Why do they call it respite care?

The word "respite" means a short period of rest or relief from something challenging. In caregiving, respite care refers to temporary support that allows a carer to take a break – whether for a few hours, days, or weeks – while ensuring that the person they care for continues to receive safe, high-quality support. It’s called respite because it offers carers a chance to recharge, reduce stress, and look after their own wellbeing.

Who is respite care suitable for?

Respite care is suitable for older adults who need short-term support, whether due to illness, frailty, recovery from surgery, or changes in their regular care arrangements. It’s also ideal for people living with long-term health conditions such as dementia, reduced mobility, or other age-related challenges. At the same time, respite care benefits primary carers by offering them time to rest, recharge, or focus on other commitments. It ensures the person receiving care remains safe, supported, and comfortable while their usual carer takes a well-earned break.

How quickly can you get respite care?

With Elder, you can get respite care within 24 hours. In urgent situations, we can even match families with a suitable carer on the same day.

Does the NHS pay for respite care?

In some cases, the NHS can fund respite care, but this usually applies when the care is needed for ongoing medical or complex health needs. If your loved one is eligible for NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC), this can cover the cost of respite care, whether delivered at home or in a care home. Eligibility is assessed by your loved one’s local Integrated Care Board (ICB) through a Continuing Healthcare Checklist, which looks at factors like mobility, cognition, medication needs, and overall health. If the care required is primarily health-related, a full assessment may follow to confirm funding support.

Is respite care a good idea?

Yes, respite care is often a very good idea for both your loved one and their regular carer. It offers a chance for carers to take a well-earned break, reduce stress, and avoid burnout, which in turn helps maintain a higher quality of care in the long term. For your loved one, respite care – especially when delivered at home – ensures continuity, comfort, and safety. It also allows them to stay in a familiar environment with support tailored to their needs. Whether used occasionally or on a regular basis, respite care can strengthen relationships, improve wellbeing, and help everyone involved feel more supported.

Why is it important for respite carers to take a break?

A caring role can have big physical and mental health implications. Regular breaks ensure a carer has space to recharge their batteries, safe in the knowledge that a loved one is being well cared for. It helps to prevent caregiver stress and burnout, which over time may influence how you feel about the person you’re looking after.

Is there anything a live-in respite carer can’t do?

The live-in carers Elder works with are experienced, independent care professionals but they’re not registered nurses. While they can support with personal care, household tasks, companionship, and daily routines, there are certain medical tasks they can’t carry out. These include administering medication, stoma and catheter care, PEG feeding, and complex wound care. Not sure if live-in respite care is right for your situation? Create your free MyElder account to speak with a Care Advisor – no pressure, just expert guidance.

What is the 28-day rule for respite care?

In the UK, the 28-day rule affects certain benefits like Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Personal Independence Payment (PIP), and Attendance Allowance if respite care is funded by the local authority. These benefits may be suspended if the person receiving care stays in a care home for 28 days or more, either in one stay or across multiple stays with gaps of 28 days or less between them. Time spent in hospital before entering a care home also counts towards the 28 days. However, the rule does not apply if the person is self-funding their care or if there are 29 days or more at home between respite stays.

What happens if I don’t know how long I’ll need respite care for?

Sometimes it’s difficult to know how long you’ll need care for, for example if the person who normally provides care falls ill, or if additional support is needed to support recovery after an illness or operation. With Elder, you can book a period of respite care with a rough end date. Simply give us a call and let us know if you need to extend or amend your dates.

Can I book the same carer each time?

Yes, if your preferred carer is available. It can help to book multiple periods at once if you can, to ensure your requirements can match up with your carer’s schedule.

Do I need to resubmit my information when rebooking care on MyElder?

Not at all. Your MyElder account is a living document – it’ll exist for as long as you need it. All you’ll need to do when booking future care is check that the information in your care profile is still correct, and update any areas where the care needs have changed.

How do I manage respite care for my loved one?

