Respite care
A break for the person who does the caring
A vetted carer steps in for an afternoon, a weekend or a fortnight so you can rest, work, or get away, while the person you care for stays in their own home with their own routine. You choose the carer and meet them first.
3,500+ vetted carers across the UK
Not sure what kind of cover you need? Plan the break in two taps or call 0203 369 3624
Plan the break
How long you need, and what they need while you are away
Respite is not one single thing. An afternoon off and a fortnight in Spain need different cover. Answer the two questions below to see which kind fits, and what it costs.
Estimates at typical rates, with our fee included. The exact price is on each carer’s profile.
Our suggestion
Pick a length and a level of need
We will say whether that break is best covered by visits, nights or a live-in carer, and roughly what it would cost.
- How long
- What they need
Is it time?
Six signs the carer needs caring for
Family carers are the last to notice they are running on empty. If two of these are true, book the break before you feel you deserve it.
While you are away
What happens when you are not there
The thing that stops most carers taking a break is not the money. It is the picture of the person they love sitting with a stranger. Here is how it goes.
Same routine, same house
The carer follows the day you have written down: the mug they like, the pills at eight, the programme at six. Nothing has to change because you are not there.
You choose the carer, and meet them first
A call or a visit before you go, so the person you care for has met the face that will be in the kitchen on Monday.
A proper handover on the first day
Show the carer round: where things are, what the signs of a bad day look like, and who to ring. That first hour together makes all the difference.
As much contact as you want, or none at all
Some people want a text each evening, and others want silence for a week. Tell the carer which you would prefer, and they will follow it.
If anything changes, we are here
If there is a fall, a fever, or a carer who is unwell, you can call us and we will help you sort out cover. You are not the only backup.
What it costs
Priced by the hour, the night or the week, with nothing extra for being short-term.
Respite is the same carers at the same rates as ongoing care, with our fee included. There is no minimum block and no premium for a one-off.
- Carers set their own rates; the exact price is on each profile
- Pay after the care happens, never in advance
- Councils often fund respite after a carer’s assessment
- Insurance, contract and DBS monitoring included
How it works
From “something has to change” to a carer at the door
No assessment visits, no waiting list. Some families are talking to a carer the same day.
Search your postcode
See the carers who cover it, with photos, rates, experience and reviews. Filter by hourly, live-in or overnight.
Talk to the ones you like
Message them directly, or tell us what you need and we can suggest some carers to look at. The choice is always yours.
Meet before deciding
A call, a video chat or a visit, free and with no commitment. A lot of families have a good idea within the first ten minutes.
Book, and change it as needs change
Contract, insurance and payment run through us. You can add visits, add nights, or move to live-in care as things change, and you only pay for care that happens.
Safety first
Someone coming into their home? We take that seriously.
Letting a carer into the home of someone you love takes trust. We've built every layer of protection so that trust is earned, not assumed.
Vetting that never stops
Enhanced DBS, ID and right-to-work checks and an online interview before a carer appears, then continuous DBS monitoring for as long as they work. We check that a carer is caring; their skills and training are for you to check with them.
Insured and above board
Every visit is insured, contracted and paid securely online after care happens. There is no cash and no informal arrangement to manage.
A real person who knows you
Your own account manager and a UK support team who know you, your carer and your situation, not a call centre script.
Help when plans change
If your carer is unwell or away, our team will always do their best to find you vetted cover at short notice.
What clients say
Our Latest Carer Reviews
Margaret N
"Excellent - Lovely lady. My mother is so pleased with the work she does in helping her."
Read the full review
Julia S
"Julia is a highly skilled and companionate carer who is able to give so much of herself and adapt to any situation."
Read the full review
Andres Felipe C
"My son who he is caring for automatically welcomed Andres and can be heard laughing & having fun with Andres."
Read the full reviewQuestions families ask
Respite care, answered
Respite care is short-term care that covers for the person who usually does it, whether that is a family member, a partner, or a regular carer who is on holiday. It can be a few hours, a weekend or a couple of weeks, at home with a visiting or live-in carer, or in a care home. What is respite care, in full.
Respite costs the same as ongoing care. Visits are £18 to £25 an hour, nights £130 to £160, and a live-in carer from £1,050 a week, typically £1,120, with our fee included. There is no premium for a one-off. The cost of care.
Sometimes you can. Ask the council for a carer’s assessment; many fund a set number of respite days or hours a year. Attendance Allowance for the person you care for is not means-tested and can pay for it. Some charities fund breaks for carers. Help paying for care.
It can be as short as an afternoon, or as long as you need. Live-in carers usually work in blocks of a week or more; visiting carers can do a single visit. Hiring a live-in carer temporarily.
Usually, if they have met them first and the routine does not change. You choose the carer, interview them for free, and can arrange a short visit before the break so the face is familiar. Start with an afternoon if you are unsure. What happens while you are away.
No. Respite is a break for the carer; end-of-life care is support for someone who is seriously ill, with comfort as the aim. They can overlap, because family carers in that situation need breaks most of all. Is respite care end-of-life care?
At home, the person keeps their routine, their bed and their things, and one carer is there for them alone. A care home respite bed costs about £1,160 a week and involves a move, which can unsettle someone with dementia for weeks after. Care at home vs a care home.
Some families are talking to a carer the same day. For a specific week away, a fortnight’s notice gives the widest choice. Search to see who is free, or call 0203 369 3624 and we will look for you.
Ideally before you are exhausted, rather than after. If you have not had a full night in weeks, your own appointments keep slipping, or someone has told you to take a break, it is time. When to consider respite care.
If a carer is unwell, if there is a fall, or if anything changes, call us and we will help you sort it out. Every carer has had identity, right to work and enhanced DBS checks and an online interview, they are insured while they work, and you are never the only backup.
Guides
Read next
The respite guides, and the pages family carers read alongside them.
- What is respite care?
- When to consider respite care
- Is respite care end-of-life care?
- Can I hire a live-in carer temporarily?
- Hourly care
- Overnight care
- Live-in care
- The challenges of caring for elderly parents
- Carer’s Allowance: what it is and how to get it
- Help paying for care
- The cost of care
- Holidays with an older relative
- Caring for a parent
Book the break before you need it
See the carers near you who take short-term bookings, and talk to the ones you like for free.