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.
Book cover for a break
Tell us when you need cover, what kind and where, and we will set your account up as you go.
3,500+ DBS-checked 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
An afternoon off and a fortnight in Spain need different cover. We have started with a weekend of company and help; change either answer 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
Companionship visits
A carer for company, meals and a hand with the day, for the hours you would otherwise be there. The person you care for keeps their routine.
Visits are usually an hour or more. You set the days and times.
This is a starting point. You could book a shorter first break, see how it goes, and then take the longer one.
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.
How it works
What happens when you book
Many carers put off a break because they worry about the person they love being with a stranger. This is how it goes, from booking to the days you are away.
Tell us about the break
When you need cover, what kind and where. We set your account up as you go. Then message the carers you like, or ask us to suggest some to look at. The choice is always yours.
Meet the carer before you go
A call, a video chat or a visit, free and before anything is booked, 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: the routine you have written down, where things are, what a bad day looks like and who to ring. An hour together at the start helps the carer keep the day the way you would.
Same routine while you are away
The mug they like, the programme at six, and the medicines written down with what the carer has agreed to do. Some people want a text from the carer each evening, and others want silence for a week. Say which.
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, so the exact price is on each profile, and some councils fund respite after a carer’s assessment.
Before a carer appears
What we check, and what we don't
Letting a carer into the home of someone you love takes trust. These are the checks every carer passes before their profile appears; their skills, training and references are for you to ask about.
Checks before a carer appears
An enhanced DBS check issued within the last 2 years (or Scottish PVG or Access NI), ID and right-to-work checks, and a recorded online interview, all before a carer appears. We do not check qualifications, training or references: their skills, training and references are for you to check with them.
Contracted and paid online
Visits booked through PrimeCarers are on our standard contract and paid securely online after the care happens, with no cash to hand over. Insurance for platform visits, within the policy’s terms (no clinical procedures).
A real person to talk to
A UK support team you can call about finding carers, bookings and payments, not a call centre script. The care itself is agreed between you and the carer.
Help when plans change
If your carer is unwell or away, call us and we will help you look for another carer. We cannot guarantee cover at short notice, so it is worth having a second carer you have already met.
Reviews
What families say about their carers
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 the caring, so they can rest, go away or deal with something else. It can last an afternoon, a weekend or a couple of weeks, at home with a visiting or live-in carer, or in a care home. What respite care is, and the different types.
At home, respite costs the same as ongoing care: visits are £18 to £25 an hour and a live-in carer is from £1,050 a week, with our fee included and no premium for a one-off. A standard residential care home week is about £1,160, and homes usually publish higher rates for a short respite stay. The cost of respite care, at home and in a care home.
Sometimes you can. Ask the council for a carer’s assessment; some councils 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. Temporary live-in care.
Usually, if they have met them first and the routine does not change. You choose the carer, can talk to them before you book, and can arrange a short visit before the break so the face is familiar. Start with an afternoon if you are unsure. What happens when you book.
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 standard residential week in a care home is about £1,160, homes usually publish higher rates for respite stays, and a care home stay 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.
Agree a backup plan with the carer and your family before you leave. If arrangements change, our team can help you look for alternative carers, but replacement availability is not guaranteed. For an immediate safety or medical emergency, contact the appropriate emergency service rather than waiting for platform support.
Guides
Read next
More respite guides
- Feeling guilty about taking a break
- Respite for parents of a disabled adult
- 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
- Emergency respite
- Holiday cover while you are away
- Respite care by county
- Caring for a parent
- Emergency live-in care
Book the break before you need it
Tell us when you need cover, what kind and where. It is free, and nothing is booked until you say so.