Dementia Carers Respite is a charity with a clear and heartfelt purpose: to give family carers of people living with dementia the essential break they need—and so richly deserve.
If you’ve found your way here, you likely understand just how demanding and emotionally complex caring for someone with dementia can be. Perhaps you're walking that path yourself, or supporting someone who is. However you've arrived, please know—you are very welcome here.
If you're looking for general guidance about dementia, you may find our Dementia Information and Caring for Someone with Dementia pages a helpful place to begin.
You can read through the whole content which we recommend or click on the specific section below :
Why was the charity created?
Caring for a loved one with dementia is a full-time, emotionally demanding role. Many family carers experience deep exhaustion, isolation, grief for the person they used to know—and guilt for not being able to do more. It is an impossible ask to carry alone.
That’s why we created Dementia Carers Respite.
Other charities are doing a wonderful job offering a variety of services like providing information, training, social activities or Carer support groups. But none to date provide what Dementia Carers Respite tell us makes the biggest difference: free, professional respite at home.
Here is what our Dementia Carers tell us:
- Information and advice can be really helpful at the start. But as their loved one’s dementia progresses, they need real help.
- Several of our Carers have told us that if they had a notional £1,000 to spend on support they would spend it all on Respite care!
- Respite care can make a vital difference to their mental health and overall wellbeing.
In our first year, we were honoured with an invitation to a Dementia Reception at 10 Downing Street. In our second year, we received approval from Buckinghamshire County Council Adult Social Care Services for the quality and safety of our respite work.
We are a Buckinghamshire-based charity with a national vision: to bring relief, dignity, and hope to carers across the UK. Visit our events and news pages to see a range of events and activities raising awareness of dementia, the plight of family carers and fundraising to support them.
What we offer
We fund free, in-home respite care for dementia family carers who otherwise couldn’t afford it.
Each family receives two hours of respite sessions, twice a month to help Dementia Family carers take a breath and focus on themselves for a little while so they can recharge their batteries.
Who Provides the Care?
We work with two of the UK major professional care organisations—each with decades of experience and a combined workforce of over 150 trained carers.
Every professional sent into your home:
- Has been thoroughly DBS checked
- Is trained in dementia care - they know how to deal with people living with dementia, how to care for them and how to keep them safe.
- They are trained on safeguarding and are regularly assessed and updated to maintain the highest possible standard.
These organisations are regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the government body that makes sure health and social care services provide people with safe, effective, compassionate, high-quality care. We do not compromise on the skill or integrity of those who work with us.
Feeling Guilty About Taking a Break?
It’s completely understandable—many family carers feel this way at first.
But please remember: caring for someone you love doesn’t mean doing it all, all the time. You wouldn’t expect anyone else to keep going without rest, and the same kindness should extend to you.
Taking a short break is not a sign of weakness or selfishness—it’s a wise and necessary step. It helps restore your energy, ease stress, and allows you to be more present and patient when you return. Respite not only supports your wellbeing—it also benefits the person you’re caring for.
This isn’t about stepping away; it’s about sustaining your ability to keep caring with love, strength, and compassion.
You're not alone in feeling this way. Many carers have stood where you are now—and have found that accepting a little help made a world of difference.
Our family carers feedback
Below are comments on the need for respite and quotes from those we served
"You need that respite care to allow you to recharge, to regather. I would say that it's your duty to be honest, to take a break because you cannot do your job as a carer if you're exhausted. I never realised how really tired I was. There's days that all I wanted to do was sleep."
"It makes such a difference just to be able to take a breather for a couple of hours. Even if you sit by yourself in a cafe and have a cup of coffee and know that he is fine, someone's got him for a couple of hours and he's fine."
“You can't do it all. You're not a machine. You will get tired and you will get stressed. Respite care helps you to look after yourself.”
“Respite care would have to be at the top of my list of what makes a difference because it’s giving me my sanity and you can't do anything else, can you, without your sanity?”
“I realized that I can take time out... it's okay to do that. I don’t need to feel guilty. It has shifted things completely.”
“Having that carer come in for those two hours just relieved me of that worry ... I can just relax. I could have some time for myself and I wouldn't necessarily do anything. It's a mental thing. You can switch off.”
“It’s not just for me, there is a big impact for Mum as well. It’s good for her because her world has shrunk so much. To have somebody come in, it's nice for her."
“All the other types of assistance kind of become irrelevant without some help on how to get out of the house.”
Do I qualify for Respite?
We understand how great the need is—and we wish we could offer respite to every carer who asks. However, as a small charity with limited resources, we must prioritise those most in need.
To be eligible for our free in-home respite support, the following basic criteria must be met:
- The person living with dementia must have a clinical diagnosis from a doctor or memory clinic.
- They must not qualify for NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) funding.
- Their condition should be assessed as mid-stage dementia.
- They must lack the financial means to pay for private respite care, as determined by the charity.
If you believe your situation meets these criteria, we warmly invite you to request an application form. by emailing Helen Green care.support@dementia-respite.org.uk or calling 0300 3656001