Supports explained
Respite, short stays and SIL, without the acronyms
STA, SIL, respite. Three terms that get used as if they mean the same thing. They do not, and the difference matters when you are asking for funding.
Families ask us for respite and mean four different things by it. It is worth pulling the terms apart, because the words you use affect what gets written into your plan.
Short term accommodation, or STA
STA is a stay away from home for a short period, with support included. It covers the accommodation, the support, the food and the activities while you are there.
People use it for a break, for a change of scene, or to cover a gap when the person who usually supports them is away. It is usually funded as a number of days across the year rather than as a weekly amount.
Respite
Respite is the older word, and most people use it to mean the same thing as STA. Strictly speaking, respite describes the purpose — giving the usual carer a break — rather than the support item. If you say respite in a planning meeting, expect STA to be what gets written down.
Respite does not have to mean going away. In-home support while your family has a day out is respite too, and it is funded differently.
Supported independent living, or SIL
SIL is ongoing, day-to-day support in a home you live in, often shared with other people. It pays for the support inside the house, not the house itself. Rent and bills are paid separately, usually out of your own income.
SIL is a big step and it gets assessed carefully. It is for people who need support most of the day, or overnight, to live away from family.
Questions worth asking before you agree to anything
- Who else will be in the house, and did I get a say in that?
- What happens overnight? Is someone awake, or asleep on site?
- What is in the service agreement about ending it, and how much notice do I give?
- What happens to my supports if I go into hospital, or go away for a month?
- Who do I ring at 9pm on a Sunday when something goes wrong?
A provider who cannot answer the Sunday-night question has not thought hard enough about the people living there.
KN Care Plus is approved to deliver STA and SIL under registration group 0115. If you are weighing up options, ring us and we will talk it through, even if you end up going somewhere else.
General information only. For advice about your own plan, talk to your planner, your support coordinator, or ring us on 0435 785 828.
