A proper break, with your mind at rest.
Looking after someone is relentless, and everyone needs to stop sometimes. Respite care steps in — for a few hours, a week or a fortnight — so you can rest, recover or get away, knowing the person you care for is in safe, familiar hands at home.
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Respite care is cover for the person who does the caring.
When most of a loved one’s care falls to a husband, wife, son or daughter, it’s easy for the carer’s own life to disappear entirely. Respite care is simply someone stepping in for a while, so that person can take a break — without the care itself skipping a beat.
It can be a few hours so you can get to your own appointments, an overnight so you can sleep, or a full week or fortnight so you can genuinely get away. Whatever the shape, the aim is the same: the day at home carries on exactly as normal, while you get the rest you need.
Respite works best when it’s planned, but we know it isn’t always — and we’ll do our best to help at short notice when life gets in the way.
Everything you'd do, done your way.
The job of a respite carer isn’t to change anything — it’s to keep the household running exactly as it does when you’re there, so the person at home barely notices the difference and you can properly switch off.
The day carries on exactly as it should.
- Following the routine already in place, to the letter
- Medication prompted and given on time
- Meals prepared the way they're liked
- The usual walks, programmes, phone calls and habits
- Notes kept so nothing is missed on handover
- The house kept ticking over — laundry, tidying, shopping
The hands-on help, done with patience.
- Help getting washed, bathed or showered
- Dressing, grooming and continence support
- Support with mobility and transfers
- Skin care and pressure-area checks
- Everything done the way the person prefers
- Dignity kept front and centre throughout
Someone there, so no one is alone.
- Conversation, cards, photographs, music
- A calm, familiar presence through the day
- Reassurance for someone who's anxious being left
- Encouragement to eat, drink and stay active
- Watching for anything that seems off
- Keeping the family updated while they're away
So the break is actually a break.
- A single, named carer where possible
- A carer who has met the person beforehand
- Cover for a few hours, overnight, or round the clock
- A clear plan agreed before you leave
- Someone on the end of the phone if you need us
- The reassurance to switch off and rest
Taking a break isn’t letting anyone down.
Family carers often carry on until they’re running on empty. Respite exists precisely so it doesn’t come to that — these are the moments it most often helps.
A carer who doesn’t rest eventually can’t care — and burnout helps no one. Taking regular breaks isn’t a failing; it’s part of caring well for the long haul. If you’re not sure whether now is the time, call us and talk it through. There’s no pressure, and no judgement.
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For a holiday or a proper rest
Family carers rarely get a real break. Respite care lets you take a holiday, visit family or simply stop for a week — knowing the person you look after is in safe, familiar hands while you’re away.
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When you're ill or run down
Caring doesn’t pause when you catch something or need a procedure yourself. We can step in at short notice to cover the gap, so your own health doesn’t come second to everyone else’s.
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To recover after hospital
If a loved one is coming home after a hospital stay, a period of extra support — a few weeks of daily visits or live‑in care — can smooth the recovery before things settle back to normal.
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For regular, planned breaks
Respite doesn’t have to be a one‑off. Many families book the same afternoon or day each week, so there’s always a fixed point in the diary that’s theirs — the appointment, the lunch, the round of golf.
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To try care before committing
A short spell of respite is often the gentlest way to introduce home care. It gives everyone a chance to see how it feels, with no long‑term commitment, before deciding on anything more permanent.
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For overnight and live-in cover
When the break needs to cover the nights too, overnight care or a short spell of live-in care provides round‑the‑clock cover for as long as you’re away.
Rest, without the worry.
Respite only works if you can genuinely relax while you’re away. Three things in particular are built around exactly that.
A familiar face, wherever possible.
The point of respite is rest — and it’s hard to rest if you’re worried about a stranger in the house. Where we can, we introduce the respite carer beforehand, so the person you look after already knows the face that turns up when you leave.
We follow your routine.
You know your loved one better than anyone. Respite care isn’t about doing things our way — it’s about keeping everything exactly as it is, so the week you’re away feels no different to the person at home than any other week.
Flexible cover, short or long.
A few hours so you can get out, a night so you can sleep, or a fortnight so you can genuinely get away. Hourly, overnight or live‑in — we shape respite around what you actually need, and how long you need it for.
Standard rates, no short-stay surcharge.
Respite is priced as standard hourly, overnight or live-in care — there’s no premium for it being short-term. Whatever shape your break takes, the rates on our pricing page are the rates you’ll pay.
- A regular, named carer wherever possible
- Free home assessment before your break
- No setup fee, no minimum commitment
- Cover for a few hours, a night, a week or a fortnight
Knowing there was someone we trusted stepping in meant we could take our first holiday in three years without spending the whole time worrying. Mum was in wonderful hands, and we came back able to carry on.
What families ask us about respite care.
How much notice do you need for respite care?
As much as you can give us, ideally — a planned break booked a few weeks ahead lets us match you with the right carer and introduce them beforehand, which makes all the difference. That said, we know respite is sometimes needed at short notice when a carer falls ill or a crisis hits, and we’ll always do our best to cover it quickly.
Can the same carer cover the whole break?
Wherever possible, yes. Continuity matters most in respite — both for the person being cared for and for your own peace of mind. For a live‑in respite spell we’ll usually assign one carer for the stay; for daytime cover we keep to a small, regular team so the faces stay familiar.
Is respite care just for a week or two, or can it be regular?
Both. Some families use respite as a one‑off around a holiday or hospital stay; others book the same afternoon or day every week as a standing arrangement. There’s no minimum commitment — you can use it once, or build it into the rhythm of the year.
What does respite care cost?
Respite is priced as standard hourly, overnight or live‑in care — there’s no premium for it being short‑term. Hourly visits start from £39.50, and live‑in respite from £1,500 a week. You’ll find every rate on our pricing page.
Need a break, and not sure how to arrange it?
Tell us what you're juggling and when you need cover, and we'll work out the shape of respite that fits — a few hours, a week, or something regular. No script, no pressure, just an honest conversation.
Mon–Fri 7:30am–5pm · Out of hours, leave a message and we’ll call back.
