Guardian Angel Carers, an established nationwide group of values-based home care teams, has clarified how at-home support may be the vital missing link in addressing a crisis in availability and access to respite care.
Following the recently publicised closure of Revitalise, a 60-year-old charitable organisation that offered respite breaks for families and carers living with severe disabilities, professionals have spoken out about how this signals part of a larger trend—all of which have contributed to a substantial gap between respite care capacity and need.
Understanding the Reasons Behind the Respite Care Crisis in the UK
The sad closure of the charity follows an extended period of difficulties, with numerous hospice providers also shutting down, particularly impacting underserved populations in more rural areas.
Issues include rising wage costs, which will be compounded by increased employer liabilities in the next tax year; drops in interest in social care, nursing, hospice, and home care careers; and steep rises in the costs of respite care delivery.
For families, this might mean that caregivers have little or no support, are reliant on residential care when this otherwise would not have been necessary or preferred or are making difficult choices with risks of compromised care quality and standards.
All this is happening when demand is also steadily rising. This is due to an ageing population, longer life expectancies, and better awareness of alternatives to care homes and nursing centres for those keen to retain independence and remain in the comfort of their own homes.
It is clear that fewer respite care providers, higher levels of need, and issues around costs impacting both care providers and families have led to a critical juncture.
How Private Home Care Agencies Are Stepping in to Fill Gaps in Respite Care
Vikki Craig-Vickers, MD of Guardian Angel Carers, says, ‘The respite care crisis hasn't emerged overnight. It has been building for some time. After years of government austerity and strain on public health services, it isn't a surprise to hear from families in desperate need of support who feel they have nowhere to turn.
As a private home care provider, respite care is one of many services we offer, and this breadth of capacity enables us to offer a flexible approach. For instance, although the conventional respite care model involves overnight stays, this isn’t always necessarily in the interests of either the care recipient or their loved ones.
While overnight carers can absolutely deliver respite care in a person's home, they can also offer visiting care on days when family caregivers are taking a break or as a long-term arrangement to create a wraparound routine, with professional and family carers working collaboratively to ensure continuity of care.
Thinking outside the box and tailoring our care to each family or person is a fundamental part of what we do. This is often crucial to ensuring that those requiring respite care aren't left without options that work for their care needs, routines, and budgets.
We've worked incredibly hard over the last 13 years to remodel what exceptional-quality home care can look like. This means better pay, job security, recognition and support for carers to gain new skills, receive mentoring and training, and have opportunities to achieve formal qualifications, effectively eliminating the issues around workforce retention we hear about elsewhere.
Like so many aspects of the struggling care system, a fresh, innovative and forward-facing approach is essential, ensuring respite care isn't a rare commodity but is a valued, readily available and adaptable service to help families manage in sometimes very difficult circumstances.’
The Importance of Professional Respite Support for Families
Numerous studies have showcased the severity of challenges families experience without much-needed support.
They include burnout and ill health, poor mental well-being, financial pressures, an inability to work, and the long-term effects of being relied upon 24 hours a day, alongside the emotional and physical strain of caring for a loved one.
Research indicates that respite care is particularly vital for families looking after a loved one with a cognitive condition like dementia, where a long-term support system ensures family caregivers can offer assistance without sacrificing their own health and welfare.
Vikki adds, ‘Respite care isn't a nice thing to have or a specialist care service only available in specific circumstances. It is simply a case of putting flexible, person-first care in place to ensure every family has the right to make clear choices about the best care structure for them and with a balance between work, life, and caring to improve outcomes for all.’
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About Guardian Angel Carers
Guardian Angel Carers is a leading home care provider dedicated to delivering compassionate, personalised care services. With a strong focus on independence, dignity, and quality of life, the company supports individuals in the comfort of their own homes, offering a range of services from companionship to complex care needs.
Media Contact:
Vikki Craig-Vickers
03333 660550
www.gacarers.co.uk
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Source Company – https://www.gacarers.co.uk/
Source: Digital PR
Release ID: 1321244
