Aim

Target Group

• Carer of a person who is frail aged or has dementia, who requires a break from their caring role.
• Persons who live on their own (self carers) who would benefit from a short stay in an aged care facility.

Objectives

• To Improve access to residential respite for carers or self carers living in the community
• To provide more equity in respite access
• To reduce the administrative workload for ACATs and the residential facilities
• To improve access to the full range of respite options and packaged care services available to meet the carer and/or self carer needs.

How We Work

• We work closely with residential aged care facilities, ACAT and other relevant services to ensure efficient and effective service provision
• We arrange and book residential respite for carers, care recipients and self carers of an appropriate and acceptable nature for the carer, care recipient, self carer and residential facility.
• We endeavour to book the respite for the requested period of time in a facility of the carer/care recipient or self carer choice.  Taking into account the following:
  • availability of beds
  • ACAT assessment
  • carer/care recipient or self carer needs
  • We maintain an up to date database of residential respite facilities and available vacancies

The Process

• Gather carer/care recipient or self carer details through an assessment process, dates and/or facility that they wish to have respite. Discuss possible options with the carer  or self carer
• Check that the care recipient or self carer has an aged care assessment.
• If there is no  aged care assessment then refer to ACAT for an assessment
• Liaise with the ACAT assessor, if unsure about level of care required by the care recipient or self carer
• Check whether the care recipient or self carer has available respite days left out of the 63 allowed per annum
• Check whether the carer, care recipient or self carer is a Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) card holder. If yes and want DVA to pay the cost of the respite then we will ask if they wish to contact DVA or would like us to contact DVA on their behalf to seek approval.
• Check the availability of respite with facility or facilities that are appropriate to the care needs of the care recipient or self carer
• Talk to the facility to ensure suitability of care recipient or self carer and whether they can manage the care needs
• Send through a copy of current aged care assessment and any other appropriate paperwork to make a tentative booking with the facility
• On acceptance by the facility, confirm with the carer or self carer, the available dates and change the tentative  booking to a confirmed booking if the dates are suitable
• Forward confirmation of the booking to the facility
• Send a letter, carer agreement and feedback form to the carer or self carer, plus any other relevant information, for example Information Handbook for a new client.

Who Can Refer To Us