Rules on carers travelling for respite during lockdown

Specific disabilities and conditions
1

Hi all,
I live with/care for my elderly parents and my sister is planning to come for the weekend to give me some respite. I am lucky enough to have been offered an empty house to go and stay in while my sister stays here and looks after my parents. I presume that this (staying overnight away from your home) is acceptable under lockdown rules? Does anyone know otherwise?

2

https://www.carersuk.org/help-and-advice/coronavirus-covid-19/staying-safe-faqs#sec3

I desperately need a break from caring - what can I do?
Ensuring you are taking every Covid precaution possible, you can arrange with family or friends for someone else to provide the care you normally provide to the person you care for, to enable you to take a break. This could include someone coming into the home of the person you care for, which can be overnight.

This also means that the person you care for can go to someone else’s home to receive care to give you a break from caring, which can also be overnight. In all cases, the arrangement must be reasonably necessary for the purpose of respite care being provided for the person being cared for.

See the list of exemptions from gathering limits in all tiers here (England only).

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-providing-unpaid-care/guidance-for-those-who-provide-unpaid-care-to-friends-or-family

3

Thanks, @sunnydisposition. Yes, I had already seen this guidance but it doesn’t mention if the carer can stay away overnight while someone comes in to care for the person you are living with. I guess there’s not much difference, but just wondered if anyone in the carer community had a clearer idea.

4

Does anyone know if you can stay in the same household whilst the respite care is given i.e. if you take the person you care for to another household or someone else provides the respite in your house, can you remain present (although not providing the care). Are there any restrictions on how often this arrangement can be done?

5

Hi,

Does anyone have any more on this, I’m in the same position, I’d like to know a few more details about where I can go, how far, etc, while my sister, (bubbled), comes to my house to care for our mother while I take a break…

Anecdotal would be good too…

Mike

6

Mike,
I don’t have time to explain it to you even anecdotally, but you can read about it here Living safely with respiratory infections, including COVID-19 - GOV.UK

Melly1

7

Thanks Melly1, I’ve looked through that and it does seem to me that we, (carers), are allowed to travel for respite and overnights away having arranged the respite care in absence.

I just wondered if anyone here had actually done it, I’m mentally very strong so don’t feel it as bad as I know some do, (for whom I have the utmost sympathy), after doing this for 10 years!

Anyway, all the best folks,

Mike

8

Mike, I would love too but since I’m not in a bubble and have nowhere to stay - I haven’t. Apparently hotels are allowed to open for carers …

Melly1