Respite Care in Lewisham

Lewisham • South East London

Short-term and emergency respite care in Lewisham

Caring for a husband, wife or parent is a labour of love, but no one can do it without a break. Respite care gives family carers across Lewisham the chance to rest, recover or simply catch their breath, while an experienced Care Professional steps in to keep everything running at home. It might be a few hours a week so you can get to your own appointments, a fortnight of live-in cover while you take a holiday, or urgent support at a few hours' notice when things suddenly change. Whatever the reason, the person you care for stays in their own home, with their own routines, in the borough they know.

Protocol Healthcare Services covers Lewisham from its London office in Edgware, so we do not run a branch on Lewisham High Street. We do coordinate vetted, trained Care Professionals wherever they are needed, and every person we place has completed enhanced DBS and right-to-work checks, references and training. For respite in particular, we take care to learn the person's routine quickly, so that a temporary carer feels like continuity rather than upheaval.

When Lewisham families turn to respite care

• ✓ A planned break, holiday or time away for the carer
• ✓ Emergency cover when a carer is unwell or admitted to hospital
• ✓ Recovery support after your own operation or illness
• ✓ A short block of care after a loved one leaves hospital
• ✓ Regular weekly respite to prevent carer burnout
• ✓ A trial of care before deciding on longer-term support
• ✓ Cover for family occasions, weddings and events
• ✓ Overnight and weekend respite

Planned breaks and holiday cover in Lewisham

The best respite is often the kind you plan ahead. Carers in Blackheath, Lee Green and Crofton Park book respite weeks in advance so they can take a proper holiday, knowing their relative is in safe hands and their routine will carry on unchanged. We can provide daily visiting calls to cover the tasks you normally handle, or a live-in Care Professional who takes over completely, managing medication, meals, personal care and companionship, and keeping the household ticking over. You come home to someone who has been well looked after, not unsettled.

Planned respite is also a gentle way to introduce care for the first time. Some families use a short block to see how support feels before committing to anything longer term. If it works well, we can move smoothly into regular visiting care or full live-in care without starting from scratch.

Emergency respite and support after hospital

Life does not always give notice. When a family carer in Catford or Hither Green is suddenly taken ill, admitted to hospital, or simply reaches the point of exhaustion, we can usually arrange emergency respite within 24 to 48 hours, including evenings, weekends and bank holidays. That fast cover can be the difference between a crisis and a manageable few weeks.

Respite is equally valuable after a hospital stay. Many of the people we support have recently come home from University Hospital Lewisham, run by Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust just off Lewisham High Street. A short block of visiting or live-in respite after a discharge or an operation helps someone recover safely, supports medication and mobility, and gives the usual family carer time to recover too rather than being thrown straight back into full-time caring.

Some people leaving hospital are offered intermediate care, or reablement, which is free and usually lasts up to six weeks (NHS guide). We can arrange respite alongside it or once it ends.

Respite at home or a short care-home stay in Lewisham?

Respite can also mean a short stay in a care home, booked with the home or the council. We do not run care homes; we arrange respite at home. A nursing home may suit better if someone needs nursing care on site. The NHS guide to carers' breaks and respite care lists other options, and our respite care overview and respite care guide compare them.

Funding respite care in Lewisham

Respite is usually priced by the visit, day or week, and we are always clear about costs before we begin. Many Lewisham families self-fund short breaks, but you may be entitled to help. As a carer you can ask the London Borough of Lewisham, based at Laurence House on Catford Road, for a carer's assessment alongside a care needs assessment for the person you look after. The council may contribute towards respite for eligible carers. Council-funded respite can be taken as a direct payment and spent with a provider you choose. Our team is happy to explain the options, and there is more on our paying for care guide.

Areas of Lewisham we cover for respite care

Catford is SE6, Lewisham and Hither Green SE13, Brockley and Crofton Park SE4, New Cross SE14, Forest Hill SE23 and Sydenham SE26. We arrange respite care across the whole borough and the surrounding SE postcodes, including:

• Blackheath
• Catford
• Lee Green
• Crofton Park
• Brockley
• Ladywell
• Hither Green
• Deptford
• Forest Hill
• Sydenham
• New Cross
• Downham