Respite Care (Short Breaks) for Carers
Everyone needs a break or time off occasionally, whether its just for an hour, a day or a week. This can be especially true if you are a carer - caring can be exhausting!
Having a break can help you cope in your caring role and give you the necessary time to recharge your batteries. You may want a break so that you can follow your interests, or catch up with family and friends. You may want to plan a longer break to allow you to go on holiday.
The person you care for may benefit from a break too, for example by getting out of the house, meeting people, or taking part in other interesting activities.
You will need an assessment of your needs for a break and also an assessment of the person you care for.
Respite care can be:
- Care in a care home for a week or longer to enable you to go away on holiday or have a long rest.
- Care at a day centre, day care resource (to enable you to gain skills and confidence), or a care home to give you a break for a day or more each week.
- Care by a trained person for a few hours in your home to give you a short break. This can include sitting and talking to the person you care for, preparing meals, helping the person you care for out of bed and help to get washed or dressed. There are other services, which can help the person you care for to take part in social or leisure activities.
People who use respite care may be required to contribute towards the cost.
If the person you care for can pay the complete cost of respite care, you may decide to make your own arrangements. It is a good idea to ensure that the person you care for has a community care assessment, even if they are paying for the care themselves, as you will then have a clearer idea about the kind of care they need.