Respite care is a support available for a person with a disability, autism, or other requirements. Disability respite care in Dandenong is flexible and tailored to each participant. It can be for a few hours a day, overnight or for more extended periods like a few weeks. People can use disability respite care periodically or regularly. The patient can be cared for in their home or somewhere else. Further, people can access disability respite care from respite care services, arrange something informally with friends and family or use group recreational activities.

How could respite care be useful for you or your child?

Disability respite care in Dandenong offers you the opportunity to look after yourself by giving you and your child a break from daily care duties. You may use the break for weekly exercise classes, meetings with friends, having a meal with your partner, etc. Taking a break may allow you to spend more time with your other loved ones. Disability respite care is a kind of holiday for the child. Also, respite care can assist your child in developing new skills and more independence by experiencing something different from their everyday routine.

Respite care is categorised in two ways, they are “Formal Respite Care” and “Informal Respite Care.”

Formal Respite Care

People may be eligible for respite care alternatives depending on where they live, what their child needs, how old their child is and what they want to get out of disability respite care. Services that are offered under formal respite care are:

• In-Home Respite

• Centre-Based Respite

• Community Access Respite

• Short-Term Accommodation

In-Home Respite:

Under In-Home respite care, a carer travels to the participant’s home to care for the child. Participants can get respite care for a few hours or for more extended periods like overnight. The carer may stay at home with the child or take them out to a local park.

Centre-Based Respite:

Centre-Based respite is when the child goes daily to a specific centre to be cared for in a group. Centre-based respite care arranges group activities, holiday care schedules, and outings.

Community Access Respite:

Community Access Respite care allows the child to get involved in a group setting or individual activities that can assist them in enhancing their independent living and social skills. This respite service can be given in a group, house or community health centre. Respite Care supporters might go with a patient’s family to support them participating in community activities.

Short-term accommodation:

STA (Short-Term Accommodation) is offered when the child remains at a residential care home or a particular respite house. This service can be for a more extended stay or overnight.

Informal Respite Care:

Legal disability respite care services may not be suitable for certain families or can be difficult to access where you live. In-formal respite care offers other options that can give you a break. Services under in-formal respite care are:

• Recreational Activities

• Family and Friends

• Mainstream child care

• Camps

Recreational Activities:

Recreational activities are storytime at the local library, music classes, sports clubs, Scouts, and other community groups that can provide the child with something fun to get involved in. It’s also possible to have a break as parent and link with other local parents. Participants need to assess whether these group activities and organisations accommodate their children with disabilities.

Family and Friends:

Participants can ask family and friends to look after their children while they go out. It is good to ask for help and accept it when it is offered. This service can assist in being precise about what the participants need.

Mainstream Child Care:

Extended daycare centres, family daycare, and periodic care services can help accommodate children with disability.

Camps:

The NDIS runs community organisations and camps for children with disabilities.

Personalised Support Services provides beneficial services to people with disabilities. People can make their lives more independent, skillful, and meaningful via Personalised Support Services. Our experienced disability respite care providers can assist you in overcoming your disability. Check out our services on our website.