Respite care is a range of short-term care services for older people, other adults with a disability or long-term illness and/or their carers. Respite care can be arranged for you by Social Services following an assessment of your care needs. You can also arrange some respite care services yourself by approaching the voluntary organisations Bromley Association of People with Disabilities (BATH) and Carers Bromley for more information (contact details shown in the "Next Steps" section below).
Who could benefit from/use this service?
The aim of respite care services is to meet the key care needs of adults, aged 18 or over and living in the borough of Bromley, who:
- meet Bromley Council’s eligibility criteria for access to services;
- have a disability or long-term illness and need a planned break for themselves and their carers.
This is in order to:
- help them to keep their independence and remain living at home;
- prevent admission to long-term care homes or hospital;
- alleviate physical or emotional stress to them and/or their carer.
For more information please select this item for eligibility criteria for adults.
Details
Respite care can include short stays in a care home or a care home with nursing support. Respite care can also include holiday respite schemes and a respite at home service for those who need care and support when their carer goes away.
All respite care is arranged on a planned basis according to age group and assessed need. The length and frequency of respite care will depend on your individual need.
Respite care is not intended for use in an emergency when the normal arrangements for care break down – social services has other arrangements for emergency care.
Costs
Depending upon your financial circumstances, you may be required to contribute to the cost of your respite care services, arranged for you by social services.
If you arrange respite care yourself, you will need to ask the voluntary organisation that is supplying the service about their charges for respite care.
Next Steps
- Contact Bromley Social Services to discuss an assessment of your needs (see “Contact Details” section below).
- The service user (the person receiving respite care) must agree to have the service
If you do not wish to be assessed please contact Bromley Association of People with Disabilities (BATH) and Carers Bromley for more information.