Choosing Live-in As A Care Option

Whether it’s care for yourself or for a loved one, choosing the right live-in care provider means asking a number of important questions. If you have made the decision for you or a loved one to receive live-in care and assistance in the comfort of your own home, there are a few things we ask you to bear in mind to ensure that your new carer can settle in quickly to your existing routine with minimal fuss, and to start providing the highest support, care and assistance for you and your family.

The Right Care Provider

Once you have a list of potential care providers that look like they might be suitable, it’s important to establish exactly what costs will be involved. Bear in mind that with some care providers, charges will be higher at the weekend and on a bank holiday. You should be able to obtain a list of costs up front from any home care provider, and this information should help you to make a final decision. You may need to balance cost with reputation and reliability; It’s often worth paying a little more for a service provider you feel you can trust to provide a good service to you or your family member.

Where Will The Carer Stay?

A live-in carer will require a private bedroom with a bed and somewhere for them to safely store their clothes and personal belongings. There’s no need to worry about the size of the bedroom, if it provides adequate and comfortable space for your carer to relax during their down time and sleep in then that will more than suffice. It will be fine for your live-in carer to share the family bathroom, and our carers will supply their own toiletries.

Use of Utilities in The Home

Giving your carer use of facilities such as the washing machine, internet (if available), cupboards space in the kitchen, fridge etc. will make their stay more comfortable and help them to feel part of the family. Don’t worry, our carer will provide their own groceries and they will prepare their own meals. Having access to utilities such as the internet will also help them to help you more effectively, as they can use this resource to help with directions, new places to visit and so on.

Break Time Each Day

We ensure that all of our live-in carers at Live In Solutions have a minimum of 2 hours a day to themselves. This time will allow them to unwind and relax, which in turn means when they are working, they are more focused on their role in helping your family.

If extra support is needed to allow for this break time, please let us know. We can help to arrange additional support to ensure carers are receiving adequate rest. Live-in carers are entitled to have 14 hours per week to themselves, which is typically broken up to 2 hours each day. The time off a carer has will always be lined up with either a family member visiting or another carer taking their place – so you or your loved one will always receive round-the-clock care.

Regular Communication with Family and Friends

By allowing our carer to integrate with your family and friend circle, they will be better equipped to not only support you, but also to support your wider network. Additionally, this will help them to understand your needs more and know they have others to speak with should they have any questions you may not be able to answer about your care and needs. Ultimately, your carer wants to build a relationship with you and hopefully become a friend as well as a carer.

Being a live-in carer requires a special kind of person who truly cares about others. We believe that our carers perform best, when they are supported both by the families they are living with and us here at Live In Solutions.

If you’re interested in becoming a live-in carer or visiting carer in the South East of England, please take a look at our job vacancies section. We offer our carers some fantastic benefits, including excellent rates of pay with weekend enhancements, on-demand pay, professional training and opportunities to train and develop in specialist areas of care.