Respite care for family carers
There are 5.8 million unpaid carers in the UK, and 1.7 million of them provide 50 or more hours of care a week. The health impact is well documented: 72% report a physical or mental health condition lasting 12 months or more, three in four have experienced stress or anxiety because of caring, and 40% report depression. Around 2.6 million people have left work altogether to care for someone, roughly 600 a day.
This guide explains what respite actually means in practice: a companion or paid carer visiting at home for an hour to a full day, a day centre with transport and activities, a short planned stay in a care home, family or friends stepping in, or a sitting service. It covers the free Carer's Assessment from your local council, which looks at your own needs rather than the needs of the person you care for and can lead to council-funded respite and an emergency care plan, and the Carer's Allowance break rule, which lets payment continue for up to 4 weeks in any 6 month period while the person you care for is in respite care or hospital. It also covers local Hertfordshire support through Carers in Herts, including short-term breaks, carer support advisors, emergency care planning and the Carers' Passport discount scheme. AirCarers Companion sits alongside those services as the flexible layer: no contract, no minimum commitment, a single visit or regular weekly visits, and a companion typically in place within 2 hours of booking. Companions do not provide personal care or anything clinical. Visits across Ware, Hertford, Hoddesdon, Broxbourne and the surrounding SG11 to SG14 and EN10 to EN11 postcodes, from £25 an hour.