Agreeing to residential respite care

This will take the form of a service agreement (respite).

What’s in the respite service agreement? 

Your respite service agreement is a legal agreement between you and your residential respite care provider. It covers: 

• Care and support services – the care and services the aged care home will provide to you
• Costs – such as basic daily fee and booking fee
• Stay dates – the agreed start and end dates of your short-term stay
• Temporary absences – there are no formal leave provisions for residential respite; however, you can take a temporary absence from your respite episode if you are willing to continue paying agreed fees; temporary absences can be used for short-term unplanned hospital stays or for short social absences if agreed with the residential care home
• Rights and responsibilities – for you as a resident and for the provider of your care  
• Complaints – the process for dealing with concerns and complaints
• Miscellaneous – any other matters agreed to between you and the manager of the aged care home, such as the visitor policy.

What should I know before entering into the agreement? 

When you’re happy with the terms of the respite service agreement(s), you can ‘enter into an agreement’. This is usually done by signing the document to declare that you understand and accept it. 

If you can’t sign the agreement because of physical or medical reasons, another person representing you may do so on your behalf. You will then get a copy of the agreement. 

The agreement can be changed but only if agreed to by both you and the aged care home. If you wish to end your agreement before the end of your respite stay, you’ll have to give notice of your intention to do so, preferably in writing.

Can someone help me understand the agreement? 

The respite service agreement is legally binding, so it’s important you understand it before you sign. 

If you have any questions, ask your aged care home beforehand. It’s their job to ensure it all makes sense to you. 

You can also ask family, friends, carers or a legal professional for help. Read more about how you can register a supporter.

Advocacy 

You can also get help from an advocate. An advocate is an impartial person who can help you understand, access and manage your aged care. 

An advocate can help by: 

• participating in the discussion about your respite service agreement
• talking about any concerns you may have. 

They will listen to your situation and provide free, confidential and independent information and support. You can find out more by visiting the Older Persons Advocacy Network website.

Language support 

It’s important that you understand what you are signing. If you need a translator or interpreter, you can call TIS National on 131 450. Tell the operator the language you speak and ask the interpreter to call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422. 

For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander interpreting services, call my Aged Care on 1800 200 422 and ask for an interpreter. 

For a sign language interpreter, contact us through the National Relay Service (NRS). Select your preferred channel on the NRS website and then ask the operator to call us on 1800 200 422.