Respite Care

Archer Group offers respite care, which is a short-term break in one of our homes (Archer and Thorrington). Respite care has benefits both for carers and for those being cared for.

Carers receive some respite (a short break for rest and rejuvenation) from their normal responsibilities of caring for someone who depends on them for ongoing assistance.

It can also, in some circumstances, operate as respite for those living alone, to have a break from repetitive and wearying daily routines and environment.

This often results in people living independently at home for longer, with a regular ‘recharging of the batteries’ meaning a move into long-term care can be delayed for longer than would be otherwise possible.

Respite care provides practical and welcome relief for a range of different care need levels, and Archer is equipped to provide a time of rest in our homes, including for those who need hospital-level medical care at Archer Home, or dementia care at Thorrington Home’s Memory Care Centre.

How to get respite care

To be eligible for respite care, the first step is to talk to your family doctor or practice nurse about arranging an assessment by a professional from a Canterbury District Health Board team (Older Persons Health and Rehabilitation Community Services).

The assessment is to establish what is needed from the carer, including needing carer support to:

  • Provide support to manage at night time
  • Supervise as you move around your home
  • Remind the care recipient about their daily tasks
  • Provide significant help with toileting

The health professional administering the assessment will:

  • Explain the assessment process
  • Answer your questions
  • Review your need for respite care on an ongoing basis
  • Explain the level of respite care you’ll need in a rest home and how to use the planned days of rest
  • Send a Home Service Plan letter with the details of your allocated respite care (how much you can use in a year). The number of days allocated will range from a few days to 28 days, depending on your needs.

The Cost of respite care

If you are eligible for respite care, you will not have to pay the rest home. Either the Ministry of Health or the Canterbury District Health Board will fund the service, according to the nature of the disability or illness. This subsidy does not cover any regular consultations you may need with your doctor during your respite care, or provide for your medications, incontinence products and medical equipment – all of which you will need to bring with you.

Booking your Respite care at Archer

Please contact us to arrange a visit to see if you’d like to use your planned respite care days at Archer. It pays to book respite care well ahead of time, and to think about whether you’d like to use your allocated days in a single stay, or divide it into several shorter stays.

You can make a booking with us, or others can make it on your behalf, including your carer, practice nurse, or Community Support. The key thing is to have your respite allocation letter at hand because it has information Archer will need.

If you need help at any point you can call the CDHB Older Persons Health Specialist Service for help on (03) 337-7765 (www.cdhb.health.nz/health-services/older-persons-community-services/).

Archer Villages & Care Homes