What Is Respite Care? A Guide for Family Carers

Topic cluster: Understanding Care Options | Reading time: 6 min

Respite care gives family carers a temporary break from their caring responsibilities while ensuring their parent or loved one is looked after by professionals. It is not a permanent solution — but it is an essential one. Taking regular breaks is not a luxury; it is what allows family carers to sustain what they do long-term.

The Simple Definition

Respite care is any temporary care arrangement that gives the primary family carer time to rest, recover, work, or attend to other commitments. It can last from a few hours to several weeks, and it can be delivered at home or in a care home.

Types of Respite Care

Residential Respite Care

Your parent stays in a care home for a set period — typically one to four weeks — while you take a break. The home provides full personal care, meals, activities, and 24-hour supervision.

This is the most comprehensive form of respite because your parent is fully supported in a professional environment, giving the primary carer genuine uninterrupted time off.

Respite Care at Home

A paid carer (or a team of carers) takes over at your parent's home for a set number of hours or days. This is less disruptive for parents who find change difficult — particularly those living with dementia — as they remain in their own familiar environment.

Emergency Respite Care

Arranged at short notice when a family carer becomes ill, is hospitalised, or faces an unexpected crisis. Local councils are required to arrange emergency care in such situations.

Day Respite

Your parent attends an adult day care centre for several hours, several times a week, giving the family carer regular breaks without an overnight separation.

Sitting Services

A volunteer or paid sitter stays with your parent at home for a few hours — often provided by local charities or through the NHS — giving the carer time for errands, appointments, or rest.

How Much Does Respite Care Cost?

Type	Approximate cost (England, 2026)
Residential respite (per week)	£900 – £1,600+
Respite care at home (per hour)	£15 – £40
Adult day centre (per day)	£30 – £80
Overnight sitting service	£100 – £200+

Who Pays for Respite Care?

Local council funding Following a care needs assessment for your parent and a carer's assessment for you, the local council may fund some or all of respite care. In England, your parent's eligibility depends on their savings threshold:

Above £23,250 in savings: self-funder
£14,250 – £23,250: partial local authority funding
Below £14,250: full local authority funding

NHS-funded respite If your parent has complex health needs, the NHS may fund short-term care through NHS Continuing Healthcare.

Charities and grants Several charities — including Carers UK, Crossroads Caring Scotland, and local carer support organisations — offer grants or funded respite for family carers.

Carer's assessment If you are a family carer, you are entitled to a free carer's assessment from your local council. This looks at your own needs as a carer — including your need for breaks — and may result in funded respite support.

Planning Respite Care: A Checklist

When arranging residential respite, prepare by:

☐ Contacting your parent's GP to discuss their health needs
☐ Requesting a care needs assessment if one hasn't been done recently
☐ Requesting a carer's assessment for yourself
☐ Visiting the care home before booking
☐ Checking the home's CQC rating
☐ Providing the home with a detailed care plan, medication list, and preferences
☐ Booking as far in advance as possible (good homes fill quickly)
☐ Arranging transport to and from the home

Helping Your Parent Accept Respite Care

Many parents resist the idea of going into a care home, even temporarily. Some strategies that help:

Frame it positively — a break and a change of scene, rather than 'going into care'
Visit the home together first, so the environment feels familiar
Bring familiar objects — photos, a favourite blanket, familiar music
Build it in gradually — start with day care or a short stay before longer breaks
Address their specific fear — is it being left alone? Missing home? Speak to the concern directly

Respite Care and Dementia

People living with dementia often find any change of environment distressing. For them, in-home respite (a carer coming to the house) is often less disruptive than a care home stay. If a care home stay is needed, choose one with specialist dementia expertise and staff who are trained in person-centred dementia care.

You Matter Too

The single most important thing to understand about respite care: it is not a failure or a sign of weakness. It is a practical necessity. Family carers who take regular breaks are significantly less likely to experience burnout and are better able to provide care over the long term.

If you are a family carer, ask for a carer's assessment now — not when you are already burned out.

Find respite care homes near you at homeformum.com — search by location, care type, and availability.