Respite care or short-term breaks should be offered.

You may find that continuously caring for a loved one with dementia becomes a struggle. Even though you wish to continue caring for them you would welcome a few days for yourself to unwind and relieve stress.
The local authority may offer short breaks or overnight respite for your loved one to be cared for by in-home services or in a care home.

For extra information, evidence and best practice please scroll down to the bottom of the page.

National offerings

Age UK

Age UK is the country's leading charity dedicated to helping everyone make the most of later life. Providing advice, support, information, fundraising, local services
Telephone: Advice line 0800 678 1602 free to call 8am - 7pm 365 days of the year
Weblink: https://www.ageuk.org.uk

Alzheimer’s Society

The Alzheimer’s Society provides reliable and up to date information to help you with every aspect of living with dementia.
Telephone: National Dementia Helpline: 0300 222 1122. Open 9.00am. – 5.00pm. Monday to Friday & 10.00am. – 4.00pm. Saturday and Sunday.
Weblink: https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/

Dementia UK

Dementia UK is a national charity, committed to improving quality of life for all people affected by dementia. They provide Admiral Nurses, who work with family members and carers in all care settings along with a helpline for family members or carers who would welcome accessing advice and support.
Telephone: 0800 88 6678
Email: direct@dementiauk.org
Weblink: https://www.dementiauk.org/

Lewy Body Society

The Lewy Body Society is a charity whose mission is to fund research into Lewy body dementia and to raise awareness of the disease. The website provides information, support, resources and advice.
Telephone: 01942 914000
Weblink: https://www.lewybody.org/

NICE Dementia Guidance

This guideline brings together all the research and evidence which covers assessment, diagnosis, treatment and support. It is for people at risk of developing dementia, people who are referred for assessment, people living with dementia as well as being for family and friends and health and social care staff and commissioners. It aims to improve care by making recommendations on standards people should expect to receive from their assessment, care and support as well as on training.
Weblinks:
We have provided links to the NICE guideline for dementia and a further link is provided to guidance on how to delay or prevent the onset of dementia.
National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) NG16 (2015) Dementia, disability and frailty in later life – mid-life approaches to delay or prevent onset: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng16
National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) (2019) Dementia: assessment, management and support for people living with dementia and their carers: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng97

Healthwatch

Healthwatch is your health and social care champion. If you use GPs and hospitals, dentists, pharmacies, care homes or other support services, we want to hear about your experiences. As an independent statutory body, we have the power to make sure NHS leaders and other decision makers listen to your feedback and improve standards of care. Last year we helped nearly a million people like you to have your say and get the information and advice you need.
Telephone: Call: 03000 683 000 between the hours of 08:30 – 17:30 Monday to Friday
Email: enquiries@healthwatch.co.uk
Weblink: https://www.healthwatch.co.uk/your-local-healthwatch/list

Evidence

NICE guideline: "assessment, management and support for people living with dementia and their carers: 1.11.4 - Advise carers about their right to the following and how to get them: an assessment of their need for short breaks and other respite care."

Dementia Action Alliance, Carers Call to Action: "Family carers of people with dementia should have confidence that they can access good quality care, support and respite services that are flexible, culturally appropriate, timely and provided by skilled staff, both for themselves and the person for whom they care."

Research paper, Knapp et al 2012: "Some evidence suggests that respite care in day settings and psychosocial interventions for carers could be cost-effective. Coordinated care management and personal budgets held by carers have also demonstrated cost-effectiveness in some studies."

NHS resource, Carers' breaks and respite care: "Respite care means taking a break from caring, while the person you care for is looked after by someone else. It lets you take time out to look after yourself and helps stop you becoming exhausted and run down. There are lots of respite care options. They range from getting a volunteer to sit with the person you look after for a few hours, to a short stay in a care home so you can go on holiday. The person you look after could go to a day care centre. Or, a paid carer could visit them at their home to look after them."

Best Practice Resources

Carers UK, Taking a break leaflet: Caring means something different for everyone – but one thing that's true for every carer is that you cannot keep going without a break. Whilst having a break is doubtlessly good for you, it also means that the person you're looking after may be able to enjoy new experiences, have a change of scene and routine and mix with other people.