Respite Care in Haywards Heath

Yes. Crossways offers short-stay respite care for older people from Haywards Heath and the surrounding Mid Sussex area, whether for a planned break, recovery after a hospital stay, or simply to try us out.

Respite stays can last from a few days to a few weeks, arranged around what you and your family need.

Yes. Respite guests enjoy the same warm care, freshly cooked meals and full programme of daily activities as our permanent residents.

Call us on 01444 416 841 to check availability and arrange a stay. You are also very welcome to visit the home first.

Respite care is a short stay in a care home, usually anything from a few days to a few weeks. Some people come to recover after an illness, an operation or a fall. Others come so that a husband, wife, son or daughter who cares for them at home can take a proper break. The care is exactly the same as our permanent residents receive. The only difference is that it is temporary.

Sometimes, and it is worth asking. The NHS may fund a short stay through NHS Continuing Healthcare if someone's needs are primarily medical, or through NHS Funded Nursing Care if they need care from a registered nurse. Your local council can also arrange and part-fund respite following a care needs assessment and a financial assessment. Many families do pay privately, but we would always encourage you to contact West Sussex County Council first to see what you may be entitled to. We are happy to point you in the right direction.

This one causes a lot of confusion, so it is worth being clear. If you are paying for the stay yourselves, Attendance Allowance and similar benefits carry on as normal, however long the stay. If the council or the NHS is funding the stay, those benefits stop after 28 days. There is also a linking rule: separate stays with fewer than 28 days between them are added together, so two fortnights close to each other can reach the threshold. Do let the DWP know about admission and discharge dates, as it prevents overpayments that have to be repaid later.

We support people with [mobility difficulties, personal care, continence needs, medication, memory loss and early to moderate dementia]. Our team is here through the night as well as the day, so there is always someone awake and nearby. We are registered with the Care Quality Commission for [residential care / residential and nursing care]. If you are unsure whether we can meet a particular need, please ring and ask. We would far rather have that conversation openly than have someone arrive somewhere unsuitable.

Usually within a few days, and sometimes the same day if we have a room free and the situation is urgent. We do ask for a short assessment first, either here or at home or on the ward, so we understand what support is needed and can have everything ready. In an emergency, a carer taken ill or a hospital discharge that has come round fast, please call us, and we will do what we can.

It often does, and there is no awkwardness in that. Some families arrange respite precisely because they want to see how a permanent move might feel, without committing to anything. If a stay is going well and you would like it to continue, we simply talk it through and change the arrangement. If it is not the right fit, that is useful to know too. You are welcome to visit beforehand, meet the team and look around properly, as often as you would like.