Cost of Respite Care In the UK | Care Homes and Home Care

Respite care is provided short-term, often for two or three weeks, while a regular carer takes a well-earned break from their caregiving duties. The average weekly cost of self-funded residential respite care in the UK is £1,473. This cost varies, depending on the type of respite care needed, the region and whether this care is given in a care home or at home.

This article lists respite care costs for 2024 across the main types of respite care, including residential and nursing respite care.

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In this article:

1. The average cost of respite care homes
2. The average cost of respite care at home
3. Who pays for respite care?
4. Find respite care through Lottie
5. Best respite care home providers

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The Average Cost of Respite Care Homes

Below, we’ve provided the cost of privately funded respite care home fees throughout the different regions of the UK.

Source: Lottie's internal data, based on the care homes we're partnered with.

Residential respite care

Residential respite care is for people who need extra support on a daily basis. This includes support with personal care (such as washing, bathing and getting dressed) and assistance with household tasks like cleaning and cooking.

The average cost of privately funded residential respite care in the UK is £1,473 a week and £6,383 a month.

Residential respite care costs £1,477 a week in the East Midlands, £1,456 a week in the East of England and £1,466 a week in London.

Nursing respite care

Nursing respite care is for people who need care from registered nurses. This care is aimed at people with complex healthcare needs who require 24/7 support from nurses with specialist knowledge of their condition.

The average cost of privately funded nursing respite care in the UK is £1,630 a week and £7,063 a month.

Nursing respite care costs £1,643 a week in North East England, £1,661 a week in North West England and £1,658 a week in South East England.

Residential dementia respite care

Residential dementia respite care is similar to residential respite care. The difference is that this is aimed at people living with dementia, so carers are also trained in specialist dementia techniques.

The average cost of privately funded residential dementia respite care in the UK is £1,519 a week and £6,582 a month.

Residential dementia respite care costs £1,525 a week in South West England, £1,519 in the West Midlands and £1,518 a week in Yorkshire and the Humber.

Nursing dementia respite care

Nursing dementia respite care is also similar to nursing respite care. Just like before, the main difference is that nursing dementia respite care is aimed at people living with a type of dementia like Alzheimer’s, so carers have been trained in specialist dementia care techniques.

The average cost of privately funded nursing dementia respite care in the UK is £1,673 a week and £7,250 a month.

Nursing dementia respite care costs £1,707 a week in England, £1,718 a week in Scotland and £1,685 a week in Wales.

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The Average Cost of Respite Care At Home

Respite care at home costs vary, depending on the type of care needed and where in the UK it’s provided. For example, respite home care is usually more expensive in London than in North East England.

Respite care at home is available through a fixed-term contract, meaning it’s offered for a set amount of time, such as two or three weeks. Our 2024 Care Seeker Survey shows that older adults often use temporary respite care as a way of transitioning into permanent care. The most common duration for respite care is around two weeks.

Here’s the cost of respite home care, based on the home care agencies we’re partnered with:

Source: Lottie's internal data, based on the home care providers we're partnered with.

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Who Pays For Respite Care?

Whether you pay for respite care in the UK depends on the total value of your savings (and assets if care in a care home is needed). This value is worked out through a financial assessment. A financial assessment immediately follows a care needs assessment.

If the total value of your savings (and assets if care in a care home is needed) is above the upper threshold, you’ll be classed as a self-funder and must pay for your care. If it’s below the lower threshold, you’ll qualify for full funding from your local authority. If it’s between the upper and lower thresholds, you’ll qualify for partial funding.

Here are the UK savings thresholds for 2024/2025:

In some cases, the NHS will pay for your loved one’s respite care. In a care home, this could apply to nursing respite care or nursing dementia respite care.

If your loved one receives nursing care in a care home, they could be eligible for NHS-funded nursing care, where the NHS will contribute to your loved one’s fees.

Meanwhile, if your loved one is classed as having a ‘primary health need’, they could be eligible for NHS continuing healthcare, where the NHS arranges and entirely funds your care. You can only claim one of these two types of NHS funding.

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Find Respite Care Through Lottie

Respite care homes

A respite care home will care for your loved one on a short-term basis. A minimum respite stay in one of these homes is often one to three weeks. Before entering a respite care home, the management or clinical team will speak to you and your loved one to work out specific care needs and any other requirements so care can be as tailored and specific as possible.

Along with finding respite care homes through Lottie, you can also request a free list of care homes from our care experts, who will share homes matching your budget and location.

Respite care at home

Respite care is also available in the comfort of your own home. Respite care at home is often needed when somebody requires temporary support while recovering from an illness injury, similar to that of a convalescent care home.

Respite care at home can either be domiciliary (hourly) care, where a carer visits you throughout the week, with the length and frequency of these visits depending on your needs, or live-in care, where a carer temporarily moves in with you.

We’ve partnered with the UK’s best home care agencies, so you can use Lottie to find respite home care near you. Alternatively, request a free list of home care agencies, and our care experts will send you home care providers with availability nearby.

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Best Respite Care Home Providers

We list the UK’s largest care home providers on Lottie. Many of these operators have homes offering short-term respite care. These include:

• Abbey Healthcare
• Barchester Healthcare
• Bupa
• Care UK
• Four Seasons Healthcare
• Hallmark Luxury Care Homes
• Hamberley Care Homes
• Meallmore
• Springfield Healthcare
• The Orders of St John Care Trust
• We Care Group

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Lottie matches care seekers with the best respite care homes for their needs. You can also request a free list of care homes from our care experts, who will share homes matching your budget and location.