How can I get respite care?
You can make your own arrangements for respite care to suit you and your family. However, a suitable facility can be difficult to find and there are significant cost implications. Most people need support in finding and paying for respite care at some point.
Everyone with MS has the right to ask for an assessment of their needs and that includes the need for respite care. Depending on your location you will need to contact different people:
Carers also have the right to an assessment of their needs, independently of the person being cared for.
Depending on your needs, respite care may be included in your care plan. The type and frequency of respite will be determined by the needs of both carer and cared for, availability of respite care services and local policies.
However, while local authorities have the power to provide respite services, there is no statutory obligation to do so. Eligibility and charges for respite care vary depending on local authority policy and resources are often prioritised.
- England & Wales: the local authority social services
- Scotland: social work department
- Northern Ireland: department of health and social services
Carers also have the right to an assessment of their needs, independently of the person being cared for.
Depending on your needs, respite care may be included in your care plan. The type and frequency of respite will be determined by the needs of both carer and cared for, availability of respite care services and local policies.
However, while local authorities have the power to provide respite services, there is no statutory obligation to do so. Eligibility and charges for respite care vary depending on local authority policy and resources are often prioritised.
Costs & Funding
Social services may pay for some or all of your respite care costs. This will be determined by a financial assessment and by local policy. You may have to pay (or contribute to) the costs yourself. Your local health service may also be able to help with the costs of respite care depending on your level of health needs. This will depend on the local agreement between health and social services, and whether you qualify for continuing care funding.The MS Society Grants Team at the MS National Centre can discuss sources of funding, both statutory (e.g. from social services) and voluntary (e.g. from charities and grant-making organisations) within England and Wales. In Scotland and Northern Ireland, telephone your national office of the MS Society. Each of the Society's Respite Centres will be able to advise about sources of funding for stays at their centre. Your local branch of the MS Society may also be able to help.
Local Policy
It is essential to ask your local social services / care manager for information about local policy before booking respite care. It may also be difficult to find respite care suitable for your age group and personal care needs, and it is helpful if you can identify somewhere yourself to suggest. However, if you choose a place that is more expensive than the provider social services would normally use, you will be required to find a third party to pay the difference in cost.Remember that while you may consider respite care to be your 'holiday', social services will often have a fairly narrow view of the purpose of respite e.g. to give the carer a break, and will perhaps refuse to support a break which includes the carer(s).
