What Is Live in Care? - Live in Care Explained

The UK’s most awarded live-in home care provider

The Good Care Group offers the best care and companionship when you need it most.

Our commitment to delivering the highest standard of care has seen us continually achieve the best possible rating from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and become the UK’s most awarded and accredited provider of home care services.

A compassionate and professional care team

An expert, professional and compassionate carer will move into your home to provide you with one-to-one care and support around the clock, giving you peace of mind and reassurance that you are receiving the highest quality care.

A perfectly matched care team

A live-in care arrangement usually involves two carers working on a two-week rotation. They will be carefully matched working with you and your family to ensure they are able to meet not just your care and support needs, but are closely aligned with how you wish to live your life, sharing common interests, personalities and backgrounds. In the rare situation, the match does not work out we will happily work with you and your family to find the care team that does.

A personalised plan of care and support

The carer who comes and lives in your home will provide a highly personalised plan of care. The comprehensive care plan will be created with input from not just the person receiving care, but with vital input from family members and other healthcare professionals involved in your care.

It will cover not just your care needs, but your choices on how you live your life, your preferences and social and emotional support required. It is a holistic approach that is focused on enhancing health and wellbeing, whilst improving overall quality of life.

“Joanna is simply superb. She has transformed my dad and lifted his spirits. I have nothing but positive things to say about her. She is a brilliant ambassador for your company, balancing human sensitivity with professionalism.”

A Daily

What does a live-in carer provide?

When consider what is live-in care at home, you will want to understand what exactly a live-in carer will provide. A live-in carer provides a range of care and support in your home including:

Personal care

Personal care is a broad term used for several tasks to help you maintain your personal hygiene and appearance, including washing, dressing, grooming and toileting.

Companionship

Your perfectly matched care team is there to provide all the companionship you need – a listening ear, a friendly chat over a cup of tea, reassurance when you need it. The carer will be on hand when you need but will also use discretion and be aware when you need your own space.

Companionship

Your perfectly matched care team is there to provide all the companionship you need – a listening ear, a friendly chat over a cup of tea, reassurance when you need it. The carer will be on hand when you need but will also use discretion and be aware when you need your own space.

Social and emotional support

The care plan will outline all your social interests and preferences and the carer will help you to maintain all your activities and hobbies, both in and out of your home. The carer will support you to continue to feel connected to your family, friends and local community facilitating any social events or gatherings you wish to have or attend.

Specialist support for conditions

If you are living with a condition like dementiaParkinson’s or Multiple Sclerosis or require stroke care or palliative care, your professional carer will be trained to provide you with the specialist care you need whilst focusing on improving your quality of life.

Specialist support for conditions

If you are living with a condition like dementiaParkinson’s or Multiple Sclerosis or require stroke care or palliative care, your professional carer will be trained to provide you with the specialist care you need whilst focusing on improving your quality of life.

Complex care

If you are living with an on-going medical condition, or have been discharged from hospital following treatment and need complex care, your carer is trained to provide nurse-led care that is overseen and supported by clinical experts to ensure the care provided is to the very highest standard.

Medications administration and management

The carer is trained to proactively and efficiently administer medications to ensure your optimum health and wellbeing.

Medications administration and management

The carer is trained to proactively and efficiently administer medications to ensure your optimum health and wellbeing.

Meal planning and cooking

Carers will help you to plan your meals according to your dietary requirements, nutritional needs and personal preferences, including cooking your favourite meals and shopping for your groceries.

Domestic and household support

A professional carer will ensure your cleaning regime and domestic household tasks are maintained, so you can live in your home the way you always have. The carer will help with household administration and is happy to run errands out of the home.

“My father’s health in hospital deteriorated rapidly. The Good Care Group assessed him quickly and we soon had two wonderful carers. They cope and respond admirably to his changing needs and I feel totally confident in their care.”

E George

What is live-in home care used for?

