What Are the Different Types of Respite Care?

Respite care is a planned or emergency short-term break from caring, during which a professional service temporarily takes over the care of a dependent person. There are several distinct types, each suited to different levels of need, care settings, and family circumstances.

Understanding Respite Care

For the estimated 5.7 million unpaid carers in the UK, caring is a full-time responsibility that carries a significant risk of physical and emotional burnout. Respite care exists to address this directly, giving carers protected time to rest, attend to their own health, and maintain the relationships and activities that sustain them over the long term.

The term "respite" refers to the break itself, not a single service model. In practice, respite care is delivered in several different formats, and the right option depends on the cared-for person's level of dependency, their preferences, and the duration of break required.

Our dedicated respite care page sets out how Living Developments supports families across Cumbria, Lancashire, and Merseyside. This article focuses specifically on the different types available and how to identify which is the right fit.

The Main Types of Respite Care

1. Residential Respite Care (Care Home-Based)

Residential respite care involves a temporary stay in a registered care home, typically lasting from a few days to several weeks. The cared-for person receives the same level of personalised support as permanent residents, including personal care, meals, medication management, and social activities.

This is the most structured form of respite and is particularly well-suited to:

• People who require 24-hour supervision for safety
• Those with significant personal care needs that are difficult to manage at home
• Situations where the primary carer needs extended time away, such as a holiday or a planned medical procedure
• Families who want to use the stay as an opportunity to assess how their loved one responds to professional care

Living Developments offers residential respite care at Elmtree House, The Millfield, and The Willows. Each home provides pre-admission visits so the transition is as comfortable as possible.

What to expect from a residential respite stay:

• Private room with personal care support
• All meals and refreshments included
• Access to the full activities programme
• 24-hour staffing and supervision
• Liaison with GPs and other healthcare professionals as needed
• Regular family communication throughout the stay

For a fuller picture of what residential care involves, see our article on what is residential care and the benefits of residential care.

2. Dementia Respite Care

Dementia respite care is specialist short-term care provided by staff trained in dementia support, within an environment specifically designed to reduce disorientation and anxiety for people living with dementia.

Standard residential respite care is not always appropriate for people with moderate or advanced dementia. The reasons are clinical and environmental. Someone living with dementia may experience significant distress in an unfamiliar setting unless the home has:

• Secure, dementia-adapted facilities with familiar-feeling layouts
• Staff who understand dementia communication techniques, including validation therapy and non-verbal engagement
• Structured daily routines that provide predictability and reduce anxiety
• Appropriate sensory environments, including managed noise levels and visual contrast

"We find that families are often nervous about how a loved one with dementia will cope with a temporary move. In practice, the adjustment is usually smoother than expected when the right preparation is done beforehand, particularly if the person visits the home before the stay begins and meets key staff members in advance."

For context on dementia progression and when specialist support becomes necessary, our articles on how quickly dementia progresses, what are signs that dementia is getting worse, and when someone with dementia should go into a care home provide useful background.

3. Home-Based Respite Care

Home-based respite care involves a trained care worker or support worker coming into the family home to provide care while the regular carer takes a break.

Rather than the cared-for person moving to a different setting, care is delivered within the familiar home environment. This option is commonly used when:

• The cared-for person is very resistant to leaving their home or becomes significantly distressed in unfamiliar settings
• The break required is shorter, for example a few hours to allow a carer to attend a medical appointment or spend time with other family members
• The dependency level does not require 24-hour residential supervision
• The carer needs regular, recurring breaks rather than one extended period away

Home-based respite can be arranged through local authority social care teams, care agencies, or directly with independent carers. The level of care that can be safely delivered at home does have limits; for people with complex nursing needs or significant behavioural symptoms of dementia, residential provision is usually more appropriate.

4. Day Care Respite

Day care respite involves the cared-for person attending a specialist day centre, typically for one or more days per week, providing structured daytime respite for the carer without an overnight stay.

Day care centres provide:

• Social interaction and group activities
• Meals and refreshments
• Personal care support if required
• Cognitive stimulation programmes, particularly at dementia-specialist day centres
• Transport in many cases, reducing the logistical burden on the carer

Day care is frequently the first form of respite families access, as it represents a relatively small disruption to existing routines. However, it is not a substitute for residential respite when a carer needs extended recovery time or is dealing with a health crisis of their own.

5. Emergency Respite Care

Emergency respite care is unplanned short-term care arranged at short notice when the primary carer is unexpectedly unable to continue providing care, due to illness, hospitalisation, bereavement, or another urgent life event.

Local authorities have a statutory duty under the Care Act 2014 to ensure that emergency arrangements are in place for vulnerable adults when their carer is suddenly unable to care for them. In practice, emergency placements are facilitated through a combination of local authority social care teams, hospital discharge coordinators, and care homes that maintain emergency bed availability.

If you are a carer who is concerned about what would happen in an emergency, it is worth discussing this scenario with your GP and the local authority's adult social care team in advance, rather than waiting for a crisis to occur.