Your MyElder account has been built to be your all-in-one care management platform. With it you can: Add other family members to get them involved in the arrangements Communicate with your carer and the Elder team via Elder chat View your schedule and plan handover days when your carer takes a break Read updates from your carer with the Care Logs feature Keep the care profile up to date to reflect any changes to your care needs Easily update payment information and track your invoices.

How do I find the most suitable respite care near me?

To find suitable respite care near you through Elder, simply fill in our request form to share your care requirements, including the type of care needed, specialist skills (if any), and a description of your loved one's daily life. Based on your information, we will match you with potential carers, and you can then review their profiles, chat online or arrange calls to select the best match.

Respite care tailored to your loved one's needs

Have peace of mind your loved one is in good hands with respite care from Elder. With our award-winning customer support and a bank of 6,000 vetted carers, we help you find the right carer for your needs easily.

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Carer holding the shoulders of an elderly woman and smiling

What are the benefits of in-home respite care?

Respite care offers essential short-term support for older adults, giving their regular carer – whether a family member or a professional carer – time to rest and recharge. Whether planned in advance or needed at short notice, respite care brings peace of mind and practical relief, while ensuring continuity of care for your loved one. Here are the key benefits:

Familiar environment
Care at home prevents disruption and supports comfort, especially important for those with dementia or long-term conditions.

Maintains routine and reduces stress
Live-in respite care helps preserve daily routines and reduces anxiety for those with cognitive conditions.

Flexible scheduling
Care can be arranged for a few hours, overnight, or several weeks, fitting your schedule.

Cost and time effective
Avoid the expense and upheaval of care home stays. Repeat bookings with Elder can save money for regular short-term care.

Simple to arrange
With Elder, you can pre-book care periods, manage everything online, and reduce admin, making it straightforward to get support when needed.

Supports carer's wellbeing
Respite care allows the main carer to rest, focus on other responsibilities, or enjoy time for themselves, preventing burnout and sustaining long-term support.

Helping you find the right carer

We want you to find a self-employed carer you can trust and get on with. All cares pass a rigorous screening which includes a background check, character and skills assessment, and verifiable professional references. Only 2% of applicants to join Elder are successful. As a result, 9 out of 10 customers are very satisfied with their first carer.

“Patience is a breath of fresh air! She is lively, cheerful and fun and brings joy to my in-laws' home. Nothing is too much trouble. She makes my mother-in-law feel like a princess.”

Louise Elder Customer

“David has been 400% better than I could ever have imagined. I have seen many carers over the years but David is in a break away Premier league. He is attentive, thoughtful, constantly looking to improve the situation.”

David Elder Customer

“[Our carer] never underestimated mum's sharp intellect and desire to hold on to her independence. She and mum chatted about songs mum had always enjoyed, and she helped to create a special playlist for her."

Jane Elder Customer

“My mother has dementia and Maria quickly gained her trust...Maria cooks her delicious meals from scratch and keeps my mother busy with new card games. I have never seen my mother so happy.”

Alice Elder Customer

“She was a very friendly capable caring lady. My husband thought the world of her and has asked me if he can have her care for him the next time I am away which means a lot to me.”

Elizabeth Elder Customer

"Marko has taken the trouble to understand Ken's complicated needs, has become a good friend for Ken and is restoring some fun to Ken's life. For that we cannot thank him enough."

Alan Elder Customer

“Josephine has gone above and beyond. Every Wednesday she cooks a big meal and sets the table for Alison, her son Donald and his wife Annette, which is the highlight of the week and something they all really look forward to.”

Kyla Elder Customer

“Katie has made life easier and better for my gran from the moment she arrived. She has fitted in so well with our wee family and makes my gran feel special.”

Angela Elder Customer

Nadiia

placeMaidstone

badge12 years

starstarstarstarstar

Nadiia was a breath of fresh air for our Mother. She was super tolerant, helpful and personable.

Jacquie

placeSouth Lanarkshire

badge48 years

starstarstarstarstar

Jacquie was truly exceptional - warm, caring, imaginative, calm, practical and very attentive to detail. In challenging circumstances she went ‘over and above’ to provide all the reassurance and companionship required. My sister really benefitted from her stay and will miss her.

