Respite Care in Chester

Chester • Cheshire

Short-term and emergency respite care in Chester

Caring for a family member is one of the most generous things a person can do, and it is also relentless. Everyone needs to rest, recharge or deal with their own life from time to time, and that is what respite care is for. We step into the caring role for a short while, so you can take a holiday, catch up on sleep, recover from your own illness or simply have a proper break, knowing your loved one is safe and well looked after at home in Chester. Protocol Healthcare Services has spent more than a decade arranging cover like this, and we bring the same standards to Chester that we apply everywhere.

We will be upfront about how we work. Our offices are in the South of England, so we do not run a high-street branch in Chester. What we do run is a genuinely national service, coordinating vetted, background-checked Care Professionals wherever they are needed. Everyone we place has completed enhanced DBS and right-to-work checks, references and training before they start, and a consultant is available around the clock, which matters most of all when respite is needed in a hurry.

When families in Chester turn to respite care

• ✓ A planned holiday or time away
• ✓ A carer's own illness, operation or hospital stay
• ✓ Recovery after your loved one leaves hospital
• ✓ A wedding, family event or work commitment
• ✓ Emergency cover at short notice
• ✓ A regular weekly break to avoid burnout
• ✓ Trying care at home before a longer arrangement
• ✓ Bridging a gap between other care packages

Planned breaks and emergency cover

Some respite is booked well ahead, a fortnight in the summer, a family occasion, a course of treatment. We plan those carefully with you, learning your loved one's routine, likes and dislikes before the day arrives so the handover is smooth and nothing important is missed. Other times respite is needed with almost no warning, when a carer falls ill or is admitted to hospital themselves. In those situations we move quickly, and because we coordinate care nationally around the clock, we can often get safe cover in place at short notice across Chester and the wider Cheshire West area.

Visiting respite or live-in respite in Chester

Respite comes in two main shapes. Visiting respite means a Care Professional dropping in for scheduled calls through the day, ideal when you want to hand over the practical tasks but the household still runs largely as normal. Live-in respite means a Care Professional staying in the home to provide round-the-clock cover, which is what most families choose when they want to go away completely and rest without checking their phone every hour. Either way the aim is the same: your loved one stays in familiar surroundings in Handbridge, Hoole, Boughton or wherever home happens to be, keeping to the routines and comforts they know.

Respite after a hospital stay in Chester

Respite care is often at its most valuable in the weeks after a hospital discharge or an operation. Coming home from the Countess of Chester Hospital, run by the Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, is a big step, and both the person recovering and the family carer are often worn out. A short block of respite covers medication, mobility and daily care while everyone regains their strength, and we step the support down as recovery progresses. The trust also manages Ellesmere Port Hospital for rehabilitation and intermediate care, and we work alongside community teams to keep recovery on track and reduce the risk of readmission.

Local knowledge across Chester

We arrange respite care across the city and the wider Cheshire West area, from Handbridge and Curzon Park over the Dee to Hoole, Newton and Vicars Cross to the east, Boughton and Great Boughton along the Tarvin Road, and Blacon, Upton, Lache, Saltney and Mickle Trafford around the edges of the city. The CH postcode area runs from CH1 through CH4, and whatever the setting, we build the cover around the person and the property so a break for you never feels like an upheaval for them.

Funding and the cost of respite care in Chester

Respite is priced on what you actually need, the type of cover, how many hours or days, and any specialist requirements. We will explain the cost clearly before anything starts. Many Chester families self-fund respite, but you may be entitled to help: as an unpaid carer you can ask Cheshire West and Chester Council for a carer's assessment, and your loved one can have a care needs assessment, either of which may include support towards a break. Care at home in England is regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). You can read more on our paying for care guide, and see the full range on our services pages.

Areas of Chester we cover for respite care

We arrange planned and emergency respite care at home across the city and its surrounding communities, including:

• Handbridge
• Hoole
• Boughton
• Blacon
• Upton
• Newton
• Vicars Cross
• Lache
• Saltney
• Great Boughton
• Curzon Park
• Mickle Trafford