Respite Guides
Plain-English guides to in-home respite on the NDIS for participants, families, carers and support coordinators. Each one is checked against the NDIA's guidelines and pricing schedule, the NDIS Commission and Carer Gateway, and links to them.
Respite Explained
- What is respite care?Respite care is when someone else looks after the person you care for so you can have a break. How it works for people with disability, at home or away.
- NDIS respiteHow NDIS respite works: support workers at home paid from Core funding, short stays away from home, who qualifies, and where carers fit into the plan.
- Respite care at homeWhat in-home respite looks like: a support worker comes to your home, takes over the care for a few hours or overnight, and you get a real break.
- Overnight respiteOvernight respite at home on the NDIS: what a sleepover shift is, when you need an active overnight worker instead, how each is charged, and how to set one up.
- Respite for parentsRespite for parents of a child with disability: what the NDIS funds at home, what it treats as normal parenting, the tests for children, how to ask.
- Respite for carersRespite for carers of someone with disability: what the NDIS can fund at home, what Carer Gateway offers carers directly, and how the two work together for you.
- NDIS respite fundingWhich part of an NDIS plan pays for in-home respite, how flexible Core funding works, what the NDIA looks at first, and what respite funding can't buy.
- NDIS respite ratesWhat in-home respite costs on the NDIS in 2026-27: maximum hourly prices for support workers by time of day, the sleepover price, travel and cancellation rules.
- Finding a respite providerHow to find an NDIS respite provider who can send a support worker to your home: registration, worker screening, what to check, and how to compare a shortlist.
- Emergency respiteWhat to do if you suddenly can't care for someone with disability: who to call for emergency respite, how to change an NDIS plan, and how to plan ahead.
Step-by-Step Guides
- Getting respite in your NDIS planA step by step guide to getting in-home respite into an NDIS plan: what to write down, the evidence that helps, who to talk to and what to do if it's a no.
- Questions to ask a respite providerQuestions to ask an NDIS provider before in-home respite starts: registration, workers, training, overnight shifts, prices, travel and cancellations.
- Preparing for a first respite shiftHow in-home respite works in practice: getting the person and home ready, what to write down for the support worker, and how to make first shifts go well.
- How much respite the NDIS fundsHow much respite the NDIS funds: no set hours for in-home respite, how the Core budget limits it, the 28 day guide for short stays, and when more can be funded.
- Respite for adults with disabilityRespite for an adult with disability who lives with family: how in-home respite works on the NDIS, why it matters, and how to make it work well at home.
- Carer Gateway and the NDISHow Carer Gateway respite and NDIS respite fit together for families of people with disability: who each is for, what each offers, and when to call which.
Ready for a Break?
Free and independent. About two minutes.