Respite Care in Reading

Reading • Berkshire

Short-term and emergency respite care in Reading

Caring for a relative is a labour of love, but nobody can do it every hour of every day without a break. Respite care gives family carers in Reading the chance to rest, recharge, go on holiday or recover from their own illness, while a trained Care Professional steps in to keep their loved one safe and comfortable at home. Whether you need a few hours to yourself, a week away, or urgent cover at short notice, Protocol Healthcare Services can arrange respite that fits around your family.

We will be honest about how we work. Our offices are in the South of England, so we do not run a branch in Reading. What we do run is a genuinely national service, coordinating vetted, background-checked Care Professionals wherever they are needed. Everyone we place completes enhanced DBS and right-to-work checks, references and training before they start, and a consultant is on hand around the clock, which is exactly what matters when respite is needed in a hurry in Caversham, Whitley or Lower Earley.

When families in Reading turn to respite care

• ✓ A planned break, holiday or family occasion
• ✓ Emergency cover when a carer falls ill
• ✓ Recovery after your own operation or hospital stay
• ✓ Support for a relative after they leave hospital
• ✓ Regular short breaks to prevent carer burnout
• ✓ A trial of care before committing longer term
• ✓ Overnight or waking-night cover
• ✓ Visiting or live-in respite, whichever suits

Planned breaks and emergency cover

Some respite is planned well in advance, a fortnight of live-in cover so you can take a holiday, or a standing arrangement of weekly visits that give you a reliable afternoon off. Other respite is needed at short notice, when a carer is admitted to hospital, comes down with flu, or simply hits the wall. We handle both. For urgent situations in Reading we can often arrange emergency cover within 24 to 48 hours, either as visiting calls or a live-in Care Professional, so your relative is never left without support.

Local knowledge across Reading

Respite has to fit the person and their home, and Reading is a town of very different neighbourhoods. We arrange respite care north of the river in Caversham, Caversham Heights and Emmer Green, out west through Tilehurst, Southcote and Calcot towards Purley on Thames, and across the south and east in Whitley, Coley, Katesgrove and the estates of Earley, Lower Earley and Woodley. From flats near the Abbey Quarter and Forbury Gardens in RG1 to family homes in RG4, RG6, RG30 and RG31, we make sure the Care Professional understands the routines that keep your relative settled while you are away.

Respite is also a practical answer to the weeks after a hospital discharge. When someone comes home from the Royal Berkshire Hospital on London Road, run by the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust, they often need more support than usual for a while, and their regular carer may be exhausted from hospital visits. A respite Care Professional can cover that recovery period, supporting medication, meals and mobility, then step back as things return to normal.

Funding and the cost of respite care in Reading

Respite is priced according to how long you need it and whether it is visiting or live-in cover, and we give you a clear quote up front. Many Reading families self-fund short breaks, but help may be available. Reading Borough Council, the unitary authority for the town, can carry out a carer's assessment as well as a care needs assessment for the person you look after, and respite is sometimes funded as part of a carer support package. Our team is happy to explain the routes, and you can read more on our paying for care guide.

More than home care: staffing for Reading providers

We are also an REC-affiliated healthcare staffing agency with national reach. Care homes, supported living services and NHS teams across Reading rely on us to cover staff absence, annual leave and vacancies, from NMC-registered nurses and support workers to mental health and learning disability specialists. If you run a service in Berkshire, see our staffing services overview.

Areas of Reading we cover for respite care

We arrange respite care across the town and its surrounding communities, including:

• Caversham
• Tilehurst
• Earley
• Lower Earley
• Whitley
• Southcote
• Emmer Green
• Calcot
• Purley on Thames
• Coley
• Katesgrove
• Woodley