Short-term accommodation (STA) and respite services offer support for when you want or need to spend time outside your usual home. The NDIS covers the cost of your care for up to 14 days at a time, and it is often funded when your usual support network isn’t available, or as a break for you and your informal supports.
There are many benefits to short-term accommodation and respite. It’s an opportunity for you to meet new people, try new things and provide you and your support network with a short break. The NDIS usually funds up to 28 days of STA per year, and this funding can be used flexibly. Your STA includes personal care, accommodation, food preparation and activities you and the provider agree to. At MADEC, STA and respite are offered at the John E. Smith Respite Home in Rural View.
The NDIS may also fund longer-term accommodation support such as Medium-Term Accommodation (MTA) depending on your support needs. It’s important to note that the NDIS will not fund STA if you’re waiting for home modifications to be done or looking for accommodation. Generally, NDIS funding for STA is for a group price, meaning you will share supports at the STA unless you need individual support because of your disability.
If you’re thinking of having STA added to your NDIS Plan, it will need to meet the NDIS funding criteria. This means the STA needs to be related to your disability, help you pursue your goals, help you participate in the community and is value for money. The NDIS will also need to know how much support your family and other informal supports provide. Some of the types of goals you could include in your NDIS Plan include:
- Increasing your independence and skills
- Making new friends and relationships
- Preparing to move out of home
It’s also worth thinking about if STA can help you when your carer is unavailable, to help look after the wellbeing of your informal supports, or when your support people go on holiday.
Find out more about Short-Term Accommodation
To find out more about adding STA and respite to your NDIS Plan visit ndis.gov.au. If you would like to find out more information about STA and respite with MADEC, click the button below.
