Is respite care and short term accommodation the same?

August 16, 2022

What Is Respite Care?

Respite care is a term used for short-term breaks for caregivers. Looking after someone with special needs can be tiresome and exhausting. If the carer is not in good health, there is no way he can take care of his loved ones.

Everyone needs a break once in a while, and respite care allows that without neglecting the participant’s health. You can have someone take care of your loved one while you spend some time alone, or you can also organise their stay in care homes with all the necessary support. Respite care can last a few hours or a few days, depending on how much time you need. You can go on a holiday and refresh your mind, or you can just take a walk and come back. How much rest the carer needs is completely up to him.

Short Term Accommodation

NDIS allows its participants to have short-term accommodation in their plan to help them lead an independent life. This support can be utilised for up to 14 days, and it allows participants to develop new interests and make new friends. Short-term accommodation includes respite in it as the carer can go on a break for 14 days while the participant stays at the short-term accommodation funded by NDIS.

The participants can choose to live alone or with other people; NDIS bears the cost of living for 14 days and provides the necessary support while the carer is unavailable for some time. Respite care is known by many different names, and you won’t find this under NDIS guidelines; that is because it is known by the name short-term accommodation under NDIS.

What Can Short-Term Accommodation Do For The Participants?

If you are thinking of taking a break from caring for your loved one and wondering how short-term accommodation can help you, here are the things that short-term accommodation can do for the participants:

Help Them Socialise

Socialising is important for your loved ones, but staying home with the same person all the time cannot help them with it. Short-term accommodation allows participants to meet new people and make friends they can talk to when their carers are not around. Making new friends can also result in developing new interests and hobbies that will keep them occupied and make each day more fun for them.

Access To Personalised Care

Participants can get access to assistance with daily living under the NDIS. In short-term accommodation participants are accompanied by support workers who can attend to their needs throughout the day.

Increase Independence

If you stay with your loved one 24 hours a day, they may not have many opportunities to try things for themselves which will prevent them from becoming independent. Taking a short break will give them more time alone and a chance to do things independently. Short-term accommodation helps your loved one become more independent, which is an important long term goal for them.

Why Respite Care Is Necessary For The Carers?

We know that you care for your loved one and that’s great. At the same time, there is nothing wrong with saying that you are tired. Taking time off is essential for everyone; after all, we are all humans and need rest to recharge ourselves. If you think this might be hurtful for your loved one to hear, have a conversation with them and explain how you feel and what you want. Your feelings as an individual are separate to those as a carer and not the same as what you feel for your loved one.

A break can give you a fresh mind which is healthy for you and your loved one. Taking care of yourself means that you can give your best in all your duties. Additionally, we are sure that your loved one will have many stories to tell you about their stay at the short-term accommodation.

PSS provides NDIS short-term accommodation in Melbourne. Our team of qualified support workers provides compassionate care to participants, so you can rest assured that your loved ones are in trusted hands. If you are looking for NDIS short-term accommodation in Melbourne, reach out to Personalised Support Services, our support workers are here to help you.

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