Short Term Accommodation (STA)
Short Term Respite
A Short Stay Should Feel Safe, Supported and Meaningful
Short Term Accommodation, often called STA, gives participants and their usual informal supports time apart while making sure the participant continues to receive the disability-related support they need.
Dantae Support Services provides registered NDIS support with a focus on safety, dignity, routine, comfort and practical outcomes. Our STA approach is not about sending someone away for the sake of a break; it is about creating a short, supported stay that feels calm, respectful and purposeful.
What Is Short Term Accommodation?
Short Term Accommodation is NDIS-funded support that allows a participant to spend time away from their usual care arrangements, such as family, friends or carers. It can give informal supports a short break from their caring responsibilities while the participant is supported by someone else.
The NDIS has also described this support as short term respite, and many people still know it as STA. On this page, we use both terms so participants, families and support coordinators can clearly understand the service.
STA may include support with everyday activities such as getting ready for the day, personal care, meals, eating and drinking, cleaning, household routines and community participation connected to the participant’s needs. The NDIS guideline explains that short term accommodation may include standard accommodation, supports for everyday activities, and support to continue doing the things the participant normally does while away from their usual informal supports.
Why Short Term Accommodation Matters
STA can help protect the wellbeing of both the participant and their usual support network.
For participants, a short supported stay can provide a change of routine, new experiences, safe social connection, skill-building and time to practise independence with support. For families and carers, it can provide time to rest, reset, manage other responsibilities or continue caring sustainably.
Good STA should not feel like the participant is simply being “placed somewhere.” It should feel planned, respectful and connected to the person’s needs, routines, preferences, communication style and goals.
What Short Term Accommodation Can Include
Short Term Accommodation can look different depending on the participant’s NDIS plan, support needs, goals and usual care arrangements.
It may include:
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personal care and daily living support
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meal preparation, eating and drinking support
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medication prompts or health-related routines where appropriate
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support to follow familiar morning and evening routines
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overnight support, sleepover or active support where required
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help with communication, regulation and emotional wellbeing
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community access connected to the participant’s goals
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skill-building around independence, confidence and daily routines
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support to maintain safe and predictable structure while away from home
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communication with families, carers, guardians and support coordinators where appropriate
The NDIS Pricing Arrangements describe Short Term Accommodation and Assistance as integrated support for self-care, accommodation, food and activities in a centre or group residence for short periods, usually up to 14 days at a time, with longer arrangements generally better suited to other supports such as SIL or MTA.
Looking for STA That Feels Safe, Calm and Organised?
A short stay can feel like a big step, especially when families are trusting someone else. Dantae Support Services can talk through the participant’s needs, goals, routines, risks, preferences and support expectations to help determine whether our STA approach may be suitable.
What People Often Misunderstand About Short Term Accommodation
One of the biggest misunderstandings about STA is that it is the same as a holiday. It is not. STA is disability-related support that gives the participant and their usual informal supports time apart while maintaining the support the participant needs.
Another misunderstanding is that STA is only for carers. While it can help informal supports take a break, it should also be meaningful for the participant. A well-planned stay should consider what the participant enjoys, what helps them feel safe, what routines matter, and what skills or confidence they may be building.
People may also assume STA is suitable whenever someone needs accommodation for a short period. That is not always the case. The NDIS guideline explains that STA is not for housing crisis situations, waiting for home modifications, general holidays, rent, utilities or day-to-day living costs that anyone would normally have.
How Short Term Accommodation Should Feel
STA should feel calm, safe, welcoming and respectful from the moment planning begins.
A good short stay should help the participant understand what is happening, who will support them, where they will stay, what routines will look like, and how they can communicate their needs. It should also give families and carers reassurance that important information has been understood, risks are being managed and the participant’s dignity, privacy and preferences remain central.
STA should not feel rushed, confusing, overly clinical or disconnected from the participant’s normal life. It should feel like a supported extension of the person’s routine, with room for safe choice, meaningful activity and rest.
How Dantae Support Services Supports STA
Dantae Support Services provides Short Term Accommodation / short term respite with a focus on safety, dignity, routine and participant comfort.
Participant-centred planning
We take time to understand the participant’s routines, communication style, support needs, food preferences, personal care needs, risks, triggers, interests and goals before the stay begins.
Registered NDIS provider support
Dantae Support Services is a registered NDIS provider, which helps give participants, families and support coordinators confidence that supports are delivered within an accountable quality and safeguarding framework.
Comfortable routines
A successful stay often depends on small details: familiar routines, preferred activities, sleep patterns, mealtimes, communication needs and the way a participant likes to be supported.
Safety and safeguarding
The NDIS Code of Conduct requires NDIS providers and workers to act with respect for individual rights, respect privacy, provide safe and competent supports, and take reasonable steps to prevent and respond to violence, exploitation, neglect and abuse.
Meaningful short stays
STA should not be empty time. Where appropriate, we support participants to enjoy everyday activities, build confidence, practise independence, connect with others and maintain routines while their usual informal supports take a break.
Clear communication
We work with participants, families, guardians, carers, support coordinators and allied health professionals where appropriate, while respecting consent, privacy and the participant’s voice.
Real-Life Examples
A participant had never stayed away from their family before and was anxious about sleeping in a different environment. Their family was also worried about whether workers would understand their routines, communication needs and personal care preferences.
Dantae Support Services helped plan the stay gradually, with clear information, familiar routines and careful handover from the family. The participant was supported to settle in, follow their usual evening routine and enjoy a calm short stay while their family had time to rest.
A Calm First Stay Away From Home
Supporting a Carer to Keep Caring
A family carer had been providing daily support for many years and was becoming exhausted. The participant enjoyed social connection but needed support with personal care, meals, communication and emotional regulation.
A short, planned STA stay gave the participant a safe change of routine while their carer had time to recover and attend to their own wellbeing. The stay was structured around the participant’s interests and support needs, helping both the participant and carer return to their usual arrangement with more confidence.
A participant wanted to become more independent but felt nervous about trying new routines without their usual informal supports nearby. The goal of the STA stay was to support confidence, not force independence too quickly.
Dantae Support Services supported the participant with simple choices, predictable routines and encouragement to take part in everyday tasks. The participant practised small steps, such as choosing meals, helping with daily routines and joining a supported community activity.
Building Confidence Through a Short Stay
Is Short Term Accommodation Right for You?
Short Term Accommodation may be suitable where a participant receives significant daily disability-related support from family, friends, carers or daily drop-in supports, and both the participant and their usual support network would benefit from a planned short period of time apart.
It may be worth enquiring if the participant needs safe support with personal care, routines, supervision, communication, meals or community access during a short stay, especially where the goal is to maintain caring arrangements, build confidence, support wellbeing or provide meaningful respite.
Frequently Asked Questions About Short Term Accommodation
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Is STA now called short term respite?
Yes. The NDIS has updated how it describes this support and now uses the term short term respite, although many people still search for and understand it as Short Term Accommodation or STA.
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What does STA usually include?
STA may include short-term support with accommodation, personal care, meals, daily routines, community access and negotiated activities connected to the participant’s disability support needs and plan.
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Is STA the same as a holiday?
No. STA is not a holiday, cruise or general travel support. It is disability-related respite support that gives the participant and their usual informal supports time apart while maintaining necessary supports.
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How long can a participant use STA?
The NDIS guideline says short term accommodation is generally for up to 14 days at a time and up to 28 days per year, depending on the participant’s circumstances and plan.
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Can families and support coordinators help plan the stay?
Yes. Families, carers, guardians, nominees and support coordinators can help provide important information where appropriate and with consent, including routines, support needs, risks, preferences and goals.