Respite

In the run up to publication of my new book Carers and Caring; the One Stop Guide; how to care for older relatives and friends I am sharing some of the practical solutions learned from research and experience. If you think any problems have been missed you can email me and tell me, and I’ll make sure they are covered in the next edition and online on my website at www.juneandrews.net. 

Respite care is important for carers’ well-being.

Because caring can be so exhausting, it is natural for the carer to need a rest. Having an occasional break may be the thing that allows a carer to keep going for longer. Any short-term relief can be described as respite. 

Respite might involve a regular afternoon or evening off, or an occasional period of days or weeks.

The support that is given can be in the home of the person cared for, as when a friend comes round on a regular basis to free up the carer to go out and about. Temporary home care may be provided for a short time by an agency. Some care organisations can arrange live-in care for a few days or weeks to allow the carer to go away on holiday. For people with dementia or even mild cognitive impairment it is less disruptive to provide the respite care at home. A common alternative is a short stay in a residential home, which can be a step towards eventually going to live in that place if the person likes it. 

Day Centres

There are also day centres where the older person can be cared for with other older people and a variety of activities are offered. You can find out about them from your local carer’s organisation, social work or the GP. These services for older people are often described as if they are for the benefit of the attendee, but their chief value may be for giving the carer some free time. Therefore the transport arrangements are crucial. Depending on who organises it, the timing might not be very specific. You may have to organise transport yourself. It is impossible to plan your time off if you need to get the older person up and dressed and ready to leave by 9 a.m. ‘in case’ the transport arrives at the start of a two-hour window. The process of getting them out to the day care might undo the restfulness that was intended for the carer if the day begins with two hours of trying to reassure and explain what is going to happen next. 

Some holiday providers can arrange a holiday setting with specialist support for the person with care needs to go on holiday with their carer. They may help with travel arrangements and provide opportunities for the carer to do things on their own by supplying local carers during the visit. 

There are charitable organisations that support short breaks for carers listed at the end of the book.

The local authority may agree to provide some support with this. Costs for care at home are at least the same if not more than the cost for staying in a care home. The benefit of the person being in their own environment is considerable. If there is a companion animal such as a dog, a live-in carer can help look after them, allowing the faithful pet to provide companionship while the family carer takes a little time to themselves.

The local authority social services team may suggest respite care during the care needs assessment.

There is much more about respite in  Carers and Caring: The One-Stop Guide: How to care for older relatives and friends - with tips for managing finances and accessing the right support  available from all good bookshops in May 2022

Three hints:

1.     Carers need a rest

2.     Some forms of respite cause more problems than they should

3.     There might be local authority support, and a needs assessment will show that