How to get the best value from Respite Care Services Under the NDIS

Providing support to people with disability can be a rewarding experience but it can also be frustrating and exhausting at times. In such a scenario, NDIS respite funding is very helpful and can be a great way to offer a break to the caregivers. This helps in preventing burnouts and offers some time off to the caregivers so they can indulge in recreational activities. It also offers a break to the care receiver who gets an opportunity to socialize with a different set of people. It also gives them an opportunity to make independent decisions and feel more confident. However, planning and understanding your needs is the key to accessing affordable respite services. 

Here are some tips and tricks that can help you get the best value from respite care services under the NDIS: 

• Assess Your Needs: The first step is to assess why you need respite care so that you can make a good case. If there is only one caregiver who has other responsibilities in the household too, you can make a good case to include respite care in the NDIS plan. You can assess your case thoroughly before your NDIS plan review meeting. 

• Set Out A Proposal In Your NDIS Plan Review: As mentioned above, once you have assessed your needs, you can prepare for your next NDIS plan review meeting. That way, you can make a good case for availing respite care. You need to ensure that respite care is included in your NDIS plan and budget so you can use this service well. 

• Type of Respite Care You Need: When you know that you have respite care included in your NDIS plan, you can decide the type of respite care you need. There are emergency respite care options where respite care is needed on an urgent basis. The second option is in-home respite care where a caregiver comes home and helps out with the daily tasks. The next option is residential respite care where the care receiver goes to a residence for a short period and is offered all kinds of support relating to daily tasks, recreational activities, food, etc. Finally, community respite care is where they are offered community-based activities such as recreational projects, outings, outdoor games etc. 
• Look For a Respite Care Provider: When looking for respite care, some value-for-money respite options can be very good. That way, you can have direct contact with respite care providers who can be available on an emergency basis or a short-term basis depending on your needs. 

Final Words 

Finding a cost-effective respite care services option can be a great way to get a break without spending an exorbitant amount of money. Moreover, this short break can be helpful for both the caregiver and the care receiver. Therefore, NDIS aims at making respite care affordable, and with the pointers mentioned above, you can get the best value from respite care services under the NDIS.