Live-in care is a home care service that provides round-the-clock care from a professional carer, provided in the comfort of one’s own home. It’s different to visiting care, sometimes known as domiciliary care, which describes support given through one or several visits per day.
Live-in care is highly popular among older or disabled individuals who wish to remain independent in their own homes but require additional support with daily tasks to ensure safety and comfort. Today, we’ll explore how live-in care works and who it’s best for.
What is Live-in Care?
Live-in care means one or more professionally trained carers come to live in a person’s home to provide fully personalised care 24 hours a day. The carer’s role is to assist the individual in remaining as independent as possible, while helping with daily tasks, providing companionship and offering mobility assistance.
A Country Cousins live-in carer is professionally trained and experienced in supporting people in their homes. They also have experience and training in specific health conditions, allowing them to be matched with a client whose health condition they are familiar with and can effectively care for.
Live-in care offers comprehensive care and support tailored to the individual’s needs and preferences. Because support is individualised and provided in a one-to-one setting, it offers the most thorough and personalised care available and is often cheaper than residential care.
There are two types of live-in care, depending on the person’s needs:
Live-In Care with Sleeping Nights
Live-in care with sleeping nights means one carer will live in the home and be awake to give care and support during the daytime. During the night, the carer will sleep and can be woken up for any occasional, unforeseen needs, such as using the toilet.
Live-In Care with Waking Nights
Live-in care with waking nights refers to 24/7 care provided by two or more carers. One carer works during the daytime and sleeps at night, while additional carers come to the home in the evening and are on shift to provide support throughout the night. This type of live-in care is perfect for people with complex health needs who need regular care throughout the night, such as advanced-stage Alzheimer’s.
To find out about live-in care with Country Cousins, download our Guide to Live-in Care.
Benefits of live-in care
With such highly tailored care provided in the comfort of a person’s home, there are substantial and wide-ranging benefits to be had. Some of those benefits include:
Better Mental Health
Maintaining familiar surroundings with home comforts, pets, and family memories can enhance physical and mental well-being, helping to nurture a sense of stability.
Improved Physical Health
A live-in carer encourages activities to keep the body and mind active. They will also ensure that meals are healthy, nutritious and in line with any special dietary needs. Simply having a companion can help keep an older person’s brain and memory healthy, through playing games, talking and interacting.
Enhanced Safety and Security
Having a live-in caregiver offers a higher level of safety and security, particularly for individuals with mobility issues or complex health conditions.
Familiar Surroundings in the Comfort of Home
Remaining in a much-loved home is especially beneficial for people with dementia or Alzheimer’s, and allows for continued involvement with the local community and neighbours.
One-to-One Care
Live-in care is tailored to suit an individual’s care needs, lifestyle, and home circumstances, ensuring they receive exactly the right type of support from a carer who has been carefully matched to their specific requirements.
Round-the-Clock Support
A live-in carer is available 24/7, providing peace of mind for the individual and their loved ones, knowing that someone is always there to lend a helping hand.
Supports Independent Living
Loss of independence and the knock-on effects that can have on physical and mental health are a common fear for many elderly people. Maintaining independence and control over one’s life, even for small things such as deciding when to eat, can have significant benefits for the quality of life.
Peace of Mind
For you and your family, knowing that your loved one’s needs are always met in a consistent, professional, and compassionate manner. A live-in carer is able to monitor a person’s well-being on a day-to-day basis, which is invaluable for loved ones and other healthcare professionals.
Value for Money
When compared to a residential care home, live-in care may be slightly more expensive, but with the added benefit of receiving a much higher level of personalised care. The carer is dedicated to supporting one client, allowing them to provide focused attention, companionship and assistance throughout the day.
Companionship and Emotional Support
Loneliness and social isolation can have detrimental effects on an individual’s well-being. Live-in carers not only provide practical support but also offer companionship, emotional support and engagement in activities, improving the overall quality of life for the individual.
Flexibility and Adaptability
Live-in care can be tailored to the individual’s changing needs over time. As a person’s needs evolve, the carer can adapt the support accordingly, ensuring that the individual receives the appropriate level of support at all times.
What Is the Role of a Live-In Carer?
A live-in carer offers more than just practical support. Their role is varied; they can assist with many day-to-day tasks, provide companionship and offer much more.
Here are some of the things that a live-in carer can help with:
- Assistance with daily tasks, such as bathing, dressing and toileting
- Household tasks, including any reasonable help around the home, from cleaning, tidying and doing the laundry, to walking the dog
- Meal preparation, providing home-cooked meals to ensure nutritional needs and any dietary requirements are met daily
- Condition-led care, including support with existing health conditions such as dementia, Parkinson’s and cancer
- Mobility support; help to move around the home safely with hoists, wheelchairs and mobility aids
- Running errands, such as collecting prescriptions, paying bills and doing grocery shopping
- Companionship, friendship and reassurance offered by a 24-hour home carer cannot be underestimated in maintaining a person’s well-being
- Social activities and outings, such as visits to the coffee shop or local shops, arranging and accompanying to appointments, or simply a trip to the park
Live-in care with Country Cousins
At Country Cousins, we are the longest-serving introductory care agency in the UK, providing high-quality live-in care services for over 60 years. Our highly trained carers are carefully matched to clients based on their experience, training and personality, so you know that you are getting the right carer for your needs.
Once we understand your circumstances and care needs, we can offer guidance and recommendations on services that best suit your or your loved one’s needs. Our care plans are completely tailored to each client, ensuring that we provide the correct live-in care services according to your needs, wants, and cultural requirements.
