Live-In Care
Live-In Care
Live-in care is one-to-one care provided in people’s own homes. This means a carer will live with your loved one and provide care 24 hours a day and seven days a week.
Live-in care agencies, such as ours, provide the kind of care that could otherwise only be provided in a residential home. We offer a real alternative for those who don’t want to leave their own homes, but who need more than daily visits.
Who needs live-in care?
Live-in care can be the perfect solution for people suffering from a range of conditions. We provide live-in care for:
- Dementia sufferers
- Stroke patients and those suffering from long-term degenerative conditions such as multiple sclerosis
- Elderly people who may not have a specific condition, but are struggling to manage alone. Many will have been receiving some care, but will have developed a need for more intense care over time
- Adults suffering with learning difficulties who need help with day to day tasks
- People with any of the above who are currently being looked after be family and friends who are struggling with round the clock care responsibilities
What is live-in care?
Live-in carers are all highly trained professionals. With live-in care you can expect a higher quality service than that of a residential home, but with all the comforts of home and at any time in the day or night that your loved one needs it. Live-in care means that a stressful relocation is not necessary. We understand that people’s needs vary, and so does the assistance we are able to provide. Live-in carers can help with:
- Personal care, including help with washing, dressing and bathing
- Basic medical care, including administering medication
- Help moving around, both inside and outside the home
- Help with household tasks such as cooking and cleaning – we can even include pet care
- Help with shopping and other errands
- Emotional support and companionship
For full time live-in care there needs to be adequate space and organised living arrangements for the carer. This carer will have their list of care tasks and frequencies that these must be done, and they will also be on hand at any time for any other needs that may come up.
Someone with a live-in carer might also need some more specialist help from other carers and professionals. While the live-in carer can meet most day-to-day needs, they won’t always be able to provide everything a person needs to stay in their own home. We will be able to offer advice if more specialist care is needed, and if transport is required, your live in carer can help. We also have many reputable healthcare contacts who we can recommend.
Live-in carers will need to take breaks from work at times. This can mean that a person will need more than one carer to meet their needs. Rest assured that all of our caregivers are trained to the highest standard. We also utilise an up to date automated system which can be accessed at any time, which ensures that all necessary tasks are logged and checked off so nothing is missed.
Benefits of Live-In Care
Round-the-clock professional care
Live-in care allows people who need round-the-clock care to stay in their own homes.
The only alternative for people who need this kind of high-level care is residential. Residential care can be the right choice for some, but many people prefer to stay in their own homes. This is particularly true of those with long-term degenerative disorders or disabilities.
Some people find that re-location to a residential care home can be stressful and isolating. On the other hand, with live-in care it is easier to carry on as normal, just with the added safety net and help from a full time carer.
Comfort of their own home
Live-in care allows those with round the clock needs to get a professional level of care in the comfort of their own homes. For those with dementia or learning difficulties a complete change of setting can be extremely stressful and have negative mental health and behavioural implications.
Those nearing the end of life also benefit greatly from being able to stay in their own homes. Some, such as stroke patients, may only need live-in care for a limited time. Others might just need a few days of care, such as after surgery. In these short term cases live-in care reduces the need to travel back and forth as well as the complications this can bring.
While family can often provide live-in care, it’s not always possible or desirable for them to do so. Taking on the full time care of a loved one can mean pushing your own responsibilities to one side, and it can commonly cause burn out. This can result in high levels of stress for the caregiver, and therefore a reduced standard of care provided, Live-in carers can step in, giving families confidence that their loved-one’s needs are being met, leaving them free to focus on emotional support.
Pet care
Animal companionship can be hugely important for mental health. For someone going through a difficult change which requires full time care, the comfort of animals is even more beneficial. Those who need care often struggle to look after pets. However, separation from pets can often cause difficulty and confusion for the owners. Live-in care can help. Just let us know about any pets and we can factor this into choosing a carer which suits your loved one best. The carer can help feed pets, walk them and take them to vet appointments.
Good quality of life
Live-in carers help people continue to live as fully and freely as possible, even during significant illness or after disability. At a time when they may be dealing with great change and new limits on what they can do, live-in care can provide the much-needed continuity.
Remain with your spouse
People that live together with varying levels of support needs live-in care is a great way to stay together. If a couple with differing needs were to move into a residential home it is possible that they would be split up, and not be able to spend as much time together as they would like. Double bedrooms in residential homes are rare.
Being split up from a life partner can have detrimental effects on mental health which easily manifest as physical illness. Care24Seven just needs to know the couples’ needs and we will be able to organise care for both of them in their own home.
Companionship
Live-in carers are professionals, but they can become close companions to those they care for. Many people report feeling that their live-in carer has become a friend or a part of the family. For those who live alone, a live-in carer can be a vital form of social contact.
What are the health Benefits of Live-in Care?
Live-in care is linked to higher quality of life and increased longevity. Studies have shown a decrease in falls and fractures in comparison to a residential home sample.
Another benefit of live-in care, or other domiciliary care, is that you or your loved one can keep the same GP. Not only does this make things more comfortable, but the current GP will also have a greater understanding of your needs and health history.
Home care has mental benefits for a lot of people, especially those in the early stage of dementia. A familiar surrounding can provide comfort and reduce confusion.
The added control of living at home can also be beneficial mentally. Having more choice over food and how time is spent can keep frustrations down, and keep the mind active.
