What is respite care?
Respite care, sometimes referred to a Short Break is the
term used for services designed to give you a break from caring. It can come in
many forms.
Someone might come in to look after the person you care for
on a regular basis, or take them out to an activity group or day centre.
It might mean you can go on holiday, with or without the
person you care for. If you're going away without the person you care for, they
may have a temporary stay in a residential care.
How do I arrange
respite care?
Your carer's assessment may identify that you need a break
from caring from time to time. In some areas respite care can be accessed
through a carers personal budget, while in others it’s provided through a needs
assessment for the person you look after. If your assessment or the assessment
for the person you care for shows you need respite care, the local council
should support you to access it.
Read more about carers assessments >> Read more about needs assessments >>
How do I
pay for respite care?
You might be able to get financial support from the council
to help you take a break. However respite services are means-tested so depending
on which local authority area you live in, you or the person you care for may
have to contribute towards the cost.
Following a carers assessment, if your needs meet the national
eligibility criteria you may be allocated a personal budget. This money can be
used to buy services and equipment which will help you in your caring role and
in some areas can be used to pay for additional respite care.
If you don’t qualify for help from your local council you may have
to pay for care yourself. This can be called self funding. The person you care
for may also have to a pay for their own care.
Paying for care can
be an expensive and long-term commitment, so it is wise to seek specialist
information and advice on paying for care before entering into any
arrangements.
It is important
that you seek specialist advice from appropriately qualified and regulated
financial advisers.
A list of
independent financial advisers can be found on the Society of Later Life Advisers website. You
can also call SOLLA on 0333 202 0454.
How do I find respite care?
You can call our Carers Hub and talk to us about how you find respite. You can also visit the Directory page on each area of our website for a link to the Services Directory which you can use to find information provided by Care Choices about care homes near you and home care in your area or visit their website >>
Will a break affect
my benefits?
If you have time off from caring, there are special rules to decide whether you'll continue to receive Carers Allowance. The basic rule is that you can continue to receive your Carer's Allowance for up to four weeks in any six-month period if you have a break from caring. However, the rules are complicated, so you should get specialist advice.
If you're receiving any other benefits which include extra
amounts for caring, these may be affected if you have a break from caring.
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