Respite care: a break that helps everyone

Caring for someone you love is rewarding, but everyone needs a rest sometimes. Respite care — known in the NDIS as Short Term Accommodation, or STA — gives both participants and their carers a welcome break.

What STA actually is

Short Term Accommodation funds a stay away from home, with all the support you need included. Stays are typically up to 14 days at a time. You might use it to:

• Give family carers a rest and time to recharge
• Enjoy a change of scenery in a new environment
• Try out supported living before making a longer-term decision
• Build independence skills like cooking and self-care in a safe setting

How to access it

STA is funded from your core supports budget when it is reasonable and necessary. Talk to your planner or support coordinator about how a break fits into your plan. You do not need a crisis to ask for it — regular short breaks work best as prevention, not emergency relief.

Choosing a provider

Visit before you book. Check the bedrooms, the common spaces and the garden. Ask about the support ratios, the food, and how staff get to know each guest's routines. A good respite home should feel welcoming, calm and genuinely homely.

Making the most of a stay

Bring familiar things — photos, a favourite blanket, your own pillow. Tell staff about your routines and preferences. And treat the stay as a mini-adventure: many participants discover they enjoy the independence more than they expected.

A well-timed break does more than rest batteries — it sustains caring relationships for the long run.