What are the Social Benefits of Live-in Care
The social benefits are directly linked to the health benefits. Humans are sociable by nature and not getting the right amount of socialisation has negative cognitive impacts, can damage self esteem, and lead to loneliness and depression.
A live-in carer can help you or your loved one to continue with your social life, whether this is meeting for afternoon tea, pursuing hobbies and continuing to visit a place of worship.
On top of this, it is easy to build a bond of friendship with a carer and many already benefiting from live-in care appreciate the companionship within the home.
Live-In or Residential?
If you are torn between residential care or live-in care in London then there are a number of points to consider. Everyone is different and there isn’t a one size fits all answer to care. It is important to take the time to carefully weigh up the pros and cons.
Live-in care is, by its nature, one-to-one. In a residential care home, staff ratios are much higher. This means that live-in care provides closer, more reliable care than residential care does. In a residential home, one carer would usually be assigned to work with several patients, while live-in care is one-to-one.
Care rotations in residential homes can also mean having many different carers throughout the week, which for some can feel uncomfortable. With live-in care there is just one main carer who can bond with you or your loved one and truly understand the best methods of specific care.
Live-in care also means avoiding the disruption of having carers come and visit every day. For those with complex needs, live-in care provides far greater stability and a higher quality care than visiting carers can, however committed and professional they are.
Being surrounded by happy memories and familiar objects helps those who are undergoing rehabilitation to progress more quickly.
It can also provide comfort to those whose life, or ability, is limited.
We know, for example, that dementia patients benefit from being reminded of old memories and therefore often feel happier at home. Studies have even shown that staying at home can increase the length and quality of life for the remaining years.
For families, keeping their loved one in their own home often means keeping them at the heart of the family. Rather than having to pay visits to a residential home that may be some distance away, they can visit and help care for their loved one in the same place that they’ve always visited them.
Residential care is often more expensive than live-in care, especially for those who are no longer paying a mortgage. Though residential care can be the best option for some people, for most, live-in care is better. Help with funding for live-in care is often available via local and national government and topped up with private funds if needed. This is something we can help with.
Other Specialist Care
Disability Care
Live-in care for people with learning difficulties and disabilities can improve quality of life and independence. We work with young adults who have disabilities such as down syndrome and severe autism. We understand how unique the care needs to be in these instances and can help with communication as well as increasing confidence and independence.
Need Emergency Care?
Live-in care is quick and easy to organise. If a primary support provider becomes ill or care is needed quickly after an illness or injury, then emergency care can be organised.
Palliative Live-in Care
Palliative care is for people with a terminal illness where the focus isn’t in recovery, but instead on maintaining quality of life, and pain alleviation. For many people it is preferable to spend time after diagnosis in their own home rather than a hospice.
How can Live-in Care Help After a Hospital Stay
When someone leaves the hospital after a long stay it can be difficult to adjust to life at home. In this case a short term live-in carer can help with this difficult period.
Respite live in care can take place for several seasons, after an illness or infection extra help may be needed until and full recovery is made. Alternatively, after a fall or injury a live-in carer can be the best way to rebuild confidence moving around. Short term care can also be offered after a stroke where our carers can assist with the rehabilitation process.
For short term care you will want to make sure that your provider isn’t forcing you into a long contract.
Help with Funding
When you or a loved one needs assistance, the last thing you want to be thinking about is organising payments, we can make this clear and easy for you.
There is often financial support available, this will be dependent on medical and financial circumstances.
A big benefit of live-in care is that when calculating entitlement based on finance, the home is not included in the assessment, as it is in use. The financial assessment is based on money in the bank. On the other hand, if you wanted funding for residential home costs, house value would be included in the assessment, resulting in less help.
We can help contact the right people to find out what assistance you or your loved one is entitled to.
Why Hundreds of Families
Have Already Chosen Care24Seven for Live-in Care
1:1 Care Ratio: Unlike hospitals or care facilities that have one staff member per a group of elderly, we offer one-on-one care. This means the carer will devote all their time and attention to your loved one and their needs.
48 Hour Contract: We know how unexpectant life can be, and are flexible and ready to accommodate any situation. We have a short contract, which means that you only pay for what you use and can start and stop care at any time, adjusting as needed.
Quality of service: Entrusting the care of your loved ones to somebody you have not known for very long can feel like a risk, but we can assure you of the highest level of care. Our carers will cater to the major and minor needs of your loved one, and provide them with the greatest level of care and treatment that they deserve.
Financial benefits: With the rising costs of care facility services, care at home is proving to be the cheaper option. That’s not surprising as it excludes many of the expenses you would otherwise be paying for in a facility, such as rent and wages, and may even help your loved one qualify for funding help.
A certified training centre: Not only do we have over a million hours of care behind our belt, but we’re a certified training centre ourselves. This means that not only do we train our own carers face-to-face, but we also train other carers from all over the country.
No long waits for care: When care is needed, it is often needed quickly. We can begin our care responsibilities in as little as 48 hours from you first contacting us. In under 48 hours you will have a fully trained carer to look after you or your loved one.
Get in Touch Today
We provide expert advice and a free, no-obligation, care assessment service.
Call our London specialists now and let us help you choose the right care for your loved one.
Call us now on 0333 207 5727 or request a callback from one of our team