overnight respite CARE
Our respite weeks provide an opportunity for you and your carers to recharge, gain a fresh perspective and receive expert help with specific issues.
inpatient Care
longer stays with us
We provide 24 hour family respite care for up to six people, offering a four-day stay under the attentive care and support of our dedicated team. Family and friends can either use respite as a chance to have a break, or join you during your stay.
How 24 Hour Respite Can Help
Inpatient respite care can be helpful when there is a change in your illness, if there is a crisis at home, or if you or those who care for you just need a break. Here’s how we help:
Practical
We can assess your practical needs to ensure you are receiving all the benefits, care, and assistance you need at home. Additionally, we can help you document your preferences, make plans, and organise important matters.
Physical
Our experienced nurses can assess your needs in a safe, non-clinical environment, and give feedback to your GP, Consultant or Clinical Nurse Specialist. Our holistic therapists can help with pain management, anxiety, depression and general wellbeing. We can also support you with assisted bathing or showers and meet all your personal care needs.
Emotional & social
If you’ve never been to a hospice before, you’ll be surprised at how welcoming and uplifting it is. Whether you prefer peace and quiet, the uplifting company of others, or a chance to talk things through with people who have the time to listen, we will do all we can to make you feel at home.
Spiritual
A life-limiting illness raises many questions, emotions and concerns. Our team have a wealth of experience and are always on hand to listen, help and support you. We can also arrange for your own minister or spiritual leader to visit if you would like.
what to expect
- Beautiful en-suite bedrooms, and a range of accessible indoor and outdoor spaces for you to enjoy.
- 24-hour nursing focused on looking after you in the way you want to be cared for.
- Specialist care equipment including pressure-relieving mattresses, ceiling hoists, profiling beds and assisted bathing.
- A consultation with one of our palliative care doctors.
- Fast wifi and hotel-style TV entertainment system.
- Delicious home-cooked meals and snacks to suit any specific dietary requirements.
- Complementary therapies, including reflexology, acupuncture, and massage.
Respite Care For Family Members
- Respite is a chance to have a break from your daily routine without having to worry about your loved one.
- Family and friends are always warmly welcomed at the hospice and there are no set visiting times.
- There’s a dedicated kitchenette for you to prepare snacks and simple meals whenever you want.
- We also have a self-contained chalet where up to two family members or friends can stay.
It was not what I was expecting. I thought maybe it would be like a hospital unit. How wrong I was… Although time is out of our hands, my three days at Skanda Vale Hospice with your wonderful staff make me feel life can go on.
Fred Burton, Patient
Making a referral
We welcome referrals for adults with a life-limiting illness and palliative care needs.
Anyone can make a referral – be they a patient, friend, family member or healthcare professional.
There’s no catchment area: places are offered according to need, not postcode.
All services at Skanda Vale Hospice are offered completely free of charge.
What respite care is really like: Paula’s story
In this short video, Paula shares her experience of respite care at Skanda Vale Hospice, describing mornings where you can wake when you want, beautiful gardens to walk through, and evenings spent on the balcony watching birds.
She explains how care is shaped around what each person wants to do that day—from having a bath to enjoying meals together—comparing the experience to ‘better than a five-star hotel.’