Sajida

placeRedbridge

badge14 years

starstarstarstarstar

Sajida has cared for my parents for over 2 years. She gives superb care, is very nurturing and goes above and beyond. She is an incredibly calm person and handles any challenges with this calm approach. A lovely, capable lady who has given so much support to the whole family. I would thoroughly recommend her.

Grace

placeBrent

badge27 years

starstarstarstarstar

Aileen is much calmer when Grace is around.

Susanna

placeBirmingham

badge14 years

starstarstarstarstar

Susanna came in at a difficult time and just got on with it as if she had been there months, she stayed on extra days at very short notice. She is extremely good with mum, you don’t know from one day to the next how mum is going to be. Also Dad can be very difficult she seems to of got the measure of him straight away. The house is very clean and tidy.

Berleyn

placeCardiff

badge21 years

starstarstarstarstar

Berleyn looked after our mum for 10 days over Xmas, and was great with every aspect of care. She’s patient, calm and caring, and we’d love to see her again if schedules match.

Maryanne Sekai

placeStevenage

badge9 years

starstarstarstarstar

Maryanne was a wonderful support to our family when my dad, who lives with us, was very unwell and required 24hr care. I was slightly anxious of how it would work having someone living in our home but she fitted in to our family life extremely well. She is a very happy, cheerful and caring person and was a delight to have around. I would not hesitate to recommend her or have her care for my dad again.

Carolyn

placeNewcastle upon Tyne

badge9 years

starstarstarstarstar

Carolyn was my 87 year old parents' primary Elder live-in carer over a period of 9 months. Carolyn was experienced, competent and well-liked by my parents and the family. She has a friendly and open nature, which brought life to my parents' flat. My late mother suffered from Alzheimer's disease and Carolyn was patient, compassionate and understanding of her needs and difficulties. She was able to give time to stimulate my mother and was proactive in finding activities my mother could take part in. She also tried to find ways to help with my mother's difficulties. Our Elder care package was primarily required to provide support for my mother, though Carolyn was also able to assist with aspects of my father's care, particularly catering and companionship. Carolyn was happy to cook meals from scratch, which were enjoyed by my father and do shopping, when required. While Carolyn was with my parents, my parents also had a community care package. This meant Carolyn did not need to carry out all routine care needs on a regular basis for my parents, but I have no hesitation in believing Carolyn would be highly competent to deliver on all areas of home and personal care. Carolyn's preferred routine of '4 weeks on' and '4 weeks off' live in placements worked well for our family, as it provided consistency. Had my mother not died at the end of 2022 and our care package with Elder stop, we would definitively have wanted to maintain Carolyn as a live-in carer. I would strongly recommend Carolyn as a caring, competent and compassionate carer and we miss her.

Josephine

placeSandwell

badge9 years

starstarstarstarstar

Jo was just perfect. She came to us whilst our long term Carer was on holiday. She was friendly and mum loved her instantly. She made mum feel safe and nothing was too much trouble. We would definitely recommend her and hope that she will return to us again.

Michelle

placeCumberland

badge8 years

starstarstarstarstar

We would have no hesitation in fully recommending Michelle. We felt entirely confident that our Mother was in safe and professional hands. Michelle has extensive and relevant experience; she was clearly always in control and confident in all areas of our Mother’s needs. Plus, she is highly personable, kind, sensitive, attentive, hardworking, and delightful company. Michelle is a rare find. All in all – a wonderful carer for which we were most grateful.

Berite

placeTower Hamlets

badge8 years

starstarstarstar

Berite was very sweet and gentle and caring with my dad who really liked her. She was always calm and completely unassuming with a huge warm smile. Would be very happy for her to come back.

Eva

placeMidlothian

badge8 years

starstarstarstarstar

Eva has only been on this placement for a week but she has cared for our daughter before, she Is a lovely girl no problems. We Would be happy to have her for further placements.

Elsa

placeLewisham

badge8 years

starstarstarstarstar

Elsa was only with Mum for a short fill-in engagement but she proved to be an excellent carer. Calm, kind, patient and very knowledgeable. So helpful and engaged very well with the rest of the family.

