Life will always throw something unexpected in our path and when you’ve got a duty to take care of an elderly or handicapped friend or relative, it can occasionally present really difficult situation for you to deal with.
Thankfully, emergency respite care is available when something unforeseen does come up and this blog explains what it is and when it is available.
What Is Emergency Respite Care?
If you have not already heard of it, you may now be wondering what emergency respite care is; well, as the name would suggest, it is care that can be offered in the event of an emergency.
Many local councils in the UK offer such a service for free. This is typically only for a couple of days, or, in exceptional cases, three days. Of course if you are unable to carry out duties for a longer spell than that, you will be best to seek out firms that offer a service for a longer period of time.
When Can I Seek Emergency Respite Care?
There are a number of situations that can lead to you needing to rely on this form of care.
Something as simple as being stuck in traffic or delayed from your duty can warrant a use of this form of service, after all time can be crucial when it comes to care, so if you are unable to provide care for your family member for a number of hours, it can lead to many difficulties.
Other situations in which you would call upon this form of care are in the event of a family emergency or if you find yourself ill or having to go into hospital and are unable to provide care.
What Does Emergency Respite Care Involve?
If you need to call on any form of emergency respite care, there are a number of services that either the council or the firm you contacted in regards to the service.
While a firm might provide someone to provide live in care, the council may instead have someone that drops in. either way, they will both provide a similar service which will cover everything from washing and dressing the person they are taking care of, to ensuring that they get food and water and assistance to the toilet if needed.
Sometimes they will even provide assistance to get to daily appointments. As an example, they may provide a lift or escort the person they are caring for to a doctor’s or dentist appointment.
Respite care is ultimately about giving the carer a break away from their duty, but in the case of an emergency, it is good to know that these services exist for you to call upon.
Louisa Jenkins is a care specialist who offers people and carers advice on topics including emergency respite care, home care and other forms of care.