How long can someone stay in respite care? It depends on which funding route is paying. Residential respite in an aged care home is capped at 63 subsidised days in a financial year, covering both planned and emergency stays. An aged care assessor can approve extensions of 21 days at a time. In-home respite has no equivalent published day counter, and NDIS short-term accommodation is usually funded for up to 28 days a year.
| Route | Usual limit | Set by |
|---|---|---|
| Residential respite | 63 subsidised days per financial year (1 July to 30 June), plus assessor-approved extensions | Aged care program rules |
| In-home respite (Support at Home or CHSP) | No fixed day cap; limited by the services and funding in the person’s plan | Aged care assessment and plan |
| NDIS short-term accommodation | Usually up to 28 days a year, for up to 14 days at a time | NDIS plan and guidelines |
Key takeaways
- How many respite days per year you get depends on the route: residential respite is capped at 63 subsidised days per financial year, covering planned and emergency stays together.
- An aged care assessor can approve an extension of up to 21 days; it is not automatic.
- My Aged Care does not describe a way to carry unused days into the next financial year.
- In-home respite through Support at Home or CHSP has no fixed annual day cap in the same form; the plan funding sets the limit.
- NDIS short-term accommodation is usually funded for up to 28 days a year. That is plan and guideline practice, not one fixed cap for every participant.
The residential respite limit is 63 subsidised days a financial year
My Aged Care states that residential respite is available for up to 63 days of subsidised care in a financial year. This includes both planned and emergency residential respite care. The financial year runs from 1 July to 30 June, so the counter is not aligned to the calendar year.
Those 63 days are a funding entitlement, not a booking. The same page warns that approval does not guarantee a place. Not every aged care home offers residential respite, and some have no room for temporary residents.
The days can be used as one block or split across shorter stays. A respite resident receives the same everyday services as permanent residents.
Planned and emergency stays share the same 63 days
Emergency respite care is not a separate pool of days. My Aged Care says the 63-day allowance includes emergency stays, so a crisis admission in August reduces what is left for a planned break in December.
The practical difference is how the stay starts. Planned respite is arranged in advance through the aged care home once the person has an approval. Emergency respite can begin before an assessment is complete. My Aged Care says a person may be able to access residential respite in an emergency without a prior assessment, and the provider can arrange an urgent one.
For a carer who becomes suddenly unavailable, the first call is the Carer Gateway on 1800 422 737. Its service providers organise emergency respite where a suitable service is available locally, and the stay still draws on the 63 days.
The 21-day extension, and who approves it
An aged care assessor can approve an extension of up to 21 days at a time. My Aged Care describes the extension as requiring “further approval from your assessor”. Its managing page says the aged care home can arrange that approval, or the family can contact My Aged Care directly.
An extension is not automatic and it is not a fresh 63-day allowance. The assessor considers circumstances such as carer stress or absence, along with the person’s needs, and will also consider whether permanent residential care may be more suitable.
The commonly quoted maximum of 84 days comes from adding the 63-day entitlement to a single 21-day extension. Treat that as arithmetic, not a separate official total.
Do respite days reset, and can unused days roll over?
My Aged Care describes a 63-day entitlement in each financial year and does not describe a way to carry unused days forward. It also advises people to keep a tally. If the rollover question affects a booking, confirm the current counting with My Aged Care.
Services Australia records days used, but the record can take time to update. Keep a personal log of nights when a person uses more than one home.
What happens when the 63 days are used up
Once the 63 days for the financial year are used, residential respite cannot continue at the subsidised rate until a 21-day extension has been approved. My Aged Care’s managing page warns that going over 63 days without an extension may mean paying the full cost.
If a stay is already running, the aged care home can arrange the extension before the current stay ends. If the person is not in respite, the assessment organisation that completed the original assessment, or My Aged Care on 1800 200 422, can help.
At that point a family usually has three options: secure an extension, move to support at home, or consider permanent care. Our guide to who pays for respite care in Australia explains how the funding routes differ.
In-home respite does not have a fixed annual day cap
In-home respite is funded through the Commonwealth Home Support Programme or Support at Home. The official pages do not publish a fixed number of respite days per year. My Aged Care’s service page for home or community general respite describes the service and how eligibility is assessed, without an annual day limit.
That does not mean the support is unlimited. The limit is a budget one. The assessor approves services, Support at Home allocates funding by classification, and the provider and the person agree a mix of services that fits that budget. Once it is spent, further respite needs a plan change or a reassessment.
For families, the useful distinction is that residential respite is counted in days while in-home respite is counted in dollars and hours. Our guide to in-home respite care covers how the arrangements work.
NDIS short-term accommodation is usually funded for up to 28 days a year
The NDIS participant page says short-term accommodation is usually funded for up to 28 days per year. It can be used in a block of up to 14 days at a time or spread across the plan, such as one weekend a month. The guideline uses the same figures: the agency generally funds up to 28 days a year and may fund more in exceptional circumstances.
So 28 days is the standard figure rather than a hard cap for every participant. The funded amount depends on the plan and the person’s support needs, and some plans fund fewer days. Spending the days faster than planned can exhaust the core budget before the plan ends.
On the name: the NDIS renamed it short term respite on 20 October 2025, then changed it back to short-term accommodation in 2026 after community feedback. The 2025 announcement remains online, but the current participant page and guideline use short-term accommodation. The current page still says it is usually funded for up to 28 days a year.
What this means for arranging a break at home
Timely Health Assist does not provide residential beds or accommodation-based NDIS respite. We cannot arrange the stays described above. If the aim is to keep someone at home while their carer takes a break, the relevant route is in-home support, under an aged care plan or an NDIS plan.
You can review Aged Care Services Adelaide support to see the kind of home support involved. This article is general information about program rules, not an eligibility decision.
Frequently asked questions
How many days of respite care are you allowed in Australia?
Residential respite is capped at 63 subsidised days per financial year, covering planned and emergency stays. In-home respite has no published annual day cap and is limited by the funding in the person’s plan. NDIS short-term accommodation is usually funded for up to 28 days a year.
Can you get more than 63 days of residential respite?
Yes, if an aged care assessor approves an extension. Extensions are granted 21 days at a time and are not automatic. The assessor also considers whether permanent care would be more suitable.
Does respite care reset each year?
The 63 days apply per financial year, which starts on 1 July, and My Aged Care does not describe a way to carry unused days into the next one. Keep your own record of nights used, because the Services Australia record can lag.
Is there a limit on in-home respite days?
The official aged care pages do not state a fixed number. The limit is the funding and services approved in the person’s plan, so the practical question is what the plan will cover.
Editorial note: Program rules were checked against My Aged Care, NDIS and Carer Gateway pages on 2 November 2026. Rules and funding can change; confirm current details with My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 before making decisions.
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