It is important that Carers have some time off from their caring responsibilities. Making sure that you “recharge your batteries” is vital for your own health and wellbeing, and can help you cope. A break will also give you the opportunity to do some of the things you need or want to do whether doing some shopping, meeting friends, taking part in hobbies or activities or even just going for a walk.

You may wish to take a break a few hours a week, or want to plan for a longer break to enable you to go on holiday or visit other family or friends who live further away. You may also want to plan a few longer breaks throughout the year.

The person you care for may also benefit from a change in surroundings and a chance to meet new people.

Traditionally, these breaks were known as ‘respite’ and this term is still often used to describe longer breaks. However, there are now many different ways to get time-out and these are described as ‘short-breaks’.

Please note that there may be costs associated with short-breaks or respite, depending on your individual circumstances.

What breaks are available?

How to get respite or a short-break

The Short Break Information Service

Preparing for a Break 

What breaks are available?

Service based – If you have services coming into the house to help the person you care for, you may find you are able to get a break, if even for only a very short while. These services may be provided through Social Work, Health Workers or you may have arranged and paid these privately. There may also be voluntary services available such as befriending. Although these are aimed at providing social contact with the person you care for, there is an added benefit of enabling you to have time for yourself.

Day Care – These are centres that run activities during the day for people with disabilities or some medical conditions.

Residential – When the person you care for goes to stay in a residential care or nursing home for a pre-determined period.

Hospital based – When the person you care for goes into a NHS facility such as a hospital ward. This is provided when an individual needs 24-hour nursing staff to be available.

Home based – When a paid worker comes to look after the person you care for in his or her own home. This may be for a few hours through an organisation such as Crossroads (0141 776 7358).

Shared Care – The person you care for goes to stay with another family.

Holidays – There are now many holiday organisations that specialise in arranging holidays and accommodation for people with disabilities or medical conditions. Update has 2 CD-Roms available - 'Holidays For All Scotland' and 'Holidays For All Abroad'.  The discs provide details of accessible holiday accommodation, travel and transport, holiday funding, specialist travel agencies, holiday insurance, holiday equipment hire, and funding possibilities.   Carers Link has copies of these discs within our offices - please contact us for details.

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How do I get respite or a short-break?

If you already have a named Social Worker, you can contact them directly or ask Carers Link to make contact on your behalf. 

Unless it is to provide emergency cover, before arranging respite or a short-break a Carers Assessment will need to be carried out.  This will help both you and Social Work to fully identify all your needs and how these can be met.  You can read more about Carers Assessments and how Carers Link can help in this by reading here.

You can also access respite or short-breaks by using Direct Payments or by paying privately.

 Shared Care Scotland has launched a unique Scotland-wide on-line directory of short break and respite services covering all forms of service.  In time, they hope the Online Short Break Information Service (or OSBIS for short) will provide a one-stop-shop to search for and arrange a suitable break according to location, age and care needs.

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Preparing for a break

Although getting a break is important, you may find some difficulties. For example, the person you care for may not wish to accept care from anyone else, or you may feel that the alternatives on offer are not appropriate to suit your or their needs.

If you are used to providing most or all the care yourself, you may also find it difficult to stop worrying or may not know what to do with your new-found time. Carers Link can help you both to arrange breaks, and also help you prepare for them.

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