In-Home Respite Care: What Support at Home May Cover and What Families Should Know 

Caring for someone at home often becomes part of the rhythm of everyday life. 

There are meals to organise, appointments to remember, routines to support and small check-ins that happen throughout the day. Over time, even a few hours of planned support can make a real difference for the person receiving care and the family member or friend who usually provides it. 

That is where in-home respite care can help. 

Respite is not about stepping away from care. It is about making sure care can continue in a way that is sustainable, supported and better planned. 

Respite care gives carers and the people they support a short break. Depending on the person’s needs and eligibility, respite may be available for a few hours, a few days or a few weeks. It can be provided at home, in the community or in an aged care home.  

For families, respite might mean a Support Worker spends time with the older person while their usual carer attends an appointment, goes to work, rests, visits family or catches up on other responsibilities. 

For the older person, it can also mean having another trusted person support them with their routine, companionship or community activities. 

There are different types of respite, and they are not all arranged or funded in the same way. 

In-home respite care means support is provided in the person’s home. This may be during the day or overnight and usually involves a paid carer coming to the home so the usual carer can take a break. My Aged Care also calls this flexible respite.  

Community or centre-based respite usually happens during the day in a community centre, club, day centre or community space. It can give the person a chance to spend time with others, join activities and remain socially connected.  

Cottage respite is usually overnight or over a weekend in a centre or community location. It is different from in-home respite and may be available through specific aged care programs.  

Residential respite takes place in an aged care home. It is different from in-home or community respite and is funded through a separate aged care arrangement.  

This distinction matters because Leora Healthcare does not provide residential respite in an aged care home. Leora can support planned respite at home or in the community where it is included in the person’s care plan or where appropriate referral and funding arrangements are in place. 

Support at Home may include respite care when it is part of the person’s assessed needs and approved support plan. 

The Support at Home service list describes respite as supervision and assistance of an older person by someone other than their usual informal carer. This can be delivered individually or in a group, in the home or community.  

In everyday terms, respite support under Support at Home may include: 

The exact support will depend on the person’s care plan, needs and approved services. 

Residential respite is different. 

The Support at Home service list states that residential respite is funded through the Australian National Aged Care Classification funding model, known as AN-ACC.  

So if a family is asking whether Support at Home can pay for residential respite, it is important to explain that residential respite is handled separately from in-home or community respite. 

A simple way to explain it is: 

In-home respite means support comes to the person’s home. 
Community respite may happen in a community or centre-based setting. 
Residential respite means a short stay in an aged care home. 

Leora can help with in-home or community-based support arrangements, but not residential respite in an aged care facility. 

Most in-home respite care is planned. 

That might mean booking support every week, arranging a regular afternoon for the carer to attend appointments or adding extra support during a busy period. 

Emergency respite is different. It may be needed if the usual carer becomes unwell, has an urgent situation or is suddenly unable to provide care. My Aged Care advises people to contact Carer Gateway on 1800 422 737 for emergency respite.  

If you are exploring planned respite, it is better to talk about it early. This gives everyone time to understand what support is needed, who will provide it and how it fits into the care plan. 

Because respite is not a Clinical support, a participant contribution may apply. 

Under Support at Home, participants do not contribute to Clinical supports, but most participants contribute to Independence and Everyday Living services depending on their income, assets and the type of service received.  

Your provider should explain whether a contribution applies, how respite will be charged and how it will appear on your monthly statement. 

Before arranging respite care at home, it may help to ask: 

These questions help make the arrangement clearer before services begin. 

At Leora Healthcare, we can support planned respite at home or in the community, where it is included in the person’s care plan or arranged through the appropriate funding pathway. 

This may involve a Support Worker spending time with the person, helping with daily routines, providing companionship, supporting meals or personal care, or assisting with community access while the usual family carer takes a break. 

Leora does not provide residential respite in an aged care home. If residential respite is needed, this is arranged through the aged care system under separate funding arrangements. 

If emergency respite is needed, families should contact Carer Gateway on 1800 422 737. 

For planned respite at home, speak with Leora Healthcare. Our team can help you understand what support may be suitable, what needs to be included in the care plan and how respite can be arranged in a way that feels comfortable for both the client and their carer.