Luca Rado, co-founder of specialist live-in home care service, the The Live In Care Company; shares ten reasons why live-in home care can be a positive option
It can be a challenging time when needing to consider a loved one getting care. You may be unsure whether a care home or live-in care is the preferable option, and at the crux of every decision comes the loved one’s wellbeing and happiness. There are advantages and disadvantages to both, and it will ultimately be down to your own individual circumstances and what you decide is best for your loved one.
Here are 10 reasons to consider live-in care services:
- It allows you to stay in the comfort of your own home
By opting for live-in care, you are able to remain in the familiar, safe environment of your own home. This can be really important to someone who is active within their community and can help maintain social connections. Within the elderly, loneliness is often thought to contribute to reduced psychological wellbeing and, therefore, keeping someone within their own community can be crucial in preserving the person’s quality of life.
Staying at home also allows for pets to remain within the environment of your loved one. Pet duties can be supported by a live-in carer so as to ensure their wellbeing is not compromised. It can be a difficult time to be separated from pets when having to move to a care home, so live-in care at home can help avoid these difficult emotional losses.
- Elderly live-in care allows you to stay as independent as possible
By remaining within the home, your loved one can keep their typical daily routine which allows them to retain as much independence as possible, whilst being supported where required.
Family members and the cared-for individual can communicate with carers about what the person needs support with and therefore the person being cared for retains a sense of autonomy. This can be important especially in the elderly where independence can help foster confidence and enjoyment.
- Elderly live-in care includes a personal care plan
Live-in care is tailored for the individual being cared for and this can be adapted if care needs change over time and even on a daily basis. This is a beneficial aspect of live-in home care since your loved one will receive the optimum level of care required to keep a balance between safety, independence, and comfort.
If your loved one’s needs are complex, then an expert carer can be chosen to help match the level of care required. If care needs are more focused around companionship, then a carer can be a supportive and encouraging friend for your loved one. The benefit of live-in care is that the carer can be matched for your loved one’s needs.
- It offers one on one care
Live-in care has the benefit of offering one-to-one care. Within a care home, this is often not possible due to the staff to client ratio that means staff are often having to care for multiple clients. When a carer lives within the home of your loved one, they are able to offer their full attention to the person being cared for, ensuring that all their needs are met in a timely, efficient manner. This can be important for matters such as medication.
- Elderly live-in care allows for better continuity of care
Usually, with live-in home care, one or two carers are involved with the care at home. This allows for continuity of care since there is not a rotation of multiple carers taking care of your loved one.
With just one or two carers, a closer bond can be formed between the carers and the cared-for individual. This can foster a healthier environment for your loved one and the carers are able to develop a clear understanding of the needs of the cared-for person by being around them frequently and observing where the care is required. You and your loved one will also feel safer knowing that the carers are familiar to you and that they understand what is required from their care duties.
- There is greater flexibility with live-in care
Live-in care can be as flexible as required. This means that you can have a carer who manages a variety of different care requirements from helping someone with complex needs to being a companion for a loved one. The care can also be adapted if the needs of the individual change over time. For instance, following an operation, someone may need more support in the early stages and less support as they recuperate and gain more independence.
A live-in care package supports the needs of the person throughout their recovery and takes a step back when the person finds they are able to do certain tasks again. It might also be that the reverse happens. If we think about Alzheimer’s Disease, this is a progressive disease which will cause an individual to lose the ability to independently manage daily tasks over time. A live-in carer will be observant and aware of the capability of the individual and adjust their input to ensure the person is kept safe and supported. The carer can communicate with family members and medical professionals to update them on the changes to care needs.
- It can speed up recuperation
Particularly for elderly people, remaining within a familiar environment can help speed up recuperation, and therefore elderly live-in care is often preferable when recovering from a fall or an operation. The same can also be said for younger individuals who feel that being in a hospital can be isolating. Studies have shown that healing is much faster at home rather than in a hospital environment, with live-in care still giving you the peace of mind that someone is on hand to help when needed.
- It is generally preferable
Given the choice, it is said that 97% of people would prefer to stay in their own homes instead of going into a residential care home. The main reason for this was because people prefer to remain in their own home, with their belongings, pets, garden and familiar community rather than going to live with strangers in an unfamiliar place.
- You can be closer to loved ones
One of the reasons why you might like to opt for a live-in carer is that you are able to be closer to your loved one. The person being cared for can remain within the home that they and you are familiar with and you are free to keep the visiting routine that works for them and for you. In a care home, there will be more restrictions on visiting hours and journey times may be extended. By keeping the same contact as usual with your loved one will ensure that they do not feel that they have lost touch with the people they care about.
- A good option for partners and couples
Live-in care can be a great option for partners or couples who both require care. This is often most common for elderly care services where both individuals want to remain together in their home but require support with their daily duties.
Live-in care services can be bespoke for couples and make them feel more comfortable and relaxed, by helping with household chores, personal care or more complex needs if required. It will also be more cost-effective to have live-in care for a couple than to have the couple both move to a care home with savings of thousands of pounds per month!
