Emergency respite care: What is it?
Emergency respite care provides temporary support when an unexpected illness, injury or family crisis prevents a usual carer from continuing their role. Depending on the person’s needs and local availability, care may take place at home, in the community or through a short stay in an aged care home.
If your family needs support at short notice, you may feel worried about leaving your loved one with someone unfamiliar. You don’t have to face it alone. Understanding the available options can help you find suitable care while you work through what comes next.
Quick summary
- Emergency respite provides temporary care when usual arrangements break down.
- Call Carer Gateway on 1800 422 737 at any time for emergency respite assistance.
- For a medical emergency or immediate danger, call 000.
- Care arrangements depend on individual needs and suitable local services.
- Some emergency residential placements may begin before an aged care assessment.
- A temporary stay does not commit your loved one to permanent care.
Emergency respite care when plans change
A carer’s hospital admission can leave a family needing help that same day. Other relatives may live interstate, have work commitments or lack the experience to provide the support their loved one needs.
Emergency respite may help when:
- A primary carer becomes ill or suffers an injury.
- A primary carer dies.
- An urgent family situation prevents the carer from providing support.
- The usual carer cannot continue safely and no suitable backup is available.
For example, your father may rely on your mother for meals, personal care and help getting around. If she needs an unexpected hospital stay, he may need temporary support even though his own health has not changed.
Explain the tasks your mother usually handles when you ask for help. This gives the service a clearer picture than saying your father “needs someone to check on him”.
The first contact for urgent respite support
Call Carer Gateway on 1800 422 737 if you need emergency respite care. Its emergency respite assistance is available at any time. The local service provider will discuss your situation and help arrange support where a suitable service is available.
Explain who needs care, why the usual carer cannot continue and whether anyone can provide safe support in the meantime. Mention any need for overnight supervision or help with personal care.
If someone needs emergency medical treatment or faces immediate danger, call 000.
For urgent ongoing aged care needs, contact My Aged Care on 1800 200 422. If your loved one is in hospital, speak with their treating team or social worker before discharge about the support they will need.
At Care Match Solutions, our respite care placement service in Perth can help families explore suitable temporary care options. We consider the person’s needs, preferences and available providers.
Temporary care that suits your loved one
The right arrangement depends on what your loved one needs throughout the day and night. Consider the help their usual carer provides, including support that may have become so familiar that the family no longer notices it.
Support in their own home
A care worker may be able to provide temporary support at home. This can suit someone who feels comfortable in familiar surroundings, provided the available service can meet their needs.
Be clear about the hours requiring cover. A daytime visit may leave a gap if your loved one also needs help getting to the bathroom overnight.
Our home care consultancy service helps families compare providers and consider whether support at home is suitable.
A short stay in an aged care home
Residential respite involves staying in an aged care home for a limited period. It may suit someone who needs substantial help with daily tasks while their usual carer is unavailable.
The home must be able to support the individual’s needs. A vacant room alone does not establish whether the placement is suitable. My Aged Care confirmation of residential respite approval does not guarantee an available place.
Community respite
Community services may provide support for part of the day, depending on local arrangements. Ask about transport, operating hours and the care available, particularly if your loved one needs assistance beyond social activities.
Assessment and emergency admission
An aged care assessment usually determines eligibility for government-funded residential respite.
However, My Aged Care confirms that someone who has not had an assessment may be able to enter residential respite in an emergency. In that situation, the provider can arrange an urgent assessment. This depends on the circumstances and the provider’s ability to accept the person.
Tell the service if your loved one already has an assessment outcome, support plan or referral code. Have those documents ready if you can find them.
Our guide to aged care assessments and what to expect explains the assessment process in plain English.
Information to share with the care provider
Even when time is short, the care team needs a clear handover. Start with information that affects your loved one’s immediate care:
- Current medicines, allergies and medication arrangements.
- Help needed with walking, transfers and personal care.
- Memory difficulties, communication needs or distress.
- Dietary requirements and swallowing concerns.
- Overnight routines and supervision needs.
- GP details and family contact numbers.
Describe what happens on a difficult day as well as a good one. If your loved one sometimes needs two people to help them move, tell the provider.
Share personal details too. Explain how they like someone to address them, what helps them feel settled and whether they use glasses or hearing aids. Include your loved one in these conversations as much as possible.
Dementia and unfamiliar surroundings
A sudden change in carers or surroundings can be unsettling for someone living with dementia. Tell the provider about familiar routines, sources of distress and approaches that help.
You might explain that your mother becomes anxious in the evening, responds better to one instruction at a time or settles when someone talks with her about her garden.
Ask the provider whether its staff and environment can support those needs. Discuss wandering, night-time waking or other safety concerns before agreeing to the placement.
If your family is also considering longer-term support, our article on when someone with dementia may need residential care explores the wider decision.
Fees and the agreed length of stay
Ask the provider to explain the proposed dates, fees and arrangements for extending or ending care. Request the information in writing so your family can refer to it.
Government-subsidised residential respite has different charges from permanent aged care. A basic daily fee applies, and a provider may request a booking fee. Optional higher everyday living services have separate agreement requirements. The provider cannot charge accommodation costs or means-tested care contributions for subsidised residential respite.
Eligible people can access up to 63 days of subsidised residential respite per financial year, including planned and emergency stays. An assessor may approve extensions if required. This allowance is not a guaranteed booking or a standard length of stay.
Discuss the expected end date early, especially if the usual carer’s recovery is uncertain.
Planning beyond the immediate situation
Emergency respite gives your family time to review what support will be needed afterwards.
Your loved one may return home when their carer recovers. The family may need additional home support, planned respite breaks or a different division of caring responsibilities.
If care needs have increased, you may also want to explore residential aged care placement support. A temporary stay does not guarantee a permanent room at the same home, so discuss future options separately.
Avoid asking one relative to take on tasks they cannot manage safely. Speak openly about work, health and other responsibilities when planning ongoing care.
Calm guidance for Perth families
Finding temporary care during a family crisis can involve unfamiliar providers, paperwork and difficult decisions.
Grace Conboy, founder and senior consultant at Care Match Solutions, is a Registered Nurse with more than 15 years of aged care experience. We help families understand their options, compare suitable services and work through placement arrangements with clear, honest guidance.
We take time to understand your loved one’s care needs and what matters to them. We also explain any limits around availability so you can make decisions with realistic expectations.
Contact Care Match Solutions or call 0427 092 750 for personalised placement support. For emergency respite assistance at any time, call Carer Gateway on 1800 422 737.
Information checked: 15 October 2026. Confirm current eligibility, fees and availability with the relevant service.
