Carer Support and Respite

Carer support and respite care are an important provision for people being cared for at home by a unpaid carer.  The scheme provides alternative care for the person with the disability so the carer can have a break. The scheme is funded by the Ministry of Health.

In order to qualify the person must have a 'physical, psychiatric, intellectual, sensory or age related disability (or a combination of these) which is likely to continue for a minimum of 6 months.

People can choose how they will use their entitlement, for example some may choose to go to a rest home, others may choose to have another family member provide care or a private care/nursing agency may be contacted.

More information on carer support be found on the Ministry Of Health website.

When family members provide relief care, payment can only be made if the full time carer actually receives a break. 
To access the service, people need to contact their local Needs Assessment and Co-ordination Service (NASC). 

Respite Care

Respite Care is a service for people over the age of 65 with "age related" disabilities. The scheme generally caters for people with heavy care needs where greater relief care is needed beyond the Carer Support Scheme.

There are two types of Respite Care available:

• Rotational Respite is allocated on a rostered basis to enable caregivers to have regular scheduled breaks, for example a 2:10 roster means that the caregiver has a two week break every 10 weeks.
• One Off Respite days are allocated when a one-off situation arises, for example the caregiver my be hospitalised or the client themselves may become unwell.

Respite Care is funded by the Ministry of Health, and is provided in a care facility. There is a limited allocation and strict guidelines for entry.  Find out more about respite services on the Ministry Of Health website.

To access the service, people need to contact their local Needs Assessment and Co-ordination Service (NASC).

In most cases Respite Care is offered to those people who are cared for by others, but in some situations can be offered to individuals who live alone. People receiving Respite Care will usually have other Disability Support Services in place. It can not be offered simply for convalescent care or because people are unwell, but is usually part of a programme to enable people to be maintained in the community.