NDIS Respite & Short-Term Accommodation Adelaide
NDIS Respite and Short-Term Accommodation in Adelaide
Respite exists for two people: the participant, who gets a break from their usual routine and some new experiences, and the carer, who gets a chance to recover, travel, go to a medical appointment, or just sleep. Both are valid reasons for a break. Neither needs to be justified.
Under NDIS, most of what used to be called respite is now packaged as Short-Term Accommodation, or STA. This page covers how STA works, what it costs, and what EDSA offers around Adelaide.
What NDIS respite covers
Short-Term Accommodation funding (line item 01_055) covers up to 28 days of respite per year, split however works for you. That might be:
- A single two-week holiday-style stay
- Four one-week breaks spread across the year
- Regular weekend stays, say one weekend a month
- Emergency respite if your usual carer goes into hospital
Funding bundles together the accommodation, food, support workers, and activities into one daily rate. You do not have to itemise it. The NDIS sets the daily rate in the Pricing Arrangements each year.
STA can happen in a dedicated respite house, in an SDA property with vacancies, or in the community (for example, a support worker staying with you in an accessible holiday rental).
What EDSA offers
Group respite stays
Weekend and week-long stays at partner respite houses across Adelaide. Usually 3 to 5 participants with 24/7 support, a mix of outings and at-home time. Numbers are intentionally kept small so the house never feels like a facility. Suits participants who enjoy company but want a lower-key environment than a group activity program.
Respite in the community
A support worker stays with you in a short-term rental, a caravan park, or a holiday apartment. This suits participants who don't like group settings, or whose support needs are complex enough that a group stay wouldn't work. Popular destinations: Glenelg, Victor Harbor, the Adelaide Hills, McLaren Vale.
Emergency respite
When a carer is suddenly unavailable — a hospital admission, a family emergency, a burnout week — we can usually arrange respite within 24-48 hours. This only works if we already know you, so plan-ahead participants get priority. If you have STA funding and haven't used it, register with us in advance and we will have you on file for an emergency.
Planned weekends
Regular monthly or fortnightly stays, usually Friday afternoon to Sunday evening. A lot of our carers use these to get consistent breaks without having to book each time.
What participants actually do during respite
- Beach or park visits
- Movies, bowling, mini golf
- Cooking meals together
- Sporting events when they are on
- Markets — Adelaide Central, Willunga, Gilles Street
- Quiet down-time with a movie and a hot chocolate
Your preferences drive the schedule. Some participants want a packed itinerary. Others want a weekend of quiet with their own iPad and one outing. Both are fine.
Who this suits
- Families where the carer is the primary support and needs consistent breaks
- Young adults getting their first taste of time away from home
- Participants in SIL who want a holiday, not a relocation
- Participants approaching a plan transition (school leaver, SIL, etc) who want to try new environments before committing
How to book respite
- Check your NDIS plan for STA funding (line item 01_055). If you don't have it and you need it, ask your planner at review.
- Call or email us to check availability for your preferred dates
- Sign a simple service agreement for the stay
- We send a pre-stay questionnaire — allergies, medications, routines, preferences, anything we need to know
- Your stay goes ahead
- We invoice your plan manager, self-managed account, or NDIA-managed portal
For regular ongoing respite (for example, one weekend a month), we set up a rolling booking so you don’t have to request each time.
- Social and Community Participation
- Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA)
- Semi-Independent Living
- NDIS Respite and Short-Term Accommodation
- NDIS Youth Mentoring
- NDIS Support Workers
Ready to book?
If you want to talk dates, see what is available, or set up an emergency respite registration, get in touch. You can call us on 0478 271 422, email us at [email protected], or visit us at 122 Morphett Road, Glengowrie SA 5044 to speak with our team directly.
Frequently asked questions
You can book it yourself. Respite doesn’t require a carer to be involved. Plenty of our respite participants are adults living independently who just want a holiday with support.
Pause them, if they are with another provider. You don’t pay for two sets of supports at once. STA funding covers everything during your stay.
No. Our group respite houses give everyone their own bedroom. Shared living and kitchen areas, private bedrooms.
Yes. The whole point is a change of pace, not a separation. If your carer wants to visit on day three for a coffee, that is fine.
Call us anyway. Sometimes respite can be covered through Core flexibility or through an emergency request to the NDIA. We can help you work out the quickest path.