Live-In Care - the alternative to a care home
We all know what care homes are, but is live-in care properly considered and understood as an alternative offering some significant benefits?
We provide care for the elderly to help them remain comfortable and independent in their own homes for longer.
To find out more about why clients love Live-in Care by Home Instead, please:
give us a ring on 01256 840 660,
email us at [email protected]
or click on our enquiry button below.
What is Live-in Care?
Live-in care means having a carer living in your home and available to look after you as and when you need it throughout the day. Our live-in carers would normally work for a total of eight to nine hours per day, as agreed with the client on a day to day basis, take two hours off, and be available for the rest of the time to cover any emergencies or unexpected support that the client might need.
Our carers can help with personal care, medication, meal preparation, housework or taking the client out, and of course will be a constant source of companionship.
Why Choose Live-in Care?
Live-in care offers the client the opportunity to continue living in the comfort and familiarity of their own home, following their own routines and maintaining contact with their community. Whilst living at home they can have the one-to-one support of a trained and experienced carer who is dedicated entirely to them and giving them exactly the support they need, when they need it.
Costs vary of course but care home and live-in care costs are very similar.
We Provide a Fully Managed Service
Fully managed live-in care means that the care provider (such as Home Instead Basingstoke) recruits, employs and manages the carers. This includes all necessary training, supervision and payment of the carer, as well as regular contact with the client to monitor the success of that critical relationship between client and carer, and taking prompt action to address any issues that might arise. Our objective is to provide peace of mind for the client and their family.
The alternative is an introductory service. Under this model the care agency merely introduces the live-in carer to the client; the carer will be self-employed and the client is responsible for managing the service, including payment of the carer. The level of involvement by the agency, eg with respect to training carers, matching them to clients and resolving issues, will vary. Whilst this may suit some families, many will see it as an unwelcome burden.
Florence’s Journey with Us
Since her husband passed away, Florence’s son had divided his time between his own home in Manchester and living with his mother. As she came to exhibit worsening dementia, he became concerned about her safety whilst he was away and asked us to provide companionship visits to keep an eye on her.
As Florence’s condition developed further, our input was broadened to include support with personal care; although she was surprisingly mobile, Florence needed encouragement and help with sequencing of personal care tasks.
In time Florence became more and more dependent on having a second person in the house, but her son was having to reduce the time he spent in Basingstoke. To keep Florence safe, our visits became full day sits, starting with morning personal care and then covering breakfast, outings, lunch and tea, with plenty of general social interaction and mental stimulation.
It soon became a concern that Florence was becoming unsettled and consequently unsafe overnight, and our support was upgraded to live-in care. Live-in meant that Florence had a single carer for several weeks at a time, resulting in her becoming much more settled at night and more content generally during the day. She has developed close relationships with her carers, and they in turn are devoted to her.
If you’d like to find out more about our live-in home care services please give us a ring on 01256 840 660, email us at [email protected] or visit: Live-in Care in Basingstoke.