Respite Care at Home: How It Works
With respite care at home, a support worker comes to the person's own home and takes over the care you'd normally give, so you can go out, rest or sleep. It can be a few hours, a regular evening, a whole day or overnight. On the NDIS it's usually paid from the participant's flexible Core supports budget.
Why Choose Respite at Home?
The person stays in familiar surroundings, with their own room, routines, food and equipment. Nothing has to be packed or moved, and there's no new place to get used to.
- Routines stay the same, which matters for many children and adults, including many autistic people
- Equipment like hoists, beds and communication devices is already set up
- It can be short and frequent, like three hours every Tuesday, which is hard to do with a stay away
- The rest of the household can stay home, or go out, as suits them
The NDIA's guideline on short term accommodation says it will usually consider supports in the home before funding stays away from home, and for children it considers in-home supports first.
What Does a Support Worker Do on a Respite Shift?
Whatever you'd usually do in that time, as agreed with the provider beforehand. The NDIS calls most of this daily personal activities.
- Personal care, like help with eating and drinking, dressing, toileting and showering
- Moving and positioning
- Preparing meals and snacks, and helping the person eat
- Keeping the person company and doing things they enjoy at home, or going out to the park or the shops
- Getting ready for bed and settling for the night
- Supervision, if the person needs someone with them to stay safe
Some care needs extra training. The NDIS list of supports says high intensity daily personal activities have to be done by a worker with additional qualifications and experience. If the person needs things like enteral feeding, complex bowel care or a behaviour support plan, tell the provider up front so they send someone trained.
Need a Break at Home?
We'll connect you with a registered NDIS provider who can send a support worker to your home.
What Types of In-Home Respite Shift Are There?
Day and evening shifts charged by the hour, sleepover shifts where the worker can sleep, and active overnight shifts where the worker stays awake.
| Shift | What it means | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Daytime | A few hours on a weekday, for example 9am to 3pm | Appointments, work, time with other children |
| Evening and weekend | After school or work, or on a Saturday or Sunday | A regular night out, sport, family events |
| Sleepover | The worker stays the night and can sleep, getting up if needed | People who need someone there overnight but don't need much active help |
| Active overnight | The worker stays awake all night | People who need regular care or checks through the night |
Our page on overnight respite explains the difference between sleepover and active overnight shifts and how each is charged.
How Do You Make In-Home Respite Work Well?
Start small, keep the same worker where you can, and write down what they need to know.
- Meet the worker first, with you at home, before the first shift where you go out
- Ask for the same one or two workers so the person gets to know them
- Write a one-page profile: routines, likes and dislikes, communication, medication, what to do if they're upset
- Agree the shift times, tasks and cancellation terms in a service agreement
- Book regular shifts ahead. Carer Gateway notes respite works best when it's planned and regular
Our guide to preparing for a first respite shift has a full checklist.
Questions People Ask
What is in-home respite?
A support worker comes to the person's home and takes over their care for a set time, so the usual carer gets a break.
Can the support worker take the person out?
Yes, if that's agreed. Many families use some respite time for an outing with the worker. Tickets and entry fees are paid by the person, not from NDIS funding.
Do I have to leave the house during respite?
No. Some carers go out, others stay home and rest, sleep or spend time with other children while the worker supports the person.
Will it be the same worker each time?
Ask the provider. Most families prefer one or two regular workers, and it's reasonable to ask for that in your service agreement.
Keep Reading
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- How it worksHow we connect you with a respite provider, and what happens to your details.
We share your details with one provider at a time, never a list. Privacy policy