Looking for a short-term care break for your loved one, but unsure where to start?
You or your loved one can experience exceptional care and support for as long as you need it with our respite care breaks.
Our dedicated Enquiry Support Team can guide you through your respite care needs and help you find a care home near you. Call them today on 0800 917 0478.
Or follow our useful, easy to follow checklist below when considering respite care for your loved one:
1. Planning is ideal
Although respite care isn’t a long term solution, it’s still an important decision to make and you want to feel confident and comfortable with your choice of care for you or your loved one.
Where circumstances allow, we advise to give time to plan for your respite care stay. Plan ahead and give yourself time to visit the home and find out what life will be like during the respite care break. Viewing delicious menus and fun-filled activities programmes on offer is a great place to start. Remember, respite care is more than just a place to stay with carers providing support, there are many lifestyle benefits to enjoy as well - from starting new hobbies to making new friends.
Why not book a show around at our nearest home to start planning today? You can book breaks up to six months in advance.
2. Do your research!
Having peace of mind before your pre-bookable stay will ease any anxiety you may have, which in turn will make a respite break for you and your loved one a happier experience.
You can easily find research online - starting with independent care home review site carehome.co.uk. Here you can read first-hand reviews from residents and loved ones sharing their experience on all things - including food, activities and care.
And don’t forget to review regulatory reports on the Care Quality Commission’s website for homes in England or the Care Inspectorate for homes in Scotland.
3. Type of care
Understanding the type of care you or loved one require is also extremely important. You can arrange a needs assessment with your local authority or if enquiring for respite care at one of our 98 care homes, our dedicated team can do it for you. We will do a face-to-face or virtual assessment and ask all the questions we need in one go - making it as smooth as possible for you and your loved one.
4. Person-centred stay
At Sanctuary Care, we truly believe that care goes beyond any care needs. We look to care for the individual, providing a person-centred care service that’s as unique as you and your loved one are. And that’s why we would recommend planning out what you and your loved one like to do and how you like to spend your time - from hobbies, trying something new to your preferred daily routine. Share it all! Make your respite care break feel as normal and ‘just like home’ as possible.
5. Family contacts
Plan your respite stay alongside your nearest and dearest. It’s essential to have a go-to person that a care home provider can call in an emergency or just to keep in touch with to share how someone is settling in during their stay. This person will need to be contactable throughout the stay, so think about who is available.
6. Think about funding for care
Do you know if you have to fund for your respite stay or not? And if you do, have you considered how you would fund the stay? There is so much care funding advice available online and our care home managers answer questions regarding care fees every day.
We appreciate it’s a vital part to your decision-making process and can be so confusing. But we are here to help!
Call our Enquiry Support Team today on 0800 917 0478 for free tips and advice - they will also be able to link you up with your nearest care home manager for a virtual or face-to-face show around to answer all your questions, including those around care fees.
So that’s our six-step checklist.
