Temporary care and options to recover after a hospital stay, illness, or health scare

There are plenty of situations where you might need an extra helping hand to recover, such as:

• Physical recovery after a planned surgery
• Recuperation after illness
• Regaining confidence after a health scare
• Temporary support while you rebuild strength after an injury

We’re very lucky to have lots of temporary care and support options available in the UK. The right option for you comes down to your individual needs.

This guide will walk you through the main types of temporary care, who they’re best suited for, and your options if you feel you need support after immediate medical care has ended.

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What is temporary care?

Temporary care is support provided in a specialist facility or at home following a hospital discharge, surgery, serious illness, or significant injury. Depending on the circumstances, your medical team may offer care to support your recovery, which typically lasts for up to six weeks.

Temporary care will be tailored to your needs and designed to aid your recovery. You might be given particular exercises to do, receive support with personal care, or be given devices and adaptations to help you at home. Your medical team will help you work towards the goal of managing your long-term recovery on your own.

What care options are available for recovery?

There are several types of temporary care to support your rehabilitation, whatever your road to recovery might look like. No option is better or worse than another; it’s just what’s right for your needs.

Respite care

Respite care is a temporary arrangement, typically used when you’re primarily being cared for at home. It acts as an alternative short-term arrangement, allowing your primary caregiver to take a break while knowing your needs will be provided for by professionals.

Living arrangements vary. You might attend respite care in a care home for a set period, or stay at home and visit a day centre or have carers visit you to provide care.

Depending on circumstances and eligibility, respite care can be paid for by a local authority, or you can choose to pay for it privately.

Intermediate care and reablement services

Intermediate care programmes combine the services of multiple teams to provide suitable care for you during your recovery, with the goal of regaining independence and preventing you from returning to hospital.

The services you receive will be entirely personalised to your health and personal needs, and you’ll typically receive this care where you live or in a community hospital. For example, you’ll likely get personal care support to help with washing and dressing. You could also receive support from nurses, physiotherapists, and other healthcare professionals, who will help you learn how to manage your condition.

Intermediate and rehabilitation services last between one and six weeks, depending on the severity of your condition, your care needs, and how your recovery progresses. You shouldn’t need to pay for this intermediate care, as it’ll be primarily NHS-based, unless you received treatment through private medical insurance.

What happens once NHS support ends?

A temporary care plan is helpful, but in reality, the road to recovery is much longer. There’ll come a point in your recovery where your medical team feel you’re well enough to be discharged from their services, or you may no longer be eligible for NHS- or local authority-funded care. And while your medical team feel you’re doing better, you might not.

A health scare can knock your confidence down, especially if you were very active and social beforehand. Your abilities may have changed, and you now find everyday tasks a bit more challenging. Although you may no longer need specialist support, you still want reassurance that it's available if you need it.

There are privately funded alternative care options available, such as renting an assisted living property, to help bridge the gap between formal care and building your confidence and independence.

Could assisted living be the right option for you during recovery?

If you don’t need one-to-one care or complex medical support, assisted living might be more suitable for you as you recover.

Assisted living facilities offer a less hands-on approach to care. You’ll stay in a private apartment, which you can rent or even buy if you prefer, and have access to a range of care and lifestyle support services. The level of support you receive will be entirely flexible and on your terms, so you can gradually scale care down over time as you grow more confident and able to do more on your own.

Lifestyle support and care services typically include things like:

• Domestic chores, such as laundry and household cleaning.
• Personal care with dignity at front of mind, whether it’s shaving, washing, dressing, or walking around.
• Health needs, such as post-operative support, medication management, and surgical applications.
• Running errands on your behalf, such as shopping and collecting prescriptions.
• Everyday tasks, like meal prep, tidying up, and managing paperwork.

Assisted living puts you in control, so you can get help with whatever you want and whatever you need as often as you like.

Choosing where to live after a health scare FAQs

Will I have to pay for temporary care?

It depends on the circumstances and your eligibility, but the NHS will typically cover the costs of nursing care, intermediate care, or renablement services to help you transition home from the hospital. They also provide things like equipment and home adaptations if you need them.

This isn’t means-tested, so no one has to pay for it, but you do need to be eligible, and services need to be available in your area. Speak to your NHS team about what your options are, as they will be able to provide specific information and guidance for your circumstances. Free and funded support can’t last forever, unfortunately, and it might not cover you for as long as you feel you need it, which is where something like assisted living comes in.

Can I choose where I recover after leaving the hospital?

Yes, you can typically choose where you recover, whether you pay for care or are entitled to free care. However, your medical team will assess your needs and recommend the best place for you to get better.

If you feel you need to extend your recovery, you can choose to pay to extend your recovery in a private facility or with carers in your own home.

Is a care home the only option for recovery?

No, care homes are not the only option for recovery. Many medical providers like you to recover in a familiar home environment, if your condition allows it. Some people might choose to move somewhere else temporarily, such as renting an assisted living property, to ease pressure on loved ones who would otherwise need to provide care, or to have reassurance that support is nearby if you normally live alone.