Respite care

Caring for another person can be challenging. Additional support can be available to share the load.

Older couples can be a huge support to each other. But if one of you becomes frail, suffers a long-term illness, or develops an ongoing disability the health of the other can be put at risk if there are inadequate supports.

Being part of a supportive couple does not mean that you are not entitled to subsidised support. One of the most important and useful ways of supporting the caring partner is to provide them with time out, while providing quality alternative care for the partner.

Two kinds of care provision meet this need:

• Respite Care
• Carer Support

Respite Care is a formal scheme providing a higher level of relief care than that offered by Carer Support. Recipients get more days, care is usually at hospital level and it is consequently funded at a higher level. Usually the people receiving this level of care are very dependent older people living at home with family, and they may be receiving help from both schemes.

Carer Support

There are different ways you can access the Carer Support Subsidy – depending on the needs of the person being cared for.

• If 24-hour care is required because of an ongoing health condition or terminal illness, contact their doctor
• If the person has a disability, contact the Care Coordination Centre or ask your GP to refer you
• If the person has an ongoing mental health condition, contact their Community Mental Health Key Worker.

Once a needs assessment is completed, the carer is given a number of days per year, starting from the day of the assessment, when they can have a break from giving care. The caregiver can now plan their "time out", either as hours here and there, or larger blocks.

The assessor sends this information to Ministry of Health, which in turn sends the caregiver a letter explaining how payment is made.

If you feel need more Carer Support days during the year, you should ask for another assessment. Any days not used within a year of assessment are cancelled.

Carers also need to consider costs of the care, as you may need to meet any shortfall in the Carer Support Subsidy.

Resources

>VISIT Carers New Zealand, the online resource for carers