At Home Instead, our aim is to provide good quality care for people as they age enabling them to stay at home where they feel safe, comfortable and in familiar surroundings. One of the ways in which we do this, is by providing live-in care, where one (or two or three) of our fully trained Care Professionals move into our client’s home to provide around the clock care and companionship.
At Home Instead Preston, our live-in care has made the whole world of difference to Betty who is supported by Caroline and Cecily on a two-week rotation. Having the support of two of our wonderful Care Pros, Betty is able to confidently remain as independent as possible in her own home.
Betty is very independent and after sadly losing her husband, it was important to Betty that she remain at the home they shared together. After a bad fall in 2023, causing Betty to break her hip, her confidence was shattered and remaining at home alone seemed a daunting future. Whilst Betty has a good network of family and friends around her, providing around the clock support became impossible to manage alongside their own families, work commitments and health. Daily living tasks became much more challenging and anxiety inducing for Betty to face. Live in care has been invaluable for Betty who says, ‘having a live in carer has given me confidence in doing things I didn’t think I was able to do, they have been my strength when I feel weak.’
When the weather permits, Betty likes to get out and about with Caroline and Cecily and visit local garden centres, go shopping or out for a spot of lunch. Before Home Instead’s support, Betty couldn’t manage this on her own and with sunnier forecasts just a few months away, preparation is underway for a jam-packed summer! For now, though, Betty and Caroline have been filling their time at home enjoying Betty’s favourite, Snakes and Ladders. There’s no need for Caroline to go easy on Betty though, Betty is a natural and takes great delight in winning the game almost every time.
Home Instead Preston pride ourselves on matching our Care Professional’s to our clients so they can build meaningful connections and supportive relationships to ensure that they care our clients receive perfectly suits their needs. Being a live-in carer is not for everyone, it can be physically and emotionally demanding and spending up to 2-3 weeks away from home can be incredibly difficult. However, it is definitely not without it’s benefits. Caroline and Betty have formed a wonderful bond, with Caroline describing Betty’s as a ‘home away from home.’ Whilst visiting Caroline and Betty for the information for this blog post, it was clearly evident the strength in their connection. The comfort and support that Caroline offers Betty, and the satisfaction and genuine pleasure Caroline gets from helping Betty to maintain her independence. They even had matching nails!
After a career of years spent driving taxis and buses, it was the care and support her own father had received that led Caroline into the care industry. Talking of her own experience with seeking care for her dad, she said she had been so disappointed and let down by the care he received, that she vowed never to allow another family to experience the same. Whilst it does mean spending two weeks at a time away from her home, Live-in care offers Caroline the flexibility and freedom to spend weeks at her caravan with her family. Being a Live-in carer is more than just a job for Caroline, you can see how much she keeps her clients in her heart and how she adopts the role as part of herself.
If you think you have what it takes to be a Live- in care professional, you can find out more information and apply for a role, here.
Whilst Betty has found the support of Caroline and Cecily invaluable, her hopes are that in the near future she will have rebuilt her confidence and will be able to reduce the support that she currently needs.
Long term hospital stays or residential homes are no longer the only option when looking into care for a loved one, Live in care can provide around the clock companionship, home help and support with personal and healthcare needs all in a familiar environment. Live-in care rotations can be flexible to suit your needs and are a viable short- and long-term option for additional support. If you or a loved one would benefit from the Live-in care service that Home Instead Preston offers, you can find out more information and enquire here.