Many elderly or people with disabilities requiring social care are being cared for in their homes by husbands, wives, sons, daughters or close relatives, who freely give up their time and often their jobs, to care for their loved ones.
Caring for a loved one in this way is a 100% full-time commitment and we can only applaud those people who devote their lives to caring for a loved one. However, all carers need break to re-charge, to regain their ability to continue caring .
This could be because of a need to travel, a visit to a relative abroad may be necessary or the health or situation of the carer restricts or alters their availability. Perhaps the person being cared for has become too difficult to manage and a place in a care home is not yet available or care cover is required following hospital discharge.
Short-term care can also be required when the carer themselves is unable to provide care for a short period of time, perhaps because of illness or other commitments, such as work or jury duty. When this occurs, short-term care from a live-in carer allows them the time off they need before returning to their caring role.
