You may be able to arrange a booking in advance, although this will depend on the availability of respite care in your region. For those facilities with dedicated respite beds, bookings might be able to be made in advance; some residential care facilities will prefer you to book as far in advance as possible while others will only be able to take booking a few weeks in advance.
Remember; booking respite care isn’t like booking a hotel. You are allocated a set number of days, which will vary based on a person’s situation; this could be for a single night or for a few weeks.
Respite care cannot be used for convalescent care or when you or someone you are caring for are unwell. It is temporary care designed to give carers a break while still ensuring the needs of the older person are taken care of.
In some parts of the country, there is a high demand so it pays to have a shortlist of care homes that offer respite so that you have a few options when respite care is needed.
Find residential care homes in your area on the Eldernet Residential Care website - once you choose the region you live in and the level of care you require from the drop-down menu, you will be able to filter for facilities that offer ‘Respite, Carer Support or other Short Stay'.
Updated: 11 Apr 2023