Carer breaks – what to expect

Elder is here to help when your primary self-employed carer needs to take some time off, whether scheduled or unexpected. Time off to relax, recharge, and handle any personal affairs will allow your regular carer to be most present when with your loved one. We can connect you with a respite self-employed carer who can step in to cover your regular self-employed carer’s duties. When planned in advance, you may be able to have the same respite carer cover each of your primary carer’s breaks.

A typical schedule for a self-employed carer might look something like this:

• 4 weeks on, 1 week off or 2 months on, 2 weeks off

Ultimately, it’s up to them and you to decide when they take time off. We recommend discussing their schedule as soon as possible so that you have plenty of time to plan.

Here’s how the process will work when your primary self-employed carer books time off:

• Together, you will discuss when they plan to take their break.
• They will then book their time off via our carer platform – The ElderHub.
• The dates will be automatically advertised, and other carers will be able to apply to cover the period.
• You can then choose from applicants, following the same process you used to select your first carer on MyElder. Use Elder Chat to talk to potential respite carers. Once you've made your decision don’t forget to accept your chosen carer on MyElder.
• After accepting a respite carer, you'll see them in your schedule and gain access to their contact information.
• Your primary carer will also receive the respite carer’s details so they can discuss key aspects of your loved one’s care and plan a smooth handover.

If you’d prefer to cover your carer’s break yourself or use another option , please let us know as soon as possible. In these instances, we can pause the care schedule for you for that period of time.