What is respite care or short stay care?

Respite care, also known as short-term support or short-stay care, is a temporary care service designed to give full-time carers a break from their usual responsibilities. It also provides benefits to the person being cared for.

Your carer needs time out for themselves. No matter how capable you feel they are, they need to rest and recharge and look after their own health and wellbeing.

Respite also has benefits for you as it gives you the opportunity to socialise with others and/or take part in activities you might not ordinarily have access to.

There are different ways of ‘having a break,’ including the more traditional and subsidised Respite Care programme (typically offered in a care home), care provided in your own home by a home support agency, or attendance at day programmes. For more information about support at home see: ‘What is Carer Support?’ 

Respite can be paid for privately. Alternatively, you may be eligible for subsidised support. 

Subsidised support is accessed via an assessment. If you are eligible, you are normally allocated a set number of days for this support, based on your needs and individual situation. This allocation could range from a single day/night to a few weeks or more.  

Different fees/costs apply depending on the type of respite support. For more information about your possible options see: ‘Who pays for respite care?’ 

• Respite Care in a care home cannot be used if you are unwell.
• It generally can't be used for convalescent care. (See the note below re START.)
• You may be able to arrange a respite booking in advance of when your carer wants to use it (attending a wedding etc.), although availability can vary by region. In some parts of the country, there is high demand for respite care, so it pays to have a shortlist of care homes that offer respite services. That way, you have a few options ready when respite care is needed.

In a few parts of the country a type of short stay programme has been set up to enable a smoother transition for people returning home from hospital, e.g., The Supported Transfer and Accelerated Rehabilitation Team (START) in Waikato. Watch this space; it may become more available around the country.