Respite from Caring

Respite from caring is important to carers. It enables them to maintain their own mental and physical health, reinvigorate themselves and continue caring. In many cases it also provides time to be a caring parent to other siblings, young and older, and to maintain their relationship with spouses. Many of these things can be challenging when caring for a disabled person and it isn’t just the carer that loses out. Many local authorities miss these important points.

Respite from caring is not necessarily short breaks, which is the latest unhelpful terminology to be used. It is good old plain English respite from caring, the extent of need for which will reflect the needs of the whole family. There is little point in giving a carer a short break if they wish to visit their family that lives overseas or there is a major crisis with a sibling. Sibling adolescents may be quite a handful and more mature siblings will be taking important exams at various stages of their lives up to the age of about 25. Later in life the needs of the carer begin to overtake the needs of the cared for.

Respite is part of a preventative approach that local authorities are required to take. The alternative would cost them much more.

The start point for negotiating adequate respite from caring is to understand that carers of adults do it voluntarily. You can decline to care at any time, although most people would prefer to avoid the need for this. Carers are encouraged to reach agreement with their local authority for the provision of adequate resources to provide care for your son or daughter to allow you to take realistic and rejuvenating breaks as part of their Carers Assessment. If you need motivating to do this, just think that many care managers working less than 40 hours a week will be taking all their paid leave and earning a pension while they do it! The average volunteer family carer works about 78 hours or more a week for nothing, including evenings, nights and weekends.

Make sure that you get a carer’s assessment. Know your rights, exploit them and do not accept any offer that would not pass the test of reasonableness.