Take a break from caring
Respite care and short breaks is temporary care that lets carers take time away from caring while making sure the person they care for is looked after safely.
What respite care is
Respite care means someone else temporarily takes over your caring duties. It can be:
- a few hours during the day
- overnight care
- a weekend or longer break
- a holiday with or without the person you care for.
It is designed to support carers’ wellbeing, prevent burnout and help maintain a healthy balance between caring and personal life.
Types of respite care
There are different types of respite care that you can get, including:
- day care centres
- homecare from a paid carer
- short stay in a care home
- friends and family support
- respite holidays
- sitting services.
Find out more about the different types of respite care.
How to get respite care
To get respite care, you'll need to have a carer’s assessment.
During your carer's assessment, we'll look at:
- how much respite you need
- the type of care needed
- funding options (direct payments or council-arranged care).
For more information about whether the person you care for may also need to have a needs assessment or financial assessment, visit our page on how to get adult social care support.