Dialog Box

MNDAWA

Respite Options

Caring for someone 24 hours a day, seven days a week can be exhausting.  It’s completely normal to need regular breaks from caring, including overnight breaks. 

Having regular breaks and time for yourself can help you to continue caring for your loved one. 

Funding may be available via My Aged Care and the National Disability Insurance Scheme for respite.

We run an MND Advisors service.  Our advisors provide support to those diagnosed with MND and their families.  They can help you navigate the health system as well as assisting you to source aids and equipment items.

The Carer Help website has resources for carers to learn what to expect and how to communicate, plan ahead and make shared decisions. Included is a library of resources, organised in different categories so it's easy to find information. They have also developed five carer pathways, based on what carers commonly experience over time when caring for someone approaching the end of their life.

Links


Experiences

Carole has been having respite during the day, once a week for the last six months which has been great. However, she would love to be able to visit her daughter and grandchildren which would mean being away overnight. Carole spoke to her respite provider and has arranged for extra respite, so she can have overnight visits with her daughter. Her Advisor has also encouraged her to use some of the day-time respite to do stuff purely for herself (e.g., go to a yoga class, have lunch with friends, etc).

Paul has been the sole carer for his wife Janet since her diagnosis. So far, he has been reluctant to use paid respite, relying on family and friends to give him a break. He’s now realising that that isn’t enough. He’s visited a few day respite centres and has found a local respite centre for Janet to attend one day a week. This will give him a much-needed break, allowing him time to recharge and do some stuff for himself.


We would love to hear your feedback on the MND Family Carers Information Toolkit. Please click here to fill out the feedback form.
feedback form


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