A first respite stay comes with a lot of questions. What do I pack? Will the staff know how I like things done?

Those questions are normal, and they’re worth asking out loud. Most of the nerves around respite come down to the unknown, and the unknown is something you can plan for. With a bit of preparation, a respite stay stops feeling like a leap and starts feeling like what it should be: a proper break, in a place where you’re looked after.

At Fair Foundations, we believe great respite isn’t just a break. It’s an opportunity to feel cared for, enjoy new experiences, and build strong, supportive connections. Here’s how to get ready for one.

First, know what a respite stay actually involves

Respite gives people with disability the chance to enjoy short-term stays in a welcoming, flexible environment. It might be a few hours, a night, a weekend, or something longer.

Under the NDIS, this support sits in the category the Agency now calls short term respite (previously short term accommodation). It covers your accommodation, meals, personal care and activities during the stay. Most eligible participants receive funding for up to 28 days a year, usually with a maximum of 14 days at a time, and you can use it flexibly. Some people take one weekend a month. Others save it for a longer block. The NDIS explains how the funding works on its short term accommodation page.

If you’re not sure whether it’s in your plan or how to make the most of it, a support coordinator can walk you through it. The Fair Foundations Support Coordination team can help you with this.

Visit before you book

This is the single best thing you can do for your confidence.

You’re welcome to visit our LifeAbility Hub in Fairfield East (this is where Fair Foundations offers respite care services from). You can meet the team, and have a look around before you decide anything. Seeing the kitchen, the quiet spaces, the activity rooms and the bedrooms in person answers a dozen questions you didn’t know you had.

It also means that when the stay arrives, you’re walking into somewhere familiar. That makes a real difference, particularly for anyone who finds unfamiliar environments unsettling.

Ask the practical questions early

Don’t save these for the day you arrive. Good questions to work through in advance with the team include:

• What are the bathroom and toileting facilities like?
• Is the space wheelchair accessible throughout?
• Are staff trained in the personal care I need, including hoist transfers?
• Can my usual therapist or health professional be involved?
• What happens overnight, and who’s on shift?

Our respite runs from the LifeAbility Hub, which is fully wheelchair accessible and also has a portable ramp for flexibility. There’s a bathroom with a hoist, change table and toilet, plus a separate bathroom with a shower and an additional toilet. All our staff are trained in personal care and experienced with hoist transfers and change table support. Support is available 24/7.

If something specific matters to you and it isn’t covered here, ask. It’s better to sort it in a phone call than to discover it on arrival.

Share your routine, not just the requirements

Care plans capture what someone needs. They don’t always capture how someone likes their day to go.

Tell the team the things that aren’t on any form. That you like a cup of tea before anyone talks to you. That noise in the afternoon is harder than noise in the morning. That you’d rather join the group activity halfway through than at the start. That a particular song helps you settle.

We take the time to get to know you and what matters to you, and this information is what makes that possible from day one.

Sort transport before the week of the stay

Transport is a small detail that becomes a big problem if it’s left late. We can provide transport to and from the LifeAbility Hub, and pick-up and drop-off if needed. Have that conversation when you book.

Prepare for the carer, too

Respite exists for two people. It gives the person staying a change of scene and new experiences, and it gives their carer a genuine break so they can keep doing what they do.

Carers often find the first stay hardest. A short check-in call on the first evening, agreed in advance, tends to settle everyone. So does planning something for the break itself, rather than spending it on housework and worry.

After the stay, talk about what worked

The first stay is information. What did you enjoy? What would you change? Would a longer stay suit better, or a shorter one? Answers to those questions make the second stay easier to plan and easier to look forward to.

Many people build respite into their routine over time, alongside other supports like Community Access or In-Home Care.