Respite Care for Carers and Families
Aged Care Respite Services in Australia
St Jude’s offers flexible aged care respite services to give carers and families the break they need, while keeping the people they care for safe and supported.
Our respite care includes residential stays in our aged care homes, in-home support from trained workers, and emergency respite for families in crisis. All services are available across Western Australia and Queensland.
Whether you’re planning ahead or need support right now, our team will help you find an option that works for your situation.
Talk to us about aged care respite availability in your area.
Aged Care Respite Across Australia
Aged care respite is temporary care for an older person, arranged so their primary carer can take a break. That break might last a few hours, a few days, or a few weeks, and it can happen at home or in one of our residential aged care facilities.
It’s not a sign that you can’t cope. The Australian Government funds aged care respite services because regular breaks are one of the most effective ways to sustain a caring relationship over the long term.
St Jude’s has been providing aged care services for over 40 years. We offer respite care for the aged through our homes and in-home support teams in Perth and Brisbane, with both planned and emergency options available.
Get in touch with our team to discuss your respite care needs.
Services
Types of aged care respite
There are several types of respite care available in Australia, depending on your needs, your loved one’s care requirements, and how long the break will be.Residential respite
Residential respite care is a short-term stay in one of our aged care homes in Perth or Brisbane. Your loved one receives the same standard of care as permanent residents, including meals, laundry, nursing care, social activities, and 24-hour supervision.
Residential respite stays typically range from two to six weeks. The Australian Government subsidises up to 63 days per financial year, and an aged care assessor can approve extensions of up to 21 days at a time if more time is needed.
Many families also use residential respite as a way to experience aged care before committing to long-term care. If you’ve been considering assisted living facilities or permanent residential placement, a respite stay can help you see what daily life looks like in a supported environment.
In-home respite
A trained support worker visits your home to take over caring duties for a set period, whether that’s a few hours during the day, overnight, or on a regular weekly schedule. You stay in control of the routine, and the person you care for stays in familiar surroundings.
In-home respite is funded through the Support at Home program, which replaced Home Care Packages in November 2025.
Emergency respite
When something unexpected happens, you need care arranged fast. Whether it’s an injury, a hospital stay, or a family emergency, St Jude’s offers emergency aged care respite so you don’t have to manage a crisis alone.
Emergency residential respite can be arranged without a prior aged care assessment, as long as an application is submitted to a local assessment organisation within five business days of entry. You can also contact Carer Gateway on 1800 422 737 at any time for help arranging emergency respite in your area.
How aged care respite is funded
Respite care costs are one of the first things families ask about. The good news is the Australian Government subsidises aged care respite services through several pathways, depending on your situation.
Residential respite is subsidised directly by the government. There’s no accommodation charge. You’ll only pay a basic daily fee set by the government, which covers meals, laundry, and utilities. This fee is updated twice a year in line with the age pension. No means assessment is required, and financial hardship assistance is available if needed.
Support at Home, the government’s primary in-home care program, includes respite within its “Independence” service category. If you or the person you care for has a Support at Home classification, you can use part of that funding for in-home respite care. There are eight care classifications under the program, and your assessed level determines your overall budget.
Carer Gateway provides free planned and emergency respite for unpaid carers, regardless of whether the person you care for has an aged care assessment. Contact Carer Gateway on 1800 422 737 or visit carergateway.gov.au.
To access government-subsidised aged care respite, the first step is to contact My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 and arrange an assessment. You’ll need to be aged 65 or over (or 50 or over for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people).
Looking for disability respite? If the person you care for is under 65 and has an NDIS plan, respite may be funded as Short Term Accommodation (STA). Visit our STA page for WA or STA page for QLD for more information.
Frequently Asked Questions
To access government-subsidised respite, you generally need to be aged 65 or over (or 50 or over for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people) and have been assessed through My Aged Care. For residential respite, no means assessment is required. You’ll only need an aged care needs assessment. In emergency situations, respite care can start before the assessment is completed, as long as an application is submitted within five business days.
The cost of respite care depends on the type of service and how it’s funded. For government-subsidised residential respite, the main out-of-pocket cost is the basic daily fee, which is set by the government and updated twice a year in line with the age pension. This covers meals, cleaning, laundry, and utilities. There are no accommodation charges for respite stays. Some providers may also charge a booking fee to secure your place, which is then deducted from your daily fees. For in-home respite funded through Support at Home, costs depend on your classification level and the service category.
The Australian Government funds up to 63 days of residential respite per financial year (1 July to 30 June). If more time is needed, for example, while waiting for a permanent place or during a carer’s extended illness, an aged care assessor can approve extensions of 21 days at a time. Most respite stays range from two to six weeks, with an average of around three weeks.
In-home respite means a support worker comes to the home of the person being cared for, so they can stay in familiar surroundings while you take a break. Residential respite involves a short-term stay in an aged care home, with access to 24-hour care, meals, activities, and nursing support. Both options are government-subsidised, and the right choice depends on the level of care needed, how long the break will be, and what the person you care for is comfortable with.
The easiest way is to contact us. Call our team in WA on (08) 9279 4343 or in QLD on (07) 2800 6050, or visit our contact page. We’ll talk you through the process, check aged care respite availability at our facilities, and help you arrange an aged care assessment through My Aged Care if you don’t already have one. If you need care urgently, let us know. We can help you access emergency respite while the paperwork is being finalised.
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