Respite Care in Newcastle

Caring for someone in Newcastle can mean juggling work, family and appointments across the city and wider Tyneside. Finding reliable local respite care means you can step back for a few hours, a night or a week and know your loved one is in good hands.

Regular home care visits give carers dependable time off each week, and companionship care suits someone who mainly needs company and light help. When you need a longer break, live in care or a short stay in one of the care homes in and around Newcastle provides 24 hour support.

Newcastle Carers offers unpaid carers advice, wellbeing support and help to plan breaks, and Newcastle City Council can carry out a carer’s assessment, the first step towards funded respite.

Local support, NHS and funding in Newcastle and Tyneside

Newcastle City Council is responsible for adult social care in Newcastle, and if you live elsewhere on Tyneside your own council can help. Ask them for a needs assessment for the person you care for and a carer’s assessment for yourself. If you are eligible, the council may arrange or help pay for respite, usually after a financial assessment, and some families use direct payments to arrange care themselves. Visit the Newcastle City Council website.

If your loved one’s needs are mainly health related, ask their GP or social worker about NHS continuing healthcare, which is arranged and paid for by the NHS. The NHS guide to carer breaks and respite care also sets out the options.

Benefits can help with the cost. Attendance Allowance is not means tested and is paid to people over State Pension age who need help with care, and Carer’s Allowance may be available if you care for 35 hours a week or more. Our guide to funding respite care and carer’s assessment guide explain more.

Your local Age UK may offer carers support and sitting services, and you can search for charity grants towards the cost of a break through Turn2us.

Booking respite care in Newcastle and Tyneside

Before you book, check the provider’s latest inspection report from the CQC and ask about availability, the minimum length of stay and what is included in the price. Short stay places in Newcastle can fill up around school holidays and Christmas, so it helps to enquire a few weeks ahead. If this is your first break, a few home care visits or a short trial stay can help your loved one settle.

Every provider listed here can be contacted directly through respite-care.co.uk. Use the filters to narrow by type of care or condition, then send a free, no obligation enquiry to the providers that suit you. If you are new to arranging a break, our guide to getting a carer’s assessment explains how to ask the council for help with the cost.