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Eligibility for respite care
Arranging respite care in the community
Access to respite care (more information) is based on eligibility, priority and need. For respite care in the community - at home or in a day care centre – your local Commonwealth Respite and Carelink Centre (more information) (phone 1800 052 222 (free call) during business hours or, for emergency respite support outside standard business hours, call 1800 059 059 (free call)) can assess whether you and the person you care for are eligible. The amount of care you receive will then depend on your needs and those of the person you care for, as well as availability of respite care services. Or you can talk to a local respite service if you know the one you’d like to use.
How much community respite can a person have?
Each request will be assessed on an individual basis depending on your need and the relative demand for respite services in your area so that respite care is provided as fairly as possible. Some carers are happy with a few hours in home care a week or a day or two at a day centre. Others, such as working carers or carers looking after more than one family member, may require additional longer periods of care.
Arranging respite care in an aged care home
Anyone wishing to organise residential respite care, either for themselves or for the person they’re caring for, should contact an Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT or ACAS in Victoria) (more information). The ACAT is usually based at a hospital or community centre and may include a doctor, nurse, social worker, physiotherapist or occupational therapist.
Once an appointment is made, a member of the local ACAT will visit you in your home or in hospital to assess the needs of the person you care for. The team will then talk to you about what services you and the person you are caring for may need and what’s available in your area.
How much residential respite care can a person have?
In most cases, a person can have up to 63 days of respite care in a financial year. However if the ACAT thinks it is necessary, extensions of up to 21 days at a time are possible.
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