However, the rising profile of professional private live-in care, provided by trained, compassionate live-in carers, also means there are now alternatives, even for people with more complex care needs or who require respectful support for a large proportion of the time.
We’ve explained how live-in care works, how it contrasts with residential care, and summarised some of the many tasks a live-in carer can provide on a one-to-one basis with support shaped wholly around the wishes and needs of the care recipient.
What Does Live-in Home Care Involve?
Live-in care services can encompass a wide range of responsibilities, tasks and requirements, all of which are detailed in personalised care plans.
Family members, friends, healthcare professionals, and, of course, the individual are all asked to contribute where possible, ensuring that the care plan is genuinely bespoke and takes into account all areas where a professional care team can add value.
That may include, as a few examples:
- Personal care to help with dressing, bathing, and using the bathroom.
- Emotional support to ensure the person is happy and well, and has a kind listening ear.
- Medication management to ensure all medications are taken on time and at the correct doses.
- Mobility support with getting out and about, shopping or looking after pets.
- Specialist nursing care for people with medical needs or cognitive conditions.
- Help with everyday tasks around the home like laundry, cooking and cleaning.
- Palliative care to keep a loved one pain-free and safe.
When you arrange live-in care, you can shape the nature of the support provided, with the peace of mind that comes from a care package you and the care recipient are comfortable with and that includes all essential assistance required.
However, your local care manager can also help if any of these needs change, whether you need your care team to take on additional responsibilities, increase the frequency or duration of live-in support, or need to respond to progressive health conditions.
How Is Live-in Care Different From Visiting Home Care?
Both live-in and visiting care are delivered in the comfort of your own home. For many, being in familiar surroundings, living independently, and staying close to communities, groups, friends, and family can have a huge impact on their quality of life.
The difference is that visiting care is normally arranged during waking hours, whether early-bird morning visits, daytime care routines, or evening care. Personalised support can cover all of the areas summarised above, but these care services are usually organised for a set number of hours per visit, rather than offering overnight care.
There are two main options for families who need a carer to be on hand overnight, or who require round-the-clock support:
- Overnight care, either waking or sleeping. Waking overnight care means a trained carer attends the care recipient’s home, helping them settle down for the night and remaining alert for any distress, concerns or practical support the person may need until their daytime routine resumes.
- Live-in care is a type of tailored support that can involve one or several rotating carers. Care teams require time and space to rest and sleep privately, but can also work on a schedule, with live-in care organisations structuring care specifically around your needs.
While the right type of care is always a personal decision, both can serve as alternatives to residential care, where a person has a high-quality care team to look after their well-being day and night, without the upheaval of leaving a familiar environment.
What Are the Contrasts Between Residential and Live-in Care?
It’s a common misconception that private at-home care offered by a live-in care agency is comparable to residential care aside from the location where care is delivered. There are, though, considerable differences in how independent life can feel when remaining at home rather than moving to a care facility.
Of course, staying in your own home may be beneficial, especially for older adults who are active members of their local community, love the comfort of their own bed, and for whom huge changes to daily life would cause distress.
However, live-in care is also based around a personalised care plan. Carers are solely focused on the emotional well-being, welfare and happiness of one person, without the constraints of needing to care for multiple residents or adhere to care home schedules and routines.
Acting as the primary carer for a single care recipient, or potentially a couple, ensures carers have the capacity to listen and respond to personal preferences, to make impromptu plans, or to change their schedule for the day as the person wishes.
This is one of the biggest benefits of live-in care, because care is designed to meet the needs of each family, rather than expecting individuals to adjust to a new home, system and routine.
How Can Families Decide on the Right Care Structure for Their Loved One?
Comparing the cost of live-in care with a residential home is important for every family, but in many cases, live-in support acts as an affordable alternative, and there are also considerations around whether families may be eligible for local authority funding.
A free care assessment is a great way to get a better idea about what different types of care might cost, and how to best meet the needs of you or a loved one.
By listening to the preferences of the care recipient, exploring the financial support systems out there, and speaking to your local Guardian Angel Carers office, you can ensure you have all the information you need to make an informed decision.
Please feel free to get in touch if you want to know more about live-in care or would like to chat with one of our experienced care managers about your requirements.