When the time comes to look for professional care services for a loved one, you may be hesitant to opt for a residential care home. Moving into a new environment can be stressful for vulnerable individuals as they adjust to new and unfamiliar surroundings.
Coupled with disruptions to daily routines and lifestyles, such a move can cause significant distress for all involved. Fortunately, there are several safe and affordable alternatives to care homes, which we’ll explore below.
How Does Live-in Care Compare with Care Homes?
When considering the right type of professional care for a loved one, it’s helpful to compare specific needs and requirements you may want:
Can I Keep My Pet?
Home care allows individuals to keep their pets in their familiar surroundings, whereas care homes rarely allow pets to move in with residents.
Do I Choose Where to Sleep?
There’s no need to choose a new place to sleep with Country Cousins live-in care, as your loved one will remain at home. Care homes will assign them a room, so they most likely won’t get to choose where they’ll sleep.
How Much Will It Cost Per Week?
The average cost of live-in care from Country Cousins is £1088.00 per week, for more than 4 weeks of care.
Can I Define My Own Routine?
Absolutely, your loved one can choose their own routine with home care. Their one-to-one carer will follow their lead, fostering their independence and dignity. Care homes often have a set routine that residents can follow to make everything run smoothly.
Is My Care Tailored Around Me?
At Country Cousins, we’ll create a living care plan for your loved one that can be adjusted as needed to ensure they always receive the best possible care. Care homes may not tailor care as much, as they stick to a set routine and limited one-on-one time with each resident.
Will I Have a Dedicated Carer?
Yes, we’ll carefully match your loved one with a carer who will remain their primary support provider for as long as you need us. Care homes do not offer the same service, as most carers work shifts and rotate regularly.
Can I Eat What I Want?
When you choose care at home, you can request a meal plan you enjoy. Care homes often have set meal plans for all residents, and requests are rarely asked for.
Bespoke Live-In Care from Country Cousins
Rather than change what you or your loved ones are used to, we tailor our care plans to complement your established routines. Our fully qualified carers provide bespoke care and support that residential care homes and nursing homes are often unable to provide.
Care homes remain one of the most popular forms of round-the-clock care for the elderly in the UK. However, they’re not for everyone. The vast majority of people would prefer to stay in their own home given the choice, whilst others need different levels of care that aren’t always suitable for a care home environment.
With the number of individuals with complex care needs projected to increase significantly over the next two decades, according to Age UK, the care home sector is now under more stress than ever before. And so there’s a need to be aware of the different options available should the need arise.
At Country Cousins, we have compiled a guide outlining some of the best alternatives to care homes, along with the services and care we can offer.
You might also find our guide on Prioritising live-in care in the winter time helpful when planning ahead for seasonal challenges.
Safe and Affordable Alternatives to Care Homes
Residential homes aren’t the only option to consider when seeking professional care services.
Below are some of the most popular alternatives:
Live-in Care
A live-in care company is one of the most popular alternatives to care homes.
There are a number of benefits to receiving live-in care, including:
- You can stay around your family and those you love in an environment that’s familiar and comfortable to you.
- If you have a beloved pet, you can keep it at home with you.
- There’s no pressure to follow a set schedule, so you can maintain a level of independence not afforded in a care home.
- You can take advantage of personalised levels of care, bespoke to your needs.
- You can eat what you want, whenever you want.
Most importantly, you can focus on yourself, knowing that your carer is there for you when needed. You can still watch your favourite TV shows when you want, do your own gardening or any household tasks you enjoy, whilst safe in the knowledge that your carer is on hand to support you.
As a live-in care agency, we believe live-in care offers the highest level of support possible. Getting used to a new environment can be difficult and stressful. In your own home, you’re already comfortable and relaxed, and your carer can work with you and around your needs.
Moving In with Family or Friends
If a friend or family member has the capacity to provide additional care for a relative, this is also an option worth considering.
There are a number of benefits to moving in with family or friends:
- You’re around people you’re comfortable with, and they’ll be able to provide the care you need.
- You still maintain a level of independence, just in someone else’s home. You may need to adapt slightly to their schedule, but you will have more freedom than you might in a care home.
- Generally, this is one of the cheapest care options, as the only true ongoing costs will be those of running an extended household, such as increased food and utility bills.
When it comes to moving in with family, there are some key questions that should be discussed openly and honestly beforehand with everyone involved.
These include:
- What level of care is needed, and can this realistically be provided on a long-term basis?
- Will the home need to be adapted in any way? For example, will mobility supports need to be put in place?
- How might your new living arrangement affect any bills, such as Council Tax or utility bills?
- Is there an expectation that rent, food or other bills will be shared?
- Sometimes, one of the hardest yet most important questions to ask yourself is whether everyone involved (pets included!) gets along, or whether the arrangement will cause undue stress and concern.
- What happens if the arrangement doesn’t work? You should still be open to the possibility of arranging alternative care, such as live-in care in your own home or in a care home.
Retirement Villages
Retirement villages are developments created specifically for those of retirement age. They provide an opportunity to downsize from larger homes and to be amongst peers, whilst remaining close to local amenities and town centres.
There is often a choice of accommodation that can be bought or rented, with shared communal areas where residents can gather and socialise. Support is also normally on hand within the village in case of emergencies, with areas dedicated to basic care needs should they be required.
Retirement villages lend themselves to those looking to retire quietly who may not need regular care provision; however, the facilities and cost of retirement villages can vary considerably, and so we’d always advocate further research if this is an option that appeals to you.
Sheltered Housing
Sheltered housing is similar to a retirement village in that it allows those of post-retirement age to purchase or rent a small apartment in a dedicated, shared block. These apartments are overseen by a warden who usually lives on or around the site. Residents are then equipped with a personal alarm so the warden can be notified if they’ve fallen ill or had an accident.
Sheltered Housing allows residents to maintain their independence while being safe in the knowledge that someone is there for them if they need it.
There are usually communal areas for socialising or gardens for getting some fresh air on nice days. Some schemes also offer additional care packages, but, as with retirement villages, we’d advocate further research into sheltered housing options near you if this appeals to you.
Talk to Our Team Today
We are the UK’s longest-serving introductory live-in care agency and have been providing compassionate care to those who need it in their own homes since 1959.
Call our experienced team today on 01293 224706 to discuss your live-in home care needs and receive a free no obligation quotation.
