your NDIS plan coordinator why you need respite services. This step ensures that respite care is included in your plan if needed.

After respite is included in your plan, go ahead and choose a respite provider. The respite provider you go for depends on your location, needs and preferences.

Conclusion

Navigating the responsibilities of caring for individuals with disabilities requires a delicate balance between duty and personal well-being. Respite Care Perth is here to offer caregivers temporary relief and enable individuals with disabilities to explore new experiences. Assess your needs and the support you need and contact a respite care provider who will meet them. Ready to explore respite care options under NDIS? Contact your NDIS plan coordinator today to discuss including respite care in your plan.