Is live-in care the perfect alternative to residential care?
The concept of having a carer live with you in your own home as an alternative to having to move into residential care is not new. In fact, Access Care has been introducing qualified, vetted and professional carers to people in their own homes since 1994. The concept though is still not considered mainstream and it is surprising how many people are unaware of this option, thinking that a move to a care home and thus leaving their own home is inevitable. For some a care home is a perfect fit; for many, though their ardent wish is to remain in their own home – AND IT IS POSSIBLE!
The option is “Live-in Care” – where, with our help, you can arrange for a professional, qualified and vetted carer to come and temporarily reside in your property providing the care and support you need to live your life the way you chose. The carer is then seamlessly rotated with another providing continuity of care. Our Rotational patterns provide the very highest levels of continuity as many carers look to stay for a good number of weeks at a time and we work hard to introduce a team of 2/3 carers who rotate throughout the year.
This article looks at a couple of the ways ‘live-in care’ differs from choosing to move into a care home.
A carer living with you in your own home will provide one-to-one care whereas in a residential home many carers work on rotation to share responsibility. Being supported by one person promotes a depth of professional relationship that enables a carer to instantly respond as necessary. She can recognise signs of a possible decline in condition, changes in mood, rapid onset health concerns as well as fully understand what makes a difference in her client’s day, what makes her laugh and smile, relaxes and soothes, eases discomfort and generally makes life as good as it can be.
The majority of sons and daughters who phone us to arrange care for a parent tell us their main wish is that their loved one is ‘clean and well-fed.’ A carer living in will cook healthy, hearty, home-cooked meals carefully balancing nutritional needs with desires – after all, there’s no harm in a sneaky treat now and again!
The main and most obvious difference is that live-in care enables you to remain living in your own home; there is no upheaval, no move to new and unfamiliar surroundings. You can keep much-loved pets whereas many care homes are unable to accommodate them. Links to your local community are maintained and life, for all intents and purposes can continue as normal.
There is funding available for both options. Live-in care is comparable in cost to residential homes and compared to some of the more elite homes a much more cost effective option. In many instances one live-in carer can provide care for a couple, this is a far more viable financial option that the cost of two beds in a residential home.