Jean

placeCotswold

badge22 years

starstarstarstarstar

Jean was a lovely carer and companion for Mum. She is an experienced and knowledgeable carer and was always very eager to help and support Mum.

Rimute

placeSefton

badge20 years

starstarstarstarstar

Rimute is very kind and caring and always puts her clients first. She is very good at communicating and keeping us abreast of what was happening.

Rebecca

placeSutton

badge9 years

starstarstarstarstar

Rebecca is a very pleasant lady and a good carer. She gets on well with my parents Roy and Pat Galbraith. She is attentive to their needs.

Melissa

placeBirmingham

badge25 years

starstarstarstarstar

Melissa is both a wonderful carer and companion to my mother. We are all very fond of her.

Muna

placeCoventry

badge16 years

starstarstarstarstar

Muna continues to be an excellent fit for Mike and Marie. They like her company and good cooking! Muna maintains a balance of firmness and kindness and understanding and is very calm and decisive in a crisis. With Muna in charge, Mike and Marie are calm and content and they will look forward to her return after a well deserved break.

Karen

placeExeter

badge7 years

starstarstarstarstar

Karen was a cheerful companion and a good carer for mum as she was knowledgeable and experienced. She also kept the house very clean and tidy. Mum would definitely like Karen to care for her again.

Eva

placeHackney

badge31 years

starstarstarstarstar

Eva has been a real pleasure, such a reliable, hard working individual. She is a kind, thoughtful carer equal to her professional approach. Her work experience is clear to see and I would truly recommend her ever time. Thank you Eva for making this whole process a breeze, hope to see you soon again.

Nadiia

placeMaidstone

badge12 years

starstarstarstarstar

Nadiia was a breath of fresh air for our Mother. She was super tolerant, helpful and personable.

Jacquie

placeSouth Lanarkshire

badge48 years

starstarstarstarstar

Sajida

placeRedbridge

badge14 years

starstarstarstarstar

Grace

placeBrent

badge27 years

starstarstarstarstar

Aileen is much calmer when Grace is around.

Susanna

placeBirmingham

badge14 years

starstarstarstarstar

Berleyn

placeCardiff

badge21 years

starstarstarstarstar

Berleyn looked after our mum for 10 days over Xmas, and was great with every aspect of care. She’s patient, calm and caring, and we’d love to see her again if schedules match.

Maryanne Sekai

placeStevenage

badge9 years

starstarstarstarstar

Carolyn

placeNewcastle upon Tyne

badge9 years

starstarstarstarstar

Josephine

placeSandwell

badge9 years

starstarstarstarstar

Michelle

placeCumberland

badge8 years

starstarstarstarstar

Berite

placeTower Hamlets

badge8 years

starstarstarstar

Berite was very sweet and gentle and caring with my dad who really liked her. She was always calm and completely unassuming with a huge warm smile. Would be very happy for her to come back.

Eva

placeMidlothian

badge8 years

starstarstarstarstar

Eva has only been on this placement for a week but she has cared for our daughter before, she Is a lovely girl no problems. We Would be happy to have her for further placements.

Elsa

placeLewisham

badge8 years

starstarstarstarstar

Jean

placeCotswold

badge22 years

starstarstarstarstar

Jean was a lovely carer and companion for Mum. She is an experienced and knowledgeable carer and was always very eager to help and support Mum.

Rimute

placeSefton

badge20 years

starstarstarstarstar

Rimute is very kind and caring and always puts her clients first. She is very good at communicating and keeping us abreast of what was happening.

Rebecca

placeSutton

badge9 years

starstarstarstarstar

Rebecca is a very pleasant lady and a good carer. She gets on well with my parents Roy and Pat Galbraith. She is attentive to their needs.

Melissa

placeBirmingham

badge25 years

starstarstarstarstar

Melissa is both a wonderful carer and companion to my mother. We are all very fond of her.

Muna

placeCoventry

badge16 years

starstarstarstarstar

Karen

placeExeter

badge7 years

starstarstarstarstar

Karen was a cheerful companion and a good carer for mum as she was knowledgeable and experienced. She also kept the house very clean and tidy. Mum would definitely like Karen to care for her again.

