The Benefits of Live-in Care Vs. Care Homes

We believe that as you age, you should be given the best care possible to allow you to live a fulfilling life in the comfort of your home.

We've helped thousands of families to stay safe, comfortable and happy at home. Whatever situation you're facing, or whatever the question is, Home Instead is here to help.

Are you in need of a little guidance right away?

03300 583450
Other non-care related enquiries

Here at Home Instead Bedford, we have a selection of services available to help and support individuals to remain as independent as possible. 

From help with household chores, medication management, running errands, shopping, personal care and bathing to specialist care such as dementia care, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s or help with other conditions, we’re here to help every step of the way.

Contact Us
A woman showing an older man something on a tablet at a table with coffee and flowers. - Home Instead

What are the different types of care options available?

Making the Right Choice for Your Loved One

Most people are unaware of home care services or the option to have a carer come to your home. It’s often thought that care homes are the only choice available to look after your loved one. Home Instead, home care and live-in care services were created to support people in their homes to feel most comfortable and happy.  

Different types of care are suited to different situations, and it’s important to know that there is never a right or wrong decision. It’s entirely down to preference and circumstances.

We understand that, where possible, most people would prefer to stay living at home where their precious memories and belongings are. Getting a little extra support at home is an excellent step to introduce the idea of care slowly. It can be a more affordable alternative to care as it is a fraction of the cost of most residential care options.

Contact Us
Older woman with white hair, wearing a light blue sweater, smiling and eating a snack while sitting on a sofa. - Home Instead

Understanding the level of care required

If your loved one has reached a stage where they need assistance with their day-to-day living, you may be wondering if elderly care is appropriate and which type would best suit their needs.

As a first step, have a conversation with your loved ones to find out what support they may need. We’re here every step of the way with advice on talking about care with your family and can help you to explore the possibilities of having some external support. 

After an initial conversation, you may wish to arrange a free, friendly, no-obligation consultation with Home Instead to decide on the level of care you or your loved one may need. 

Contact Us
Two men sitting at a table, one showing the other a tablet; pastries and a coffee cup are also on the table. - Home Instead

What is Live-in Care?

Live-in Care services is when a Care professional resides in your home to provide care and assistance. One of the significant advantages of a live-in carer is that it is a safe alternative to other types of care and offers peace of mind that someone is readily available should the need arise.

Contact Us
An elderly woman in a purple sweater converses with a seated woman in a maroon top at a wooden table. - Home Instead

What is Home Care?

Home care or domiciliary care is where a Care professional will visit your home for a minimum of an hour a day, as little or as often as required. Home care is a great option should your loved one need additional help around the house, companionship, or other tasks that can be completed within the time the Care professional is visiting.

Live-in Care is a safe and affordable alternative to a residential care home that gives you control over your care, bringing you consistent, one-to-one support in the comfort of your home.

Contact Us
A smiling woman hugs an elderly woman holding a magazine at a kitchen table with fruit on it. - Home Instead

Is Live-in Care Safe?

Live-in care is one of the safest options available.

The risk of infection from outside your home is reduced when you have a Care professional reside with you. Other care options typically have multiple healthcare professionals coming in and out of the house.

Our most important priority is to keep you as safe and shielded as possible while enjoying a higher quality of life from being in the comfort of your home.  

Contact Us
A woman smiles, holding a dog, while sitting across from an elderly man in a cozy, light-filled room. - Home Instead

Live-in Care Vs. Care Homes

Living at home means staying in familiar surroundings and maintaining those daily routines that might not be possible in residential care

We have broken down each service to highlight the benefits of both and help guide you with what type of care you will choose for your loved one. 

The best way to get a complete understanding is by speaking with a member of our team who will happily go through all of your concerns and requirements to help you decide on the best solution for your loved one. 

Contact Us
An elderly woman and a young woman sit on a couch, smiling as they look at a book together in a cozy living room. - Home Instead

A Live-in Carer

We take a personal approach to matching your loved one with a suitable live-in carer. This is done by selecting an individual who will work well to support your loved one, shares the same interests and personality traits and can carry out specific instructions while becoming a true companion to them too. 

Here at Home Instead Bedford, we have a team of wonderful Care professionals that suit every client’s specifications; our Care professionals are kind, trustworthy, and are very easy to bond with.

Arranging in-home care is a big commitment. With live-in care from Home Instead, we can help give family members more quality time together while caring for them in the place they love the most, home.

