Aim

The aim of the residential booking service is to coordinate access and flexible support for carers, self carers and care recipients seeking residential respite services in Commonwealth funded aged care facilities.

Target Group

• Carers of a person who is frail aged or has dementia and requires a break from their caring role.
• People who live on their own (self carers) who would benefit from a short stay in an aged care facility.
• People accessing residential respite need an assessment by aged care by the Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT).

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 residential facilities.
• To improve access to a full range of respite options and packaged care services available to meet the carer/self carer needs.

How We Work

• We work closely with residential aged care facilities, ACATs and other relevant services to ensure efficient and effective service provision.
• We arrange and book residential respite for carers/self carer, care recipients of an appropriate and acceptable nature for the carer/self carer, care recipient 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 carers' choice, while taking into account the following:
  • Availability of beds
  • ACAT assessment
  • Carer/ self carer or care recipient's needs.
• We maintain an up to date database of residential respite facilities and available vacancies.

The Process

When a carer, self carer or service provider contacts the Residential Respite Booking Service to arrange respite in an aged care facility, we:

• Gather carer/care recipient or self carer details through an assessment process, dates and/or facility where they wish to have respite and 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, refer care recipient or self carer 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 from the 63 allowed per annum.
• Check whether the carer, care recipient or self carer is a Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) card holder. If they are a DVA card holder and wish DVA to pay the cost of the respite, we ask if they wish to contact DVA to arrange.
• 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 a copy of current aged care assessment and any other appropriate paperwork to 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, as well as any other relevant information, such as the Carer Handbook for new clients.

Who Can Refer To Us

Carers, Self Carers, Care Recipients, ACAT's, Aged Care Homes, Discharge Planners, Community Service Providers, General Practitioners (GPs) and Health Care Workers.