If you’re in an emergency right now, skip to the steps below. If you’re reading this in advance — good. Ten minutes spent now is worth more than any amount of searching on the day.
If you need cover today
- Call local home care providers directly and say the word “emergency”. Many can mobilise within hours, and some same-day. Phone rather than emailing or filling in a web form.
- Call West Sussex County Council adult social care. They have a duty to respond where an adult is at risk, including out of hours through the emergency duty team. Say clearly that the usual carer is unable to provide care and the person is at risk.
- If they’re in hospital or being discharged, tell the discharge team immediately that care has fallen through. A discharge must have a safe plan.
- If there’s immediate danger — they’ve fallen, they’re unwell, they’ve gone missing — call 999.
- Ask about NHS Continuing Healthcare if health needs are substantial, and Fast Track if the person is rapidly deteriorating. Funding can be in place in 48 hours.
Find care near you
Tell us your postcode and what you need help with. We pass your details to one vetted CQC-registered agency in your area — you are told who they are, and that they pay us a fee, before anything is sent.
When emergency respite is needed
- The family carer is admitted to hospital, or has a fall or injury themselves
- The carer has flu, Covid or another infection they can’t risk passing on
- A bereavement or family crisis elsewhere
- An existing care package collapses — an agency gives notice, or a live-in carer leaves
- A hospital discharge happens faster than the arranged package
- The carer has reached the point of being unable to continue safely. This is legitimate. See carer burnout
What’s available at short notice
| Option | Typical lead time | Indicative cost |
|---|---|---|
| Hourly visits | Hours to 24 hours | £28–£38/hr, premium for short notice |
| Overnight (sleeping) | Same day to 24 hours | ~£210/night |
| Overnight (waking) | 24–48 hours | ~£260/night |
| Emergency live-in | 24–72 hours | ~£1,400–£1,900/week |
| Care home emergency bed | Same day to a few days | ~£1,100–£1,900/week |
Hourly and overnight cover is generally quickest because it doesn’t need a matched placement. A care home bed is sometimes faster than live-in care, but means a move — significant for anyone with dementia.
Prepare now: the ten-minute version
Do this today, before you need it.
Write an emergency care plan
One page, kept where someone else can find it — on the fridge, and a photo on your phone. Include:
- The person’s full name, date of birth, NHS number and address
- GP surgery and phone number
- Full medication list with doses and times — the single most useful item on the sheet
- Conditions, allergies, and anything about mobility or swallowing
- Daily routine: when they get up, eat, take tablets, go to bed
- How they communicate, what distresses them, what settles them
- Key safe code and where spare keys are
- Who to call — family, social worker, care provider, neighbour
- Pets, and who feeds them
Register a plan with Carers Support West Sussex
They help carers make a formal emergency plan and issue a card for your wallet, so that if you’re taken to hospital the people treating you know someone is depending on you at home. This is free and it removes a specific constant fear.
Line up a provider in advance
Have a free assessment with a local provider now, even if you don’t need care yet. If they already know the person, their routine and their house, emergency cover goes from “find an agency” to “make one call”. Many families do this purely as insurance.
Know your funding position
Emergency care usually gets arranged first and funded second. Knowing whether council support, Attendance Allowance or NHS funding applies saves days. See the funding guide.
Afterwards
An emergency is usually a signal rather than a one-off. Once things are stable, request a care needs assessment for the person and a Carer’s Assessment for yourself, and consider whether some regular respite would prevent the next one.
Frequently asked questions
How quickly can emergency respite care be arranged?
Hourly visits and sleeping nights can often be covered within hours or by the next day. Waking nights typically take 24–48 hours, and emergency live-in care 24–72 hours. Phone providers directly and use the word emergency rather than using a web form.
Who do I call if I can’t care for someone today?
Call local home care providers directly, and call West Sussex County Council adult social care, which has a duty to respond where an adult is at risk — including out of hours through the emergency duty team. Call 999 if there’s immediate danger.
Will the council provide emergency care free?
The council must respond where someone is at risk and may arrange urgent support before completing assessments. Whether it’s free depends on the subsequent financial assessment, though care is usually arranged first and charging resolved afterwards.
What should an emergency care plan include?
Name, date of birth, NHS number, GP details, a full medication list with doses and times, conditions and allergies, daily routine, communication needs, key safe code, contacts, and arrangements for pets. Keep it visible and photograph it on your phone.
Can I arrange a provider in advance just in case?
Yes, and it’s the single most useful preparation. Have a free assessment now so a provider already knows the person and their routine. Emergency cover then becomes one phone call rather than a search.
The Care Panel is an independent publication. We are not a care provider and are not regulated by the Care Quality Commission, because we do not deliver care. Always check a provider’s own CQC registration and inspection report before you commit.
Written and fact-checked by The Care Panel. Last updated September 2026. General information, not medical or legal advice.