If you care for a loved one full time, you will know how important it is to take breaks and prioritise your own health and well-being. Respite care, whether planned or unplanned, can give you the peace of mind that your loved one is being looked after while you are taking the time out you need.
Knowing that you have the option of calling upon a respite care service is a valuable asset to your caring toolkit. Having a go-to respite care provider on hand if an emergency arises means that you and your elderly loved one can rest assured that their care needs are covered.
Our guide will explain all you need to know about emergency respite care. We also advise you on how to arrange the most suitable respite care for your loved one.
What is emergency respite care?
No matter how hard we try, we can’t always be there for our elderly loved ones. An unexpected emergency or illness can leave your loved ones without the care they need.
Respite care is just one of the ways a family caregiver can take breaks away from their loved one to rest and re-energise. Respite care can also be used to cover breaks in professional home care. However, sometimes a break in care is not always planned. In such situations, emergency respite care becomes invaluable.
Emergency respite care is used when an unforeseen circumstance arises, causing a gap in care provision for an elderly individual. This form of respite care can be provided in-home, ensuring that your loved one is not unnecessarily disrupted by this transitionary period of care. Emergency respite care can also be provided in a care home setting where they will be looked after by staff on-site.
Examples of when you may need urgent respite care include:
- Family caregiver experiencing sudden illness or injury
- Unexpected emergencies requiring immediate attention
- Unforeseen circumstances leading to caregiver unavailability
- Short-notice events or obligations requiring caregiver absence
- Temporary disruptions in professional home care services
Therefore, having an emergency respite care service to turn to in times of need is an essential part of a care plan.
Types of emergency respite care
As with any other form of care, there are many different types of emergency respite care. Each of these various branches of urgent respite care is tailored to the individual’s specific requirements.
Here are the most common types of emergency respite care available:
Emergency respite care for the elderly
As your elderly loved one grows older, their dependence on you as their caregiver can also increase. The caregiving role can become quite demanding, particularly if there are no alternative care arrangements in case you become ill or unable to provide care.
Putting together a plan for emergency respite care for elderly loved ones can ease your concerns about who will care for them should an unforeseen circumstance arise. Having the contact details of an emergency respite care service close to hand is an easy way to ensure your loved one’s care is covered.
Emergency respite care for dementia
Having an emergency respite care plan in place becomes all the more important if your elderly loved one is living with dementia. Choosing suitable emergency respite care for people with dementia is essential as this condition requires specialist support, especially as symptoms progress.
For elderly individuals receiving care, with no existing health conditions and requiring minimal assistance, it may be possible to turn to another family member or friend to provide respite care.
However, with health conditions such as dementia, this responsibility can be too great and your loved one may be much better off with the help of a care professional.
In such situations, in-home emergency respite care provided by experienced dementia carers proves to be one of the most effective solutions, allowing a seamless transition in care.
Emergency respite care for disabled adults
There is also the option of enlisting the help of emergency respite care for disabled adults, should your loved one require specialist condition-led care at short notice. With just under half of all pension-age adults living with a disability in the UK, home care should be adaptable and accommodate their specific needs.
For people living with a disability, personalised respite care becomes all the more important. Disabilities may present unique challenges and require specialised care and attention. In such cases, tailored respite care services catered to the individual’s specific needs can significantly enhance their well-being and quality of life.
How to get emergency respite care
Should you require emergency respite care for your loved one, what should you look out for, and how should you go about arranging it?
When considering respite care, you should ensure that the care service you opt for is the right choice for you and your loved one. First of all, can the care service be trusted? By arranging respite care through CQC regulated care services, you can ensure that your loved one will be looked after in line with the Care Quality Commission’s regulatory standards.
Don’t just take the care agency’s word for it; check customer reviews and client testimonials to see what others using the service have to say. Sharing their experiences with others via a trusted site such as TrustPilot, as well as past and current customers, can help to inform your decision better.
Once you have found a care agency providing emergency respite care and have considered its credibility, ratings, and reviews, you can start making urgent respite care arrangements.
Who pays for emergency respite care?
In emergency respite care situations, the primary focus is on swiftly arranging replacement care to address the urgent need. Time is of the essence in such circumstances. The quickest way to arrange emergency respite care is for the individual to self-fund their care. Self-funding entails utilising personal savings, pensions, or benefits to cover the costs associated with emergency respite care.
There is also the option of turning to additional funding sources to help out with emergency respite care. For example, Local Authority funding can provide part or full payment towards the costs of urgent respite care. However, be prepared to wait, as a needs assessment will be carried out prior to awarding any funding to assess your loved one’s eligibility for financial assistance.
For more information on funding and benefits entitlements, download our comprehensive guide to Financing and Funding Care.
How to arrange emergency respite care with Trinity
Trinity Homecare provides emergency respite care should you need to cover breaks in your loved one’s care arrangements. Our emergency respite care can be personalised to suit the care needs, preferences, and schedules of the individual to ensure that the transition of care is seamless and stress-free.
Our emergency respite care covers the individual needs of the person requiring care and can encompass different types of care. From condition-led care to dementia care and disability care, emergency respite care with Trinity is adaptable to your loved one’s needs.
Arranging emergency respite care through Trinity is a quick and straightforward process. Simply call us now on 0207 183 4884 to get emergency respite care arranged as soon as possible for your loved one. Or contact us via our online enquiry form and we will get in touch soon.
