Respite and Convalescent Care

Respite care takes the form of a temporary arrangement which can be planned as a matter-of-course part of an individual’s care provision or secured in situations where there is a sudden need for access to professional care. This option can be very helpful to full-time carers, taking off enough pressure to allow carers and family members a break from their duties and the opportunity to attend to important considerations in their own lives or enjoy a little regenerative holiday time.

Providing unpaid full-time care to family members is a situation many of us find ourselves in; willing to do whatever it takes to help our loved ones, it can be easy in these situations to ignore the importance of self-care. Caring can be extremely rewarding, but is also commonly stressful, draining and limiting. Depending on the extent and nature of care needs, carers can experience chronic tiredness, increasing stress and problems with both work and relationships. Long-term voluntary care provision also has a strong causal relationship with mental health problems, most notably anxiety and depression.

Traditionally both the carer and the cared-for secure respite by finding an alternative short-term care solution. This can free up both time and head-space, ensuring peace of mind while also providing an opportunity for carers to do things they might otherwise be unable to do. In many situations, respite care has been shown to enable ongoing familial care in situations where switching to permanent professional care might otherwise be necessary¹, though high quality short-term care can also reassure the recipient as to the suitability of long-term residential care as an option.

Respite care can also be extremely useful in the case of unforeseen needs, providing an ideal safe and sensitive environment in which to convalesce after an accident or illness or following an operation. Temporarily increased care needs and other sudden events like weather extremes tend to require an accordingly short-term, readily available solution. This is especially important in situations where normal family dynamics and life situations prevent potential carers for being able to prioritise care provision over their other duties. In the case of working families for example it is uncommon to have the option of taking long periods off work without potentially compromising financial and/or job security. When the requirements of real life hang heavy and no amount of shuffling will yield enough free time to properly care for our loved ones, seeking a formal temporary solution can be by far the best option for all involved.

As one of the country’s leading providers of residential care, Signature offers unrivalled care in a luxurious environment with round-the-clock support from a team of highly qualified professional nurses and carers. Our goal is to support the minds and bodies of all our guests, promoting a full and speedy recovery. All of our care homes provide a variety of delicious and nutritionally balanced food across a range of dining contexts to help all guests and residents maintain good health, along with a broad range of daily activities tailored to fit all levels of mobility. Our chefs are always more than willing to cater for specific dietary requirements, allowing us to make provisions for any special meal plans that may be required. This can be especially important for those recovering from certain illnesses, injuries or operations.

A holistic approach to recovery in which convalescents have the opportunity to remain active and stimulated has been proven to improve health outcomes and promote full recovery and good ongoing health and immune system resilience². Often a better choice than a hospital stay, respite care can help prevent social isolation and inactivity-related atrophy, actively speeding the recovery process.

Choosing the right respite care option can be stressful, so we strive to put our residents and their families at ease by offering complete transparency with all our care services, taking pride in our highly-qualified and compassionate staff, first-class accommodation and enduring dedication to quality and professionalism. Our private rehabilitation suites feel more like hotel rooms than care facilities, with amenities designed to aid recovery while keeping all residents safe during their stay.

At our care homes at Reigate Grange, Ascot, Caversham and Farnham Common we offer four weeks of respite care for the price of three, allowing guests to take advantage for a full month of all that the Signature lifestyle has to offer. Our all-inclusive approach showcases our top-quality, highly varied dining experiences, broad roster of carefully-planned activities, luxurious environments and all of the other factors required to deliver a holistic approach which provides comfort and relaxation for guests and their families, and affords independence and engagement for all our guests and residents, promoting the best possible outcomes.

1. Brody, 1985; Pratt et al., 1985; Scharlach and Frenzel, 1986; Doty, 1986.
2. Nierman, 2019; Posadski, 2020.