There are several different situations when live-in care can be used to support your on-going care needs, including:

24-hour live-in care for when round the clock care is needed to ensure a person can continue to live well in their own home.

Respite care can provide a family carer with a much-needed break from caring for a loved one, or can be used as an opportunity to see how live-in care works and whether it is right for you and your family.

Short term care following hospital discharge or for those needing post-operative rehabilitation or stroke care.

Differences between live-in care and other types of home care

Live-in care as the name suggests is when a professional carer lives in your home providing all your care, companionship, social and support needs, around the clock. Other types of home care include hourly care, or visiting care as it is sometimes called, a service which is typically provided by a domiciliary care agency.

With hourly care a carer will visit once or twice a day (sometimes more depending on your needs) to provide specific support to complete day to day tasks, like getting up, washing and dressing and preparing meals.

Generally these visits are short, anything from 15 mins to a maximum of an hour so for someone needing greater levels of care, or for those living with a specialist condition like dementia or Parkinson’s or with more complex medical needs, this level of support is not enough to ensure you get high quality care that improves your quality of life, whilst enhancing your overall health and wellbeing. It is just impossible to achieve in the time the carers are afforded to spend with you. If you do require specialist support, then hourly care can become expensive as you will be charged for the extra support you need on top of the fee for the actual visit.

Benefits of live-in care?

There are many compelling benefits of receiving live-in care at home as opposed to enduring the stress, upheaval and uncertainty of moving into a care home setting:

One-to-one care and support around the clock – something even the very best care home simply cannot provide.

A uniquely developed, highly personalised plan of care designed to meet your care needs whilst addressing how you wish to live your life - none of the rigid timetables or set routines experienced in a care home.

Specialist and complex care provided by highly trained carers delivered in the comfort of your own home. Familiar surroundings and routines are paramount in helping those living with specialist conditions, like dementia.

No need to move out of your much-loved home, with all the upset and disruption that brings. The family home can then be kept in the family, instead of being sold to fund care home fees. Staying at home means you can keep control of your life, with all your treasured memories and possessions around you.

If you have an adored pet, you will not be able to take this into a care home. With live-in care you can keep your pet and the carer will support looking after it, and if you have a dog will be happy to walk it for you.

Considerable and proven benefits to overall health and wellbeing, with much needed peace of mind and reassurance for family members.

The cost of care is comparable to that of a care home and considerably cheaper for couples, who would be charged double for two rooms in a care home.

Elderly couples who require care can stay together as a loving couple, as opposed to being split up to be cared for in different areas of a care home.

Continuing to be part of the local community you have loved, for what might have been many years.

Choosing a live-in care provider

Once you have considered what is live-in home care and have decided that live in care is the right choice for you and your family, you will need to do some research into choosing a live-in care provider. You will also need to decide whether you use an introduction agency, whereby a carer is introduced to you but you employ and manage them directly, or you use a fully managed service provider who is regulated and inspected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to ensure the highest standards of care are provided.

What is live-in home care - answering your FAQs

What do live-in carers do?

What do live-in carers do?

Our 24 hour care is provided by an expert carer who moves into a spare room in your home and offers personalised support.
Choosing a provider

Choosing a provider

Choosing the right live-in care provider is an important decision. There are different types available, so it helps to know you’re comparing like with like.
Conditions we care for

Conditions we care for

Whether you require ongoing, round-the-clock help or short term respite, The Good Care Group supports people with a range of medical conditions.
Benefits of live-in care

Benefits of live-in care

If you, your partner or a member of your family require care, there is a choice to be made between arranging relocation to a residential nursing or care home, or obtaining 24 hour care in the family home.

Talk to us about your live-in care needs

We are experts in providing a full managed, high-quality live-in care service rated ‘Outstanding’ in all areas by CQC. Call our friendly and approachable team today to see how we can help you and your family.

0203 728 7577

Enquiry form

Enquiry – Floating Button