Temporary change of address to an aged care home for respite care 102-03010160

Customers who need a break from their current accommodation or carer may enter an aged care home for respite care. To access respite care the customer must be assessed by an Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT).

A person may have up to 63 days approved respite care in a calendar year. Additional periods of up to 21 days may be possible if the ACAT considers additional time is needed.

Respite residents in an aged care home are exempt from paying accommodation payments (that is, accommodation charge and accommodation bond) and will only have to pay the basic daily care fees. They will not be charged income tested fees and therefore do not require an income assessment.

If the care receiver transfers from approved respite care to permanent accommodation, the day the transfer takes place is the day the individual is deemed to have entered the aged care home. The requirement to pay an accommodation payment is assessed at this point.

Customers who are unable to live together due to ill health may be entitled to the single rate of Centrelink payment while they are living separately, even during periods of respite care.

Note: if one member of a couple has entered approved respite care, the single rate is only payable if the person has remained, or is likely to remain in approved respite care for at least 14 consecutive days. This applies where either one or both members of a couple enter approved respite care at the same time, either at separate aged care homes or the same one.

A customer in approved respite care is eligible for the respite supplement from the date of entry/admission but not for the date of discharge from care.

Rent Assistance (RA) is not payable to customers for approved respite care. However, if they are paying rent for their principal home and receiving RA before entering respite care. RA is payable for a continuous period of 52 days or less. The 52 days limit is in respect of each period of approved respite care and is not cumulative.

If a customer is in hospital classed as a long-term patient and is assessed as a nursing home type patient awaiting admission to an aged care home, they have to pay fees, even though they may be in a public hospital. These fees are based on the daily care fees payable by aged care residents. A customer in hospital, being charged daily care fees and not in approved respite care may be eligible for RA only if they do not occupy an approved bed.

Care is required when updating customer records where the customer has returned home after a period of respite care. Manual intervention coding may be required in some circumstances for customers who were being paid a transitional rate of pension before respite care entry. If these pensioners lost their transitional status solely due to being paid the single rate whilst in approved respite care, they are entitled to be considered for the transitional rate upon returning home. A Manual Follow-up (MFU) will need to be coded for the customer and partner to check whether the transitional rate is payable. This MFU is coded with a due date of when the customer/partner return home.