6. Planned Regular Respite

Planned regular respite involves a recurring, scheduled short-term care arrangement, for example a fortnightly or monthly residential stay, used as an ongoing strategy to sustain long-term caring.

Rather than waiting until a carer reaches the point of burnout, planned regular respite treats rest as a proactive part of a sustainable caring arrangement. Evidence from Carers UK and NHS England suggests that carers who access regular planned respite are significantly less likely to experience carer breakdown compared with those who rely solely on informal support.

The benefits of respite care for both carers and the people they care for are well-documented, including reduced carer stress, improved physical health outcomes, and better quality of life for the cared-for person through the social interaction and stimulation that professional care environments provide.

Comparing Respite Care Types

How Is Respite Care Funded?

Funding for respite care depends on both the cared-for person's financial situation and their assessed care needs.

Self-funding applies when the cared-for person's capital assets exceed the local authority means-test threshold (currently £23,250 in England). At this level, families pay the full cost of residential respite directly.

Local authority funding may be available following a care needs assessment and means test. Local authorities can provide direct payments, personal budgets, or arrange care directly. The carer themselves is also entitled to a carer's assessment under the Care Act 2014, which may identify entitlement to support services, including funded respite.

NHS Continuing Healthcare covers the full cost of care for individuals whose primary need is health-based rather than social. For people in nursing care settings, the Funded Nursing Care contribution (FNC rate: £235.88 per week in 2024/25) may partially offset nursing costs. For a complete explanation, see our guide on NHS funding for care homes.

Charities and voluntary sector organisations also provide grants and subsidised respite care for specific groups, including veterans, people with particular conditions, and those in financial hardship. Carers UK and the Carers Trust both maintain up-to-date funding directories.

How to Arrange Respite Care

The process varies depending on whether you are self-funding or seeking local authority support.

For self-funders:

1. Identify care homes or services in your area that offer respite
2. Contact the home directly to discuss availability, pricing, and the pre-admission assessment process
3. Arrange a visit for both the carer and the cared-for person
4. Complete the care home's admission assessment
5. Agree dates, personal care requirements, and any specialist support needs

For local authority funded respite:

1. Contact your local authority's adult social care team to request a care needs assessment for the cared-for person
2. Request a carer's assessment in your own right, if you have not already had one
3. Discuss respite care as part of the support planning process
4. The local authority will identify appropriate provision and funding mechanisms

Signs That Respite Care Is Needed

Recognising when a carer needs support is not always straightforward. The following are indicators that respite care should be actively explored:

• Physical exhaustion that rest alone is not resolving
• Increased irritability, anxiety, or low mood
• Neglecting your own medical appointments or health needs
• Feeling resentful of the caring role, even temporarily
• Declining social contact with friends and family
• Concerns that the quality of care you are providing is affected by tiredness
• A specific upcoming event, such as a medical procedure, family occasion, or holiday

The earlier respite is introduced, the more sustainable the caring arrangement becomes. For guidance on when the right time to consider a care home might be, see our article on when is it time for a care home.

FAQ: Types of Respite Care

What is the difference between respite care and permanent residential care?
Respite care is temporary by definition. It is arranged for a fixed period, after which the cared-for person returns home. Permanent residential care is an ongoing placement with no fixed end date. A respite stay does not commit the family to anything and can actually be a useful way to experience professional care before any permanent decision is considered.

Can someone with dementia receive respite care?
Yes. Specialist dementia respite care is available in homes with appropriate training, secure environments, and structured support. The key is selecting a provider with genuine dementia expertise rather than a home that simply accepts residents with a dementia diagnosis. See our overview of dementia care for more detail on what specialist provision looks like.

How much does residential respite care cost?
Costs vary by region and level of care. As a broad guide, residential respite in England typically ranges from approximately £800 to £1,200 per week. Dementia-specialist provision and nursing care tend to be at the upper end of this range. Local authority assessments, Funded Nursing Care contributions, and in some cases NHS Continuing Healthcare may reduce or eliminate this cost.

What if my loved one refuses to try respite care?
This is common, particularly for people with dementia who may lack insight into the carer's needs. The most effective approaches involve gradual familiarisation, framing the stay positively (for example, as a short holiday or social opportunity), and allowing a pre-admission visit to meet staff beforehand. It is also worth discussing this with the care home's team, who will have experience managing this transition sensitively.

Is there a maximum length for a respite care stay?
There is no legally defined maximum, though most residential respite stays range from a few days to a few weeks. Extended or recurring arrangements are possible and are often the most effective approach for carers who need ongoing, predictable breaks rather than occasional emergency cover.

Finding the Right Respite Care

The right type of respite care depends on the specific needs of the person being cared for, the duration of break required, and the level of specialist support needed.

At Living Developments, our care homes provide residential and dementia respite care across Cumbria, Lancashire, and Merseyside. If you would like to discuss your situation, explore availability, or arrange a visit to one of our homes, contact our team. 

You can also view our care homes directly, or explore our respite care service page for more information.

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