Short-Term Accommodation in Melbourne, a break that restores everyone.
A short stay away can be two good things at once — a fresh, genuine experience for you, and the rest that lets the people who care for you keep caring. Respite is not a luxury. It is what makes everything else sustainable.
Your short break
A change for you, a rest for them
This stay
Everyone recharged
New friends
Made ✓
Your carer
Recharged 💙
When the people who care never get to stop.
Caring for someone you love is one of the most generous things a person can do — and one of the most relentless. There is no clock-off, no weekend, no real holiday. Over months and years, even the strongest carer runs on empty.
And the participant feels it too: the same routine, the same walls, fewer chances to try new things, make friends or simply have a change of scene. Everyone, quietly, could do with a breath.
Respite gives everyone that breath — a short stay that is a genuine experience for the participant and genuine rest for the carer, so the care can keep being good.
Respite is not stepping away from care. It is what keeps care sustainable — for everyone.
A proper stay, not just a bed
Short-Term Accommodation funds the accommodation and the support you need for a short break from your usual arrangement. The support is the heart of it — which is why a break does not always have to mean going away. Depending on your circumstances, meals and some activities can be part of a stay too.
A stay away, or respite at home
A dedicated respite house, a homestay with a support worker, or support in your own home — for a night, a weekend or up to two weeks at a time.
The support you need
Personal care and support during your stay, delivered with dignity by screened workers.
A real change of scene
Time out and about, social time and new experiences — shaped around what you actually enjoy.
Connection & friends
A chance to meet people, build social confidence and bring home more than just a rest.
One stay, two kinds of good.
The magic of respite is that it works both ways at once — a fresh experience for you, and real rest for the people who care for you.
For you
A fresh experience
- A change of scene and a break from routine
- New activities, outings and experiences
- New friends and social confidence
- A taste of independence away from home
For your carers
Real rest, real recharge
- Genuine time to rest and recharge
- Peace of mind that you are safe and happy
- Space to look after their own health
- The sustainability to keep caring well
Respite & STA is likely a good fit if…
- You and your regular carers would both benefit from a break.
- You would enjoy a change of scene, activities and new connections.
- Your family or carers need time to rest and recharge.
- You want to build independence and social confidence away from home.
- You need a short stay with support — from a night to two weeks.
A different support may suit better if…
- You need a permanent home — that is SDA, SIL or a rental.
- You are bridging the gap to a confirmed long-term home — that is MTA.
- You need ongoing daily support rather than a short break — look at SIL or daily-living support.
- You need emergency or crisis accommodation — please call us so we can help directly.
Not sure if respite (STA) or a longer stay (MTA) is the right fit? A quick chat will sort it — and we will help you make the most of your respite funding.
How respite & STA funding works
Short-Term Accommodation is funded from your Core budget. It usually covers a set number of days a year — here is how it works in plain English.
Funded from Core
STA is funded from your Core supports, commonly up to around 28 days of respite a year.
Accommodation and support
It covers your accommodation and the support you need during the stay. Meals and some activities can be included depending on your circumstances.
Flexible to your life
Use it as a night here or a fortnight there — planned around what you and your carers need.
We make it easy
We help you plan and book stays so respite is something you actually use, not just a line in a plan.
STA covers: Accommodation and the support you need during your short stay.
Usually up to: Around 28 days of respite per year, taken flexibly — for example a block of up to 14 days, or one weekend a month.
Funded from: Your Core supports budget.
Not funded: Holiday packages, holiday accommodation and airfares — and everyday costs like tickets or entry fees.
A friendly first chat
You reach out. Within ~2 hours a real person responds and helps you think about what a good break looks like.
A weight lifts already.
Step 1 of 5 · scroll to follow the journey
The myths about respite — and the truth.
Guilt and confusion stop too many families from using respite. Tap each one to see the truth.
Respite, the Gencare way.
A good break is the difference between caring that lasts and caring that burns out — so we make respite genuinely restorative for everyone.
We care for the whole family
We design respite that genuinely restores both the participant and the carers — because both matter.
A real experience
Activities, outings and connection — stays people look forward to, not just time away from home.
Safe & screened
A registered NDIS provider with 100% worker-screened teams — so carers can truly switch off.
Easy to plan
We take the hassle out of booking, so respite is something you actually use, not just a line in a plan.
Joined-up support
Respite that connects to your wider supports — one team, no repeating your story to strangers.
Care that is actually warm
Your stay is held with genuine kindness — you are a guest and a person, never a placement.
Respite & Short-Term Accommodation, answered
Often, yes. Respite is about the support and the break rather than the building, so depending on your circumstances it can be a stay in a respite house, a homestay with a support worker, or support in your own home while the people who usually care for you get a genuine rest. If leaving familiar surroundings is hard for you, say so early and we will plan around it rather than talk you into a stay away.
Reach out and a real person responds within about two hours. From there we shape the stay around what you would actually enjoy and what your carers need — dates, support, activities — and we are clear about what your funding covers before anything is booked. Respite houses fill up over school holidays and around Christmas, so the earlier you start the conversation, the more choice you have.
It depends on your plan, but STA is commonly funded for up to around 28 days of respite a year, which you can use flexibly — a night here, a long weekend or a fortnight there. We help you plan stays so the funding is actually used.
A stay covers comfortable accommodation and the personal support you need while you are there. Meals and some activities can be included depending on your circumstances — and some costs, like entry fees or tickets, are ordinary living costs you would pay anywhere. The aim is a genuine break, not just somewhere to sleep. We will always be clear with you about what is covered before you book.
It is genuinely for both. You get a fresh experience, new activities, new friends and a taste of independence; your regular carers get real rest and peace of mind. That dual benefit is the whole point of respite.
Gencare is based in the west of Melbourne and supports participants across Victoria, with our footprint expanding into Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo and regional areas. Reach out and we will tell you exactly what is available in your area.
If your NDIS plan includes Core Supports, respite is usually available to you — it does not need to be a separate line item labelled STA. What matters is that a short stay is reasonable and necessary for your situation, which is often clearest when a carer needs a genuine break or your usual supports are unavailable. Bring your plan to a Meet & Greet and we will read it with you.
Yes, and it is one of the most useful things respite does. A few nights away is a low-stakes way to find out how you feel about living with support — what you enjoy, what you would want done differently, whether shared living suits you at all. Plenty of people use a stay or two to test the idea long before any decision about Supported Independent Living gets made.
Supports that pair well with respite
Short-Term Accommodation across Melbourne and Victoria.
A respite stay only works if it is close enough to be easy — for you to get to, and for the people who care about you to visit. These are the regions our teams cover today.
If your region is not listed, it is still worth asking — our footprint keeps growing, and some supports can start before a local team is fully established. Tell us where you are and we will give you an honest answer about what is available near you.
Understanding Supported Independent Living.
For many families, respite is the first experience of support away from home — and the start of a longer conversation about living independently. Here is that conversation, in plain English.
Everyone deserves a break. Let's plan yours.
A warm, no-pressure Meet & Greet — we listen first, you decide everything. A real person replies within ~2 hours.