Planning a First Short Term Accommodation Stay
Before a first short term accommodation (STA) stay, visit the house if you can, check the provider can give the same support the person gets at home, and agree the dates, supports and cost in writing. Share the routines, care needs and communication tips a new team needs. Pack medication, equipment and familiar things. A short first stay, like one night, can be an easier start.
What Should You Ask the Provider?
Start with whether they can match the support the person usually gets, day and night.
- Can you support the person's needs, including any high intensity supports or behaviour support plan?
- How many workers are on at night, and is overnight support active or a sleepover?
- Who else will be staying on those dates, and how old are they?
- What is the room like, and what accessibility features and equipment are there?
- Can a regular support worker come for some of the stay, or for outings?
- What will the stay cost, item by item, and what do meals and activities cost on top?
- How will you contact us during the stay, and what happens if something goes wrong?
What Should You Agree in Writing?
A service agreement isn't required for STA, but the NDIS recommends one when you start with a new provider.
- Who the agreement is for, and the dates
- Which NDIS supports are provided, and how
- How much they cost and how the provider gets paid
- Your rights and responsibilities, and the provider's
- What to do if you disagree or something goes wrong
Providers can't use a service agreement to contract out of their responsibilities under the NDIS Code of Conduct or Australian Consumer Law.
Looking for a Stay?
We'll connect you with a registered STA provider who may have a stay that suits.
What Should You Tell the Team?
Everything a new worker needs to support the person the way your family does.
- Daily routines: waking, meals, showering, bedtime
- Medication, health needs and who to call in an emergency
- How the person communicates, and what they mean by particular words, signs or sounds
- What helps when they're anxious or upset, and what to avoid
- Foods they like, and any allergies or texture needs
- Activities they enjoy, and things they'd like to try
What Should You Pack?
Medication, equipment and enough familiar things to feel at home.
- Medication in its labelled packaging, and a current medication list
- Equipment like a shower chair, continence aids, feeding equipment or communication devices
- Clothes for each day and night, plus spares
- Familiar things: a pillow, a blanket, photos, music, a favourite game
- Money for meals and activities, which STA doesn't cover
What Happens After the Stay?
Talk about how it went, and tell the provider what to change next time.
Keep track of how much STA funding each stay used, so the budget lasts the plan. If the stays are working and your needs change, the provider's notes about how the stay helped can be useful evidence at your next plan reassessment.
Questions People Ask
How long should a first respite stay be?
There's no rule. A short first stay, like one night or a weekend, can be an easier start. STA allows up to 14 days at a time.
Do I need to pay for meals?
Yes. Meals aren't covered by STA. You can buy them from the provider, bring your own or cook, depending on the setting.
Can I visit the respite house first?
Ask the provider. Seeing the house and meeting the team before a first stay helps you check it suits.
Keep Reading
- Respite houses and vacanciesWhat an NDIS respite house is, who stays there, how STA vacancies work, what to have ready when you ask, and how to find a registered respite house provider.
- STA providersWhat NDIS short term accommodation and respite providers do, the rules they follow, how to check registration, and what to ask before you book a first stay.
- What STA coversWhat NDIS short term accommodation pays for: support, standard accommodation and a worker's room.
- STA for childrenWhen the NDIS funds short term accommodation (respite) for children under 18: the tests, the extra factors, the 60 day limit and what providers must follow.
- STA rates and price limitsNDIS short term accommodation rates for 2026-27: the support items, the daily accommodation item, sleepovers, high intensity and who the limits apply to.
- How it worksHow we connect you with an STA provider, and what happens to your details.
We share your details with one provider at a time, never a list. Privacy policy