Support Services

For family carers who are doing everything themselves and haven’t yet found — or asked for — the support they’re entitled to. This guide is here to change that.

Most carers find out about the support available to them far too late.

Not because the support doesn’t exist — it does, and there is more of it than most people realise. But because nobody sits you down at the beginning and says: here is what you’re entitled to, here is how to access it, and here is why you shouldn’t wait.

What I hear from carers who have been doing this for a while is almost always the same thing: “I wish someone had told me sooner.” This guide is that conversation — the one you should have had at the start.

Getting support in place early doesn’t mean you’re struggling. It means you’re thinking ahead. The carers who build a network of support around themselves early are consistently better placed when things get harder.

1. Respite care — taking a break without guilt

Respite care is temporary care for your loved one that gives you a break. It can range from a few hours a week to a longer stay somewhere while you rest, recover, or simply have time to be yourself again.

The guilt that comes with the word “respite” is real — and it’s one of the most common things carers tell me holds them back. Taking a break feels like abandoning someone. It isn’t. A carer who is exhausted, burnt out, and running on empty cannot give good care. Rest isn’t a luxury — it’s what makes sustained caring possible.

Respite options include:

• A sitting service — someone comes to your home for a few hours so you can go out
• Day centre attendance — your loved one spends time at a local centre while you have the day
• Short-term residential care — a planned stay in a care home for a week or two
• Overnight sitting or live-in care — for carers who need to sleep

Respite care may be funded through your local authority following a Carer’s Assessment, or through NHS Continuing Healthcare if your loved one is eligible. Some charities also offer funded respite — ask your GP or social worker what’s available in your area.

→ Download the Respite Care Options guide — free at CarersInfo

2. Day centres and social activities

Day centres are one of the most underused resources in the caring world — and one of the most valuable. They provide social activity, stimulation, and companionship for your loved one, while giving you regular, reliable time to rest, work, or simply exist without being in carer mode.

Many carers resist day centres because their loved one is reluctant to go at first. This is very common. The reluctance usually fades within a few weeks as the routine becomes familiar and the social connection begins to matter. Starting with one day a week and building from there tends to work better than jumping straight in.

Your local authority, GP, or social worker can advise on day centres in your area. Some are means-tested and subsidised — others are run by charities and may be free.

→ Download the Day Centres and Social Activities guide — free at CarersInfo

3. Home care services

Home care — also called domiciliary care — means a paid carer coming into your home to help with specific tasks. This could be personal care in the morning, help with meals, medication prompting, or companionship visits. It supplements what you do rather than replacing it, and it can make an enormous difference to the sustainability of caring at home long term.

Home care can be arranged through your local authority following a needs assessment of your loved one, or arranged privately if you prefer to choose your own provider. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspects and rates home care providers in England — check ratings at cqc.org.uk before choosing.

If you are arranging home care for the first time, ask the provider exactly what is included in each visit, how they handle staff changes, and what happens in an emergency. These are questions worth asking before you commit.

→ Download the Home Care Services guide — free at CarersInfo

4. NHS Continuing Healthcare

NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) is a package of care arranged and fully funded by the NHS for people with complex health needs. If your loved one qualifies, it means the NHS — not the local authority or your family — pays for their care, whether that’s at home or in a care setting.

This is one of the least well-known entitlements in the caring world, and one of the most significant. Many families who would qualify are never assessed, simply because nobody told them to ask.

Eligibility is based on health needs, not age or condition. If your loved one has complex, unpredictable, or intensive health needs, ask their GP or hospital team about a CHC assessment. You can also request one yourself.

The assessment process can be lengthy and sometimes requires persistence. If you feel the outcome is wrong, you have the right to request a review.

→ Download the NHS Continuing Healthcare guide — free at CarersInfo

5. Local authority assessments

Your local authority has a legal duty to assess both your loved one’s care needs and your needs as a carer — these are two separate assessments and both are free.

A Care Needs Assessment looks at what support your loved one needs with daily living. It can lead to funded services, equipment, or adaptations to the home.

A Carer’s Assessment looks at your wellbeing, your ability to continue caring, and what support would help you. It can lead to funded respite, practical help, or referrals to local carer support services. You are entitled to this assessment regardless of how many hours you care or whether you live with the person you care for.

To request either assessment, contact your local authority’s Adult Social Care department — search online for your area.

→ Download the Local Authority Assessments guide — free at CarersInfo

6. Benefits and financial support

Many family carers are missing out on financial support they are entitled to — not because it doesn’t exist, but because the system is complicated and nobody has walked them through it.

Key benefits worth checking:

• Attendance Allowance — for people over 65 who need help with personal care or supervision. Not means-tested. Does not affect most other benefits.
• Personal Independence Payment (PIP) — for people under 65 with a long-term health condition or disability affecting daily life or mobility.
• Carer’s Allowance — for carers providing 35 or more hours of care per week to someone receiving certain disability benefits. Check eligibility carefully as it can affect other benefits.
• Pension Credit — for people over pension age on a low income. Often unclaimed.
• Council Tax Reduction — carers and people with certain conditions may be eligible for a discount.

Use a benefits calculator such as entitledto.co.uk or Turn2us to check what you and your loved one may be entitled to before making any claims.

→ Download the Benefits and Financial Support guide — free at CarersInfo

7. Specialist advisors — Admiral Nurses and dementia advisors

Admiral Nurses are specialist nurses who support family carers — not just the person being cared for. They can help you understand a diagnosis, navigate the care system, plan ahead, and manage the emotional weight of caring. They are available through Dementia UK and some NHS trusts, and their helpline is free.

Dementia UK Admiral Nurse Helpline: 0800 888 6678

If the person you care for has a different condition, ask the GP whether there is a specialist nurse or advisor available for your situation. Many conditions have dedicated support organisations with trained advisors who can help you navigate care and support.

→ Download the Dementia Advisors guide — free at CarersInfo

8. Support groups and carer communities

Of all the support available to carers, this is the one most consistently reported to make the biggest difference to wellbeing — and the one most consistently avoided until a carer reaches crisis point.

The value of sitting with people who truly understand what you’re going through cannot be overstated. Not just the practical tips shared, but the experience of being in a room — or an online space — where you don’t have to explain yourself. Where the things you feel but don’t say out loud are understood without words.

Local carer support groups can be found through your GP, local authority, or by searching the Carers UK directory. Online communities exist for carers of every condition and are particularly valuable for those who can’t easily leave the house.

Carers UK Helpline: 0808 808 7777
Age UK Advice Line: 0800 678 1602

→ Download the Support Groups and Communities guide — free at CarersInfo

You are entitled to support — not just your loved one

The most important thing I want you to take from this guide is this: the support system exists for you too. Not just for the person you care for.

Your wellbeing matters. Your sleep matters. Your ability to have a life outside of caring matters. None of this is selfish — it is the foundation that makes sustained, good quality caring possible.

Ask for the assessment. Make the call. Join the group. You deserve the support just as much as the person you’re caring for.

All eight Support Services guides are available free at CarersInfo — plain-English, practical, and written for family carers.

→ Access your free guides here

© CarersInfo 2024-2026. This post provides general information and is not a substitute for professional medical, legal, or financial advice.