If you’re the one who quietly keeps your parent’s week running, the first question before any trip is: Can we go away and keep things steady at home?
Yes - you can. The trick is to plan for the week your parent actually lives, not the idealised version you wish they lived. This guide shows you how to do that in plain English, with no last-minute panic.
Start with the reality in front of you (not the brochure)
Every household has a rhythm. Write down - in one page - what really happens:
Non-negotiables: medicines, therapy, personal care, pets, school run overlap, faith/community commitments.
Fragile points: stairs at night, hydration in hot weather, low mood after 4pm, forgets hearing aids, “witching hour” before dinner.
Support that already works: the neighbour who pops in, the cleaner on Thursdays, the chemist who knows the file, the cousin who’s good with tech.
That one page becomes the anchor for everything else.
Four moving parts that make holiday cover robust
Consent, privacy and family dynamics
- Who can receive updates? Name them.
- What style of update? Brief text? Email? Phone call?
- What's private? There are topics your parent may not want shared with the wider family. Respect that - write it down.
Examples that can work in the real world
Case A: "Independent but forgets timings"
Two short support visits (late morning, early evenings), labelled pill organiser, meals that don't require too much admin. Daily message to the nominated contact with escalation to the GP if anything of concern pops up.
Case B: "Post-hospital and nervous"
One longer morning visit for shower, dressing and breakfast; safe transfers; extra check in at 8pm for the first couple of evenings. Home set up with simple hacks to make life easier.
Case C: "Loves their routine, hates fuss"
Keep the usual cleaner, dog walker, add one familiar support worker for meals and a walk to the post box. No daily calls, just an end of week email unless something changes.
How Reliant slots in (and how we don't)
- Familiar faces and reliable timing: when wanted, we keep continuity so your parent isn't meeting five new people while you're away.
- Clinical coordination without grandstanding: If a GP, pharmacist or allied health professional needs a quick update (with consent), we pass on short, factual notes and get out of the way.
- Inclusive, dignity-first care: Names and pronouns used correctly, privacy protected, and support that respects identity and household norms (for those who follow HWEI: we're Gold tier; we take this seriously).
- Updates you can set and forget: Daily summaries, end-of-week note, or "only on change" - you choose. If you'd like a photo of the Webster-pak or the filled water jug by the chair each morning, say so.
If you’d like us to draft a one-page Holiday Cover Plan for your situation - or talk through whether a light daily check-in versus two longer visits is the better fit - get in touch. We’ll keep it simple, consent-led and realistic for your parent, not theoretical.
Emergency? Call 000. For non-urgent advice, your GP or health service remains the first port of call. For everything else, we’ll help you turn “we’re going away” into “we’ve got this.”