Contact Us
Woman in pink shirt reading a magazine and drinking from a mug in a cozy room with plants. - Home Instead

Live-in care can be the right solution when:

  • You live in a remote location or far from family members. 
  • Your parent or loved one needs a high level of attention and support
  • This includes giving medications as needed, ensuring they are eating correctly with scheduled meals and snacks to prevent malnutrition, assistance with bathing if necessary, and other duties of daily living like dressing them when appropriate.
  • You care for an older person who has Alzheimer’s disease and is non-verbal, which makes it hard to assess their moods and safety level.
  • You care for someone at home, which means you miss work too often or have shortened shifts because you’re constantly worrying about your loved one.
  • Assisting vulnerable adults and those who are aged 70 & over to safely self-isolate.
  • Reduce unnecessary contact from other care professionals coming in and out of the home.
  • Provide you with a highly trained care professional in infection control, outstanding hygiene practises, and shielding the vulnerable. 
  • Collect medication, groceries, and supplies, or arrange contactless deliveries to you as safely as possible. 
  • Help reduce the feeling of loneliness by having a loyal, compassionate companion by their side.
  • Provide you with your own trustworthy, exclusive, bespoke support.

Live-in care allows family members to spend more quality time together and peace of mind that help is at hand.

Contact Us
A caregiver in a purple shirt smiles while chatting with an elderly man who is drinking from a cup at a table. - Home Instead

Benefits of Live-in Care

Companionship & Support 

One of the best benefits of live-in care is having a Care professional around you to familiarise yourself with them quickly. In addition, they will go above and beyond to enrich your loved ones physical and psychological well-being, making them feel comfortable, cared for and loved.

A Safer Care Solution

Live-in care is one of the safest care options available.

The risk of infection from outside your home is reduced when you have a Care professional residing with you. In addition, other care options typically have multiple healthcare professionals coming in and out of the house.

Our most important priority is to keep you as safe and shielded as possible while enjoying a higher quality of life from being in the comfort of your home.

You Get to Stay at Home

A person’s home is their own little time capsule, holding personal treasures and precious memories, which can make it very difficult to give up. But beyond the sentimentality attached to your own little patch of the world, the familiarity of home is good for a number of reasons.

Remaining in recognisable surroundings is a major benefit for people needing care – particularly if that person is suffering from Alzheimer’s or dementia. Simple things like easily navigating your way through the home can make all the difference to someone who might be prone to becoming confused.

Vulnerable people of all kinds can benefit from Live-in Care, not just elderly people. Anyone suffering from an illness, injury, loss of a loved one, or long term disability can benefit from 24-hour care.

At Home Instead Bedford our range of services could help improve the quality of life for someone that requires 24-hour round the clock care.

  • Highly personalised, one-to-one support
  • Remain independent and stay in your local community
  • Reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation with the companionship of your live-in Care professional.
  • Your Live-in Care professional will assist you with medication reminders, nutrition and hydration
  • Live-in Care Professionals can help with household chores such as laundry, cooking and cleaning
  • Create a safe and familiar environment to prevent falls or accidents
  • Live-in Care provides peace of mind that someone is there to help when it’s needed most

Although you will have someone there to help around the clock, should you need it, live-in care offers a greater opportunity to live an independent life than living in a nursing home or residential care home. Our professional carers can tailor your care package around you, offering a better quality of care. 

Contact Us
An elderly woman and a younger woman sit on a couch, smiling and holding hands, with a tray of tea on the table nearby. - Home Instead

Home Care Service

Home care allows independence, absolute comfort, and dignity. In addition, it promotes healthy living and general healing for those who need support with recovery.

According to a 2008 scientific research by Avalere, “patients heal faster and are more comfortable when treated at home than they are in nursing homes, or hospitals.” Home care services can also be recommended for people (especially older people) recovering from an injury or managing a chronic condition. Below, we have listed some of the benefits you are likely to get for a home care service. 

Contact Us
Elderly woman smiling at another person holding a watering can in a garden with flowers in the background. - Home Instead

Reduces Loneliness & Isolation

Having a Care professional visit throughout the day to check in on a loved one, sit down for a cuppa or make a meal for them to enjoy reduces feelings of loneliness and isolation and ensures they are well-nourished and okay.

Our Care Professionals will encourage your loved ones to partake in activities to keep their minds healthy and active. Visiting care also allows for your loved one to enjoy old and new hobbies and make friends within the community at local events.

Contact Us
Elderly man in glasses and a beige shirt, smiling and holding a cup in a kitchen with bread and carrots on the counter. - Home Instead

It's Safer & Offers Peace of Mind

Our home care service will ensure you are in good hands; we can help manage medication, meal preparation, personal care, companionship, light housekeeping, pet care and more.

Our Care Professionals are highly trained and will ensure that the house is a safe living environment for your loved one. 

