Respite and overnight support
Respite gives the person's usual carer a break, and gives the person something of their own. Under the NDIS it is usually funded as short term accommodation, which bundles support, accommodation and food for up to 28 days a year, or as overnight support in the person's own home.
It is one of the hardest things to find at short notice, so it pays to ask early rather than when everyone is already exhausted.
The two shapes it takes
Short term accommodation is a stay somewhere else, usually a weekend or a week, with support, a bed and meals included in one price. It is funded as a package rather than by the hour.
Overnight support in your own home comes in two forms. A sleepover, where the worker sleeps and is there if needed, is billed at a flat rate for the night. Active overnight support, where the worker is awake and working, is billed hourly at the night rate.
Planning around it
Availability is the constraint, not funding. School holidays and Christmas book out months ahead, and a provider who can take a booking in three weeks is doing well.
If you are close to burnt out, say that plainly when you enquire. It changes how a provider prioritises the call.
Need a support worker?
We'll connect you with a registered provider near you who has space.
Questions people ask
How much respite can we get?
Short term accommodation is commonly funded up to 28 days a year, though what is in a particular plan varies. Your plan or plan manager will say.
Can the same worker do the overnight stay?
Often, if the provider has the roster for it, and continuity helps a lot with overnight support. Ask.
Is respite only for children?
No. It is funded across all ages wherever there is a carer who needs a break.
Keep reading
- What it costsNDIS price limits for a support worker in 2026-27, hour by hour: weekday, evening, Saturday, Sunday and public holiday.
- Supported independent livingWhat supported independent living means under the NDIS, how SIL is funded and assessed, and how to find a provider.
- Personal careWhat personal care covers under the NDIS, what it costs, and how to find a provider with a worker who is the right fit.
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