Taking a break
Taking a break is vital for all carers, even if it's just for a couple of hours. Find out more about the benefits of taking a break and the ways available to secure it.
Time off is good for you
Taking a break from caring is not an admission of failure. Nor is it saying you don't care. It's a sensible and realistic thing to do if you want to carry on caring. Without an occasional break you may become exhausted or unwell. A break can allow you to do all the errands you can't do while you are caring, to catch up on friends or family or just to have a rest. The person you care for will benefit from a break from you, too – by having other people to talk to and other things to talk about.
Arranging cover
You may need to arrange alternative care for the person you look after. If you cannot afford to arrange this care, or can afford it but find making the arrangements too difficult, contact your local social services department for help. They can arrange additional care in the home, extra visits to a day care centre, or residential care for the person that you look after while you are away. What you arrange will depend on your needs and those of the person you are caring for, as well as resources/costs and the available alternatives. Whatever arrangements you make, involve the person you are caring for in the decisions.
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Be prepared
Make sure that anyone who takes over from you has all the information they need to adequately look after the person that you care for. Give them your contact details too, in case of an emergency.
Holidays
Going away alone: You may need to arrange alternative care for the person you look after. If you cannot afford to arrange this care, or can afford it but find making the arrangements too difficult, contact your local social services department for help. They can arrange additional care in the home, extra visits to a day care centre, or residential care for the person that you look after while you are away.
Going away together: If you need to find accommodation to suit the needs of the person that you look after, there are a number of voluntary agencies, including Holiday Care and RADAR, who can give details of holiday accommodation that is suitable for disabled people.