They will also use an app to help update you in real-time about what your loved one has had to eat, how the visit went and how they are feeling. This offers families great peace of mind that their loved one is in safe hands.

Contact Us
Two women, one holding a small dog, smile and chat while sitting on chairs outside a brick building with windows. - Home Instead

One-to-one Care

Home care allows for total comfort and privacy in the home compared to other types of treatment in healthcare facilities or nursing homes.

Contact Us
Two women sitting on a sofa, smiling and playing video games together in a bright, modern living room. - Home Instead

Affordable

Home care services are a more affordable solution to other types of care. This is calculated on the needs and requirements of each individual and the level of support that is needed. Visiting care is a fantastic way to introduce the idea of care, and many of our clients often go on to need live-in or 24-hour care.

Contact Us
Person smiling, holding a cup, sitting across from another person with a chessboard in between them. - Home Instead

Encourages a healthy lifestyle

Home Instead provides a range of supportive services, including preparing meals and encouraging a client to enjoy a healthy, balanced diet. Home Instead can ensure clients are eating correctly and monitoring any health and well-being changes. Our latest campaign aims to help and assist families who are providing care for their loved ones themselves to be aware of an older person’s risk of becoming malnourished. We have devised a workshop to educate families and relatives on the issue of malnourishment and what to do if you suspect someone is at risk.

Contact Us
Two women outdoors, one holding an exercise band and smiling at the other. Trees and greenery are visible in the background. - Home Instead

Respite for Family Care Professional

Our Care professionals are highly-trained and compassionate people who love making a difference in people’s lives and providing respite for those who need to take time for themselves.

When it comes to self-care, it’s common for family carers to put themselves at the bottom of their priority list.

Respite care is proven to reduce stresses and tensions that come with caring while improving your loved one’s wellbeing. When tensions are relieved, you have better relationships with the person you’re caring for.

Contact Us
Three generations of a family smiling and interacting in a garden, with plants and flowers around them. - Home Instead

Our Care Professional can offer the following home care services;

  • Dementia care
  • Overnight care
  • Live-in Care
  • Assisted living
  • Companionship care
  • Home help
  • Housekeeping
  • Day-to-day tasks and activities

Our home care services also support older adults who need additional care following an operation or illness. At the same time, their regular carer has a well-deserved break from their demanding duties of being full-time carer.

Contact Us
Smiling woman with a lanyard, holding grocery bags with produce, standing outside on a sunny day. - Home Instead

Arranging the Right Care

The best way to start the process is to contact us and speak with a team member to ask any questions you have. Our team will guide you through the process and arrange to complete a care assessment with you. A care consultation allows us to provide you with highly personalised care tailored to your individual needs.

Our free, no-obligation home care consultations give you the chance to talk through your needs and requirements so we can create the best package of care for your loved one. In addition, home care consultations are a fantastic way to learn more about each other while providing insights into your personal preferences.

Whether your regular carer is going away or you need support following an operation, we can tailor a care package to suit you.

Contact Us
Two elderly men, one seated holding a mug, the other standing, smiling and interacting in a cozy living room. - Home Instead

Why Choose Home Instead Bedford?

Home Instead has a kind and compassionate local caring team that sits at the heart of your community, ready to offer you all the support you need.  

Our live-in Care professionals are hand-picked for you and are the next best thing to family, developing fantastic relationships with clients.

They have at least 1+ years of experience and are trained in all aspects of care delivery, including specialist support.  Feel free to tell us what’s really important to you, and we’ll go above and beyond to find a Care professional that ticks all the boxes to meet your exact needs.

Contact Us
A caregiver assists an elderly man in a wheelchair in a cozy living room with a large window, lamp, and houseplants. - Home Instead

Areas We Serve

Bedford, Biddenham, Great Denham, Queen’s Park, Brickhill, Clapham, Renhold, Kempston, Wixams , Cranfield, Marston Moretaine, Wootton, Bolnhurst, Colmworth, Keysoe, Melchbourne, Thurleigh, Ampthill, Clophill, Flitwick, Silsoe, Shefford, Campton, Chicksands, Meppershall

MK40 1, MK40 2, MK40 3, MK40 4, MK41 0, MK41 6, MK41 7, MK41 8, MK41 9, MK42 0, MK42 6, MK42 7, MK42 8, MK42 9, MK43 0, MK43 8, MK43 9, MK44 2, MK44 3, MK45 2, MK45 3, SG17 5

106A Bedford Rd, Wootton, Bedford MK43 9JB, UK

01234 677693

https://www.homeinstead.co.uk/bedford/