What is Respite Care?
Respite
care can be a good option if you or your carer are in need of a break. Respite
care is a temporary stay in a care home for you or you and your carer. If you
do not already have a carer the term also refers to the temporary employment of
a professional carer to come into your home,. Respite care can provide extra levels
of care while you recover from an illness or a stay in hospital. A respite stay
in a care home can also be an opportunity to get to know a particular care
home, if you are thinking of moving into one in the future. Many care
homes in the UK offer their potential residents a short respite holiday, they
actively encourage their residents to return home, after a couple of weeks, and
wait for the resident to insist that they want to stay in the care home. You can also organize respite care in your own home, and as
above, if you already have a carer you can employ a stand in carer on a
temporary basis to come to your home and take over the duties normally provided
by your own carer. This means that you can continue your own routine in your
own home, you can also consider day-sitting, night-sitting or time in a day
centre. Social Services will be able to advise you on what services are
available and how to access them.