Respite Care in Medway

Medway • Kent

Short-term and emergency respite care in Medway

Looking after someone you love is rewarding, but it is also relentless, and every family carer needs a break sometimes. Respite care gives you that break by putting a trusted Care Professional in place for a short period, so you can rest, go away, catch up on your own health or simply recharge, knowing your relative is safe and well looked after at home. Protocol Healthcare Services has arranged respite for over a decade, and we bring the same standards to Chatham, Gillingham and Rochester as everywhere we work.

We are open about how we operate. Our offices are in the South of England, so we do not run a high-street branch in Medway. Instead we run 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 on hand around the clock, so families across Strood, Rainham and the Hoo Peninsula get the same reliability whether the break is booked months ahead or needed tomorrow.

When families in Medway turn to respite

• ✓ A planned break, holiday or family occasion
• ✓ Emergency cover when a carer falls ill
• ✓ Recovery time after your own operation or illness
• ✓ Extra help after a hospital discharge
• ✓ A regular weekly break to avoid burnout
• ✓ Trying care at home before committing long term
• ✓ Live-in respite for round-the-clock cover
• ✓ Visiting respite for a few hours back each day

Live-in or visiting respite, your choice

Respite care flexes to fit the break you need. If you are going away or simply need a proper rest, a live-in Care Professional can move into the home for a week or two, taking on the full routine day and night so you can step back completely. If you only need a few hours to yourself each day, visiting respite covers the key calls, from a morning start in Rochester to a bedtime routine in Rainham, and gives you back the time in between. We learn your loved one's likes, dislikes and routine before the break begins, so the handover feels seamless rather than a jolt.

Local knowledge across the Medway Towns

Medway is a unitary authority in north Kent built around five historic towns: Chatham, Gillingham, Rochester, Strood and Rainham, together home to more than a quarter of a million people. Family carers here come from every kind of household, from the riverside streets of Rochester and Strood to the quieter neighbourhoods out towards Wigmore, Lordswood, Cuxton and Halling. Wherever home is in the ME postcodes, we match a Care Professional to the person and keep the routines that matter, close to the shops, places of worship and green spaces that are part of daily life.

Respite is also invaluable around a hospital stay. After surgery or a discharge from Medway Maritime Hospital on Windmill Road in Gillingham, the main acute hospital for the area and run by Medway NHS Foundation Trust, recovery often needs extra hands for a few weeks. Respite care supports medication, mobility, meals and rehabilitation while the main carer rests or recovers themselves, then winds down as your relative gets back on their feet. If more sustained support turns out to be needed, we can move smoothly into live-in care or visiting care in Medway.

Funding and the cost of respite care in Medway

Respite is priced on the type and length of cover, whether that is a handful of visits or a fortnight of live-in support, and we will give you a clear figure before anything starts. Many Medway families self-fund short breaks, but you may be entitled to help. Medway Council can carry out a carer's assessment as well as a care needs assessment, and sometimes this unlocks support towards respite. Care at home in England is regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), so you can also check how local services are rated. Our team is happy to talk the options through, and you can read more on our paying for care guide.

Areas of Medway we cover for respite care

We arrange visiting and live-in respite at home across the Medway Towns and surrounding villages, including:

• Chatham
• Gillingham
• Rochester
• Strood
• Rainham
• Walderslade
• Wainscott
• Cuxton
• Halling
• Wigmore
• Lordswood
• Hoo