Short term accommodation (STA) and respite in Melbourne's south-east.

Short term accommodation (STA) is NDIS funding for a stay away from your usual home for a short time, with support included. It covers accommodation, food, activities and personal care for the length of the stay. The NDIS also calls it respite, because it is often used to give family carers a break, but participants also use it to try independence, bridge a gap or recover after a hospital stay.

The current NDIS guideline funds STA for up to 14 days at a time and usually up to 28 days a year. The 28 days can be used in one block, as several shorter stays or as regular weekends. More can be funded where your situation justifies it, for example a carer's hospital admission, but you need to ask the NDIA with evidence. Longer stays usually fall under medium term accommodation or SIL instead.

Both. Planned stays, booked weeks ahead, are easiest to match to a suitable home and team. Emergency stays, when a carer is suddenly unwell or something at home breaks down, are harder, and we will not promise a bed we do not have. Call 03 5998 0717 at any hour; we tell you within the hour what is available, and if we cannot help we say who might.

From 1 July 2026 STA is no longer one bundled daily rate. The NDIS Pricing Schedule 2026-27 splits it into participant accommodation, with a national price limit of $162.85 a day, support worker accommodation where needed, and support hours claimed at the usual hourly rates for the time of day and intensity. The total depends on your support ratio and overnight needs. We quote each part before you book.

Yes. STA sits in Core under Assistance with Daily Life, which is flexible, so many people can use it without the words appearing in their plan, as long as it fits their goals. Using STA does reduce what is left for other Core supports such as support workers, so we help you check the budget with your plan manager or coordinator before you commit to a stay.

Often, yes. When you are medically ready but your home needs modifications, your supports are not yet in place or your plan is being changed, a short stay with support can get you out of the ward sooner. We work with hospital discharge planners and your coordinator to arrange it. If the gap is likely to be longer than a couple of weeks, medium term accommodation is usually the better fit. See hospital discharge support.

Either, depending on your plan and what is available. Shared stays with group support use less budget and suit people who enjoy company. One-to-one stays suit people with higher support needs or behaviour support plans that need a quiet environment. Tell us what you prefer and we will say honestly what we can offer for your dates and what each option means for your budget.

Clothes, medication in its original packaging with the dosage list, any aids or equipment you use, and anything that makes a place feel like yours. Before you arrive we gather your routine and support plan so the team knows you. Our workers are the same people who staff our SIL homes, trained in medication, manual handling and behaviour support, and we tell you who will be on shift.