Guide to short term restorative care

Short-term restorative care is designed to help you reverse or slow the difficulties you are having with everyday tasks. The program is delivered by a team of health professionals who are there to help you manage or adapt to your changing needs. What this looks like will be different for everyone. Essentially there are three levels and all are designed to get you back to independence.

1. Entry-level support at home, includes ongoing or short-term care and support services through the Commonwealth Home Support Programme including help with personal care, meal and food preparation, transport, shopping, allied, health, social support and planned respite (giving your carer a break)
2. More complex support at home, includes four levels of consumer directed coordinated packages of services through the Home Care Packages Program including personal care, support services and nursing, allied health and clinical services.
3. Residential aged care includes personal and nursing care in aged care homes for older people unable to live independently in their own homes.

What are the benefits and purpose of restorative care?

Short term restorative care aims to help older people by preventing or reducing any problems with completing daily tasks, improving their health and wellbeing and thereby avoiding long-term or higher levels of care. Short-Term Restorative Care is a government-funded program that supports you for up to eight weeks (56 days) with a variety of services to improve your wellbeing. The goal is to help you to become independent in your home or in an aged care facility, by improving your ability to complete everyday tasks.

Who is eligible for short term restorative care?

You may be eligible for short term restorative care if you are an older person who wants to stay independent, out of long-term ongoing care, but:
• You need help with everyday tasks
• You are slowing down mentally, or physically or both for example:
          o Your walking speedy has slowed greatly
          o You have trouble holding or gripping objects
          o You are doing less, either physically or mentally
          o You have increased levels of exhaustion
          o You have experienced unintended weight loss.

You cannot receive short-term restorative care if:

• If you live permanently in an aged care home, or
• You receive a Home Care Package, or
• You are receiving transition care after some time in hospital, or
• You have needs that go beyond what can be met by the program.

You can still access the program if you receive support from:

• Commonwealth Home Support Programme
• Veteran services

If you access both short-term restorative care and CHSP services, they must provide different and complementary services.

How do I get short term restorative care?

Services can be provided in your home, in the community, in an aged care home, or a mix of these, depending on your care needs. You can access this care twice in any 12-month period. Short-term restorative care provides a range of care and services for up to eight weeks (56 days and can be accessed twice in any twelve-month period.

The types of services provided through short-term restorative care will be guided by a doctor's assessment. This will ensure your medical needs are met.

• To apply, complete the following steps:
Calling 1800 200 422. Alternatively, you can ask your GP, care provider or friend to make a referral for you through the My Aged Care website. Ask them to request a Short-Term Restorative Care Program when completing the online referral form

Further information on respite care, long term care, dementia care and our homes can be found here.