The Short Answer
is short-term care designed to give family carers a break or to provide temporary support while longer-term arrangements are made. It costs significantly less than permanent residential care — government-subsidised residential respite costs just the of $61.96/day with no , no accommodation payment, and no means-tested care fee.
You receive up to 63 subsidised days per financial year, with extensions available if needed.
Types of Respite Care
Residential respite
A short stay in a residential aged care facility — the person temporarily moves into the facility for days to weeks. This is the most common form of respite and provides 24/7 care, meals, and accommodation.
- Stay length: typically 1–8 weeks per episode
- Setting: residential aged care facility (same as permanent care)
- Best for: carer holidays, carer burnout, recovery after hospitalisation, trial before permanent admission
In-home respite
A care worker comes to the person’s home for a few hours, allowing the carer to take a break, run errands, or attend appointments. The person stays in their own home.
- Duration: typically 2–8 hours per visit
- Funded through: or Home Care Package
- Best for: regular short breaks for the carer
Day respite (centre-based)
The person attends a day centre or community facility for activities, social interaction, and supervised care during the day. The carer has the day free.
- Duration: typically 1 full day per week
- Funded through: CHSP or Home Care Package
- Best for: regular weekly carer relief and social engagement for the person
Cottage/community respite
A short stay in a small group home setting (rather than a large residential facility). Less institutional than residential respite, sometimes available in rural areas.
Residential Respite Costs
Government-subsidised residential respite is significantly cheaper than permanent residential care:
| Fee type | Respite | Permanent care |
|---|---|---|
| Basic daily fee | $61.96/day | $61.96/day |
| Means-tested care fee | $0 (not applicable) | Up to $33,309/year |
| Accommodation (RAD/DAP) | $0 (not applicable) | $200,000–$550,000+ RAD or equivalent DAP |
| Total daily cost | $61.96/day | $150–$300+/day |
For a 2-week respite stay, the cost is approximately $868. For a 4-week stay: approximately $1,735.
Costs beyond subsidised days
If you use more than 63 subsidised days and do not receive an extension, the facility may charge the full unsubsidised cost, which can be $250–$500+ per day depending on the facility. Always check with about extensions before subsidised days run out.
In-home and day respite costs
CHSP-funded respite services have small co-payments, typically:
- In-home respite: $5–$15 per visit
- Day centre: $10–$25 per day
These are heavily subsidised — the actual cost of the service is much higher but covered by the government.
Government-Subsidised Days
The government provides up to 63 days of subsidised residential respite care per financial year (1 July to 30 June).
- The 63 days do not need to be used in one block — they can be spread across multiple shorter stays throughout the year.
- Unused days do not carry over to the next financial year.
- Extensions are available: If you need more than 63 days, contact My Aged Care before your days run out. Extensions are assessed on a case-by-case basis, typically granted when there are ongoing care needs and no permanent placement available.
- The 63-day allowance resets on 1 July each year.
How to Access Respite Care
- Register with My Aged Care (if not already registered): Call 1800 200 422 or register online at myagedcare.gov.au.
- Get an assessment: For residential respite, you need an approving you for residential respite care. For in-home or day respite, a simpler is sufficient.
- Find available respite: Search for facilities with respite availability on the My Aged Care website, or call individual facilities directly. Respite beds can be limited — booking in advance is recommended.
- Book the stay: Contact the facility directly to book dates and discuss care needs. Provide the ACAT approval letter and Medicare details.
Find Respite Care Near You
Most residential aged care facilities offer respite stays alongside their permanent beds — so the quickest way to build a shortlist is to browse facilities in the suburb or state where respite is needed, then call each one to confirm current respite availability.
- Browse by state or suburb: Use our aged care provider directory to see residential facilities across all Australian states and territories. Filter by location, star rating, and provider type.
- Call ahead: Respite bed availability changes week to week. A facility that shows as full for permanent beds may still have respite capacity, and vice versa. Always phone the facility directly to confirm before making plans.
- Check dementia-specific units: If the person needs dementia care, ask whether the facility offers respite within its memory support unit — these beds are in higher demand and often need longer lead times.
Respite as a Bridge to Permanent Care
One of the most common uses of respite is as a bridge between hospital discharge and permanent residential care. This happens when:
- A parent is in hospital and cannot safely return home
- An ACAT assessment has approved permanent residential care
- A permanent bed is not yet available at the preferred facility
In this scenario, the person enters respite care (at the lower cost) while the family searches for and secures a permanent placement. The respite stay continues until a permanent bed becomes available.
Key point: When the person transitions from respite to permanent care (either at the same facility or a different one), the full fee structure kicks in — basic daily fee, means-tested care fee, and accommodation payments (RAD/DAP). The 28-day accommodation payment decision period starts from the date of permanent admission.
Respite as a Trial Stay
Respite is an excellent way to trial a facility before committing to permanent admission. Benefits include:
- Your parent can experience the facility firsthand — meals, activities, staff, and fellow residents.
- You can assess the quality of care without the financial commitment of a permanent admission and RAD.
- The facility can assess whether they can meet your parent’s care needs.
- If it’s not the right fit, you can try a different facility for the next respite stay.
Many families use respite as a stepping stone — a 2-week trial stay can provide more insight than any number of facility tours.
Emergency Respite
When a carer suddenly becomes unavailable (illness, injury, family emergency), emergency respite can be arranged:
- Carer Gateway: Call 1800 422 737 for immediate carer support, including help arranging emergency respite.
- My Aged Care: Call 1800 200 422 and explain the emergency. They can help locate available respite beds.
- Hospital social workers: If the care recipient is in hospital, the social worker can arrange respite or temporary accommodation.
In genuine emergencies, respite can sometimes be arranged without a prior ACAT assessment, though an assessment will need to follow.