Ermha Respite provides a range of respite options for carers of people with a mental illness, psychiatric disability or intellectual disability, and the care recipient.

Providing care to a person who is experiencing a mental illness, psychiatric disability or intellectual disability can be physically and emotionally challenging. Ermha Respite supports carers so they can sustain their caring role – a role that yields significant economic and social benefits to the community.

Respite services include group holidays, individual packages, and recreational activities for people with a mental illness and their carers. One of our main priorities is to assist carers of people with high dependency needs, complex care needs and challenging behaviours.

We endeavour to meet the respite needs of carers and care recipients by identifying and funding a range of respite options that serve individual needs and circumstances.

These options include:
• Short notice, in-home respite
• Planned individual respite
• Recreational activity group respite
• Skill-building group respite
• Group holiday respite
• Carers education and training

In assessing who can make best use of our services we take into account

• The interests of both the carer and care recipient
• The needs and inter-relationships of the family as a whole
• Care options that promote positive coping strategies
• The availability of other informal support to the carer (family, friends, volunteer groups)
• The availability of other services such as home help and disability support services
• The extent of a carer’s commitments beyond the caring role

As well as providing respite alternatives, Ermha Respite matches carers and care recipients with other relevant community services.

Download the Respite brochure as a pdf