Respite
Introduction
Respite Care Services are provided to assist clients who are being cared for at their place of residence (eg, by family or household members) by giving carers a short term break from their usual support routine. Respite Care can be provided within a client’s home or in the community. Respite Care can include personal care, community access, therapy support and facility based over night stays.
Objective
Respite Care Services are intended to assist the continuation of the relationship between the carer and the client whilst giving all parties the opportunity to have a rest and to have a break.
Scope
- To be eligible for consideration for Respite Care Services a person must be registered with the Victorian Department of Human Services to enable them to be a client of Independence Australia. Currently clients may be allocated up to a maximum of 8 hours of Respite Care Services per week
The client must:
- Be eligible under the Disability Act 2006, the Disability Services Act 1991 or successor legislation;
- Require a significant level of ongoing daily/personal support, eg. hygiene, mobility, community access or therapy support;
- Have a family or household member who provide the client with ongoing daily / personal support; and
- Have been assessed by an Independence Australia Community Solutions team member as being eligible for Respite Care Services.
According to funding guidelines priority will be given to:
- Young carers who are under 25 years of age;
- Aging carers;
- Impending breakdown of support arrangements;
- Primary carers of adolescents and young adults with high behavioural support needs;
- Primary carers of children and adults with fragile health and highly complex support needs; and
- People from culturally and linguistically diverse background and koori people.
Responsibilities
The amount of Respite Care to be provided in a financial year is to be determined by considering the following
- The amount of Respite Care Service hours allocated to Independence Australia by the Victorian Department of Human Services and the agreed service delivery target (number of clients);
- The allocation of Respite Care Service hours are reviewed at least annually;
- The ongoing support needs of the client;
- The reasonableness of the amount of respite care requested while taking in to account the ongoing needs of the client and possible referral for funding packages by other agencies including funding bodies; and
- The type of activities undertaken in the client’s approved individual support program.
Respite Care Services will not be Provided
Respite Care Services will not be allocated in the following situations:
- Where a person is not a client of Independence Australia or is not registered with the Victorian Department of Human Services;
- Where the support worker is expected to perform duties relating to other members of the client’s family, such as performing tasks for the client’s family members or household;
- Normal daily living costs while the client receives external facility based respite care such as accommodation costs (rent, utilities payment) and food additional to that provided by the respite facility. and
- Respite care provided by a family or household member residing in the same household as the client.
For further information on Respite Care Services
If you want further information on Respite Care Services or to make a referral to the service, please contact staff in the Community Solutions Division of Independence Australia by phone on 1300 704 456.
