A ‘respite option’ is any support or service that helps you to have a break from caring for a person with a disability.
Respite options can include:
- asking friends and family to hang out with the disabled person you care for while you take a break
- employing a support worker to spend time with the person with a disability
- paying for the person with a disability to do an activity or programme that they enjoy
- having an overnight break while the person with a disability stays with a friend, family member, support worker or an organisation with skills in caring for people with disabilities.
A Needs Assessment and Coordination Service or NASC can help you get funding for respite and find respite options that will work best for you.
The respite supports or services that are allocated by NASCs and funded by the Ministry include:
- Carer Support
- I Choose (flexible respite budgets)
- Individualised Funding
- Family Whānau Home Support (a ‘buddy’ or support worker for a few hours per week)
- Facility-based respite (an overnight stay at a respite house or other facility).
Respite options in your community
There are a range of respite options available in each region. The downloads below contain information and contact details for some of the services available in your region.
You can choose the respite options that best suit your family. As well as these services you can choose to ask friends for family for help or use other supports or services.
- Auckland region (PDF, 217 KB)
- Bay of Plenty and Lakes region (PDF, 214 KB)
- Canterbury, South Canterbury and West Coast region (PDF, 218 KB)
- Hawke's Bay region (PDF, 205 KB)
- Midcentral region (PDF, 211 KB)
- Nelson Marlborough region (PDF, 204 KB)
- Northland region (PDF, 208 KB)
- Southern region (PDF, 207 KB)
- Tairawhiti region (PDF, 201 KB)
- Taranaki region (PDF, 203 KB)
- Waikato region (PDF, 213 KB)
- Wairarapa region (PDF, 204 KB)
- Wellington, Hutt and Kapiti region (PDF, 214 KB)
- Whanganui region (PDF, 206 KB)