Eva

placeHackney

badge31 years

starstarstarstarstar

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What does a live-in respite carer do?

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Personal care

e.g. help with washing, toileting, and prompting medication

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Dressing and grooming

e.g. shaving and hairstyling

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Meal preparation

e.g. cooking meals to dietary requirements and tastes

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Light housekeeping

e.g. vacuuming, keeping surfaces clean and doing laundry

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Running errands

e.g. going to the shops or picking up prescriptions

check

Companionship

e.g. providing company and encouraging hobbies and interests

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Pet care

e.g. feeding and exercising pets

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Mobility support

e.g. encouraging gentle and suitable exercise

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Light gardening

e.g. watering flowers and keeping pathways clear

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Admin support

e.g. keeping on top of post, paperwork, and appointments

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Medication prompting

e.g. ensuring medication is taken correctly

Ventilation and oxygen support

e.g. BiPAP or CPAP Support

Specialist drug administration

Including Controlled Drug Administration, Covert Medication Administration, Glucose readings via finger pricks, Injections, Pessaries, Enemas, Suppositories

Stoma care

PEG care

Wound care

How much is live-in respite care?

With Elder, families pay £684+ for three days, and £1,595+ a week.

As with any type of care, there are funding options available. If you’ve not done so already, it’s worth asking your local authority for a care assessment. They’ll review your loved one’s needs and whether they’re eligible for financial assistance.

If you’re assessed as ineligible for help from your local authority, you may still be able to access help from a benevolent fund or charity. You can find information about possible funding sources from local carers’ groups, your GP, social worker or health visitor.

For more information, read our guide to the costs of respite care.

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6,000+ Carers

Select from over 6,000 qualified carers

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Fast matching

Care can begin in as little as 24 hours

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Across Great Britain

We have organised care in every GB postcode

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Cost efficient

Costs on average 35% less than traditional services

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Urgent support: Stories of fast and reliable home care

When care is needed quickly, finding trusted support can bring instant relief. These stories show how Elder’s urgent home care helps families navigate sudden change with confidence and peace of mind.

Urgent support found: Anne's story of 24-hour care relief

Anne shares how Elder delivered a trusted carer within 24 hours for her friend Sheila. See how reliable support resolved a crisis and eliminated the worry of having a private carer leave.

Read Anne's story

How live-in care helped David keep his loved one at home

When David’s loved one faced a sudden hospital discharge, he quickly arranged live-in care at home, helping her avoid a care home and stay in the comfort of familiar surroundings.

Read David's story

Mike with his wife Sue and his carer Godswill

How Mike organised urgent live-in care remotely

Mike urgently needed live-in care for his dad Bob after being discharged from hospital, but the family was hundreds of miles apart. See how he organised everything remotely with Elder.

Read Mike's story

How do I arrange respite care with Elder?

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Share your care request

Tell us your care requirements using our request form, including the type of care you’re looking for, any specialist skills you need, and what daily life looks like.

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Select your carer

You’ll start receiving profiles of suitable self-employed carers within 24 hours. Chat to them online or arrange a phone or video call, before choosing who you like best.

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Manage care

Once your agreement with your carer begins, use your MyElder account to chat with them and the Elder team, manage your schedule and care information, and find respite cover if you need it.

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Explore other care options

At Elder, we provide a full range of home care services to suit every need. If your loved one requires around-the-clock support or occasional help for a couple of hours, these options may be more suitable:

Old woman smiling with her carer on a bench

Live-in care

Long-term 24-hour support

A carer moves in with your loved one to support them 24/7
Suitable for people living with conditions like dementia and reduced mobility
For long-term care needs

Find a carer Learn more

Elderly woman with her daughter and carer

Visiting care

Flexible home visits

Book as many hours as you need for help in the comfort of your home
Support with everyday tasks like grooming, walks, cooking, etc.
From as little as 1 hour per week

Find a carer Learn more

FAQs about respite care

Still have questions?phone0333 920 3648