If you are the sole carer for someone, then having an accident or an emergency doesn’t bear thinking about. Who’ll look after the person you care for if an unplanned situation suddenly demands all of your attention or worse you fall ill?
That’s where emergency care planning comes in. This is temporary urgent assistance you can call on during critical moments, leaving you free to address the unexpected circumstances while your loved one continues to receive the care and support they need.
In this post we’ll discuss how emergency care planning works, and explain how your care plan can accommodate for emergencies and other unexpected situations.
What Is Emergency Care Planning?
Emergency care planning is a service where a trained professional will take over your caring responsibilities for a temporary period. Unpaid carers use standard respite care when they need to take a break, but with emergency care planning that can get the support they need at short notice when an unexpected event temporarily makes it difficult for them to provide care.
When You Need Emergency Care Planning
Carers can turn to emergency care planning when unexpected circumstances arise that would make caring difficult, or impossible.
This might include:
- A carer sustaining an illness or an injury
- A family emergency which demands the carer’s full attention
- An accident or incident in the home, such as a leak, a burglary, or other issues
How Does Emergency Care Planning Work?
There are various different types of emergency care services available:
- Emergency Live-in Care – This means that a trained professional will temporarily move into your home to provide 24 hour support, which would likely be the best option for people with complex health or care needs
- Emergency Home care visits – A trained professional will visit the home to provide care and support services, but only for a few hours a day, for as long as necessary. This could be to help with daily tasks, and to provide essential support such as medication management. Visiting carers could also provide some companionship care while the regular carer is not around
- Residential Emergency Care – This means that the person with care needs will temporarily move to a residential care home, where they can receive round-the-clock support. If they have immediate medical needs that need attending to, they may instead receive hospital-based emergency respite care
How To Arrange Emergency Care Planning Services and Support
If you need short-term respite care in an emergency situation, there are a number of avenues you can try:
- Your local council. First, get in touch with the local authorities in your area, to see if there are any care services you can access quickly. You can find your local council’s contact details
- Charities and voluntary organisations. Certain charities offer emergency respite care services at short notice, especially for crises and other unexpected circumstances
- Health and social care services. Finally, you could try contacting your GP or other healthcare professionals, who may be able to refer you to appropriate services in your area
The Importance of Planning in Care
You may have to pay for your emergency care planning service. The amount you pay will depend on the specific type of care you receive. A short-term stay in a residential care home will cost more than emergency home care visits, for example.
When you’re already dealing with an emergency situation, you probably don’t have the time or the resources to worry about paying for additional care. This is why it’s essential to plan for emergencies.
In your care plan, you should think about who you’d contact to manage your caring responsibilities in the event of an emergency. This could be a friend, a neighbour, or another relative. They don’t have to step in and fulfil all of your caring responsibilities. But they could supervise your loved one for a few hours, while you arrange for a professional carer to take your place.
Read our full guide to putting a care plan together.
Get The Emergency Care You Need With Crossroads Direct
With Crossroads Direct, you can access our emergency care planning service for as little as £10 per week.
We offer a range of discounts for new clients, and our dedicated team will work closely with you to design an emergency care plan that meets your specific needs.
Find out more and get in touch for a free care and support consultation today.
