Staying in their home, and remaining in a familiar place will provide elderly people with a sense of security and comfort that can help their mental health as well as their physical health. For an elderly person, keeping their home means keeping their independence, and live-in carers are fast becoming a desirable alternative for ourselves, and those of us with elderly relatives.
What are the benefits?
There are huge benefits to remaining at home for elderly people – staying in a well-known and well-loved area, being close to family and friends, and being able to carry on meeting socially with groups. Elderly people that have lived in their homes for many years will have filled it with happy memories that they do not wish to lose by selling up. Many elderly people will have taken care of their gardens, and some will have beloved pets that they can’t take with them into a care home.
Clients who choose to employ a live-in carer will find that they benefit from receiving one-on-one care in the familiarity and reassurance of their own home. This could be a much better option than a care home, particularly for elderly people who are living with mental health conditions such as dementia or Alzheimer’s Disease.
A level of care to suit you
Live in care is tailored specifically to the neds of the client, rather than the general all-round care received by those in residential care homes. This leads to live in carers and the elderly person developing a close relationship, and can lead to carers being able to anticipate the needs of the client if they change.
Living in close proximity means that the carer is able to prevent ‘old-age’ incidents such as trips and falls, and the older person will not be alone for long periods of time. Whilst the facilities offered by a care home are perfectly acceptable to many residents, the personalised care that comes from having live in care could have enormous health and well-being benefits in the long run.
Live-in care means having a carer who is fully trained come and live in your own home with you. Their role will be to ensure that all your needs are met concerning washing and dressing, taking medication, preparing and eating food, assisting with household chores and, where necessary, gardening and caring for a pet. But there are even more benefits to consider so let’s look at them more closely:
Personal care
Washing, dressing and personal grooming – these are often tasks that are very personal. Rather than having different members of a care team help you with these tasks, live in care means you’ll have the same trusted carer with you when you need help.
Medication
A live in carer can assist with medication schedules so you no longer have to worry about taking the right tablets at the right time. Carers can also change dressings as necessary.
Domestic support
With live in care, you can be accompanied when shopping and performing other chores and domestic tasks, including food preparation, cooking and gardening. If you are unable to perform these activities yourself, your carer will be able to do them for you.
Physical support
If you choose live in care, a carer will accompany you to medical appointments (hospital/doctor/dentist).
They can also provide assistance attending social events, support with day trips, and flexibility in helping you meet your own care needs. Statistics also show that older people have fewer falls when they have a live in carer than when they are in a care home.
Emotional support
One of the most important aspects of live in care is the provision of ongoing emotional support that adapts as care needs change. This allows an older person to remain in the familiar surroundings of their own home and keep up with their social events, everyday tasks and hobbies, with minimal change to their daily lives.
Both you and your carer can benefit from a live in care partnership. You can enjoy companionship (including sharing meals, watching television and playing games), social interaction (someone to chat to), or simply knowing someone is around if you need them. A fully trained carer living with you and able to offer round the clock care also boosts mental health.
Offering choice
Live in care offers you the ability to stay in your own home as a life-enhancing alternative to residential care. It means you can take control over your life and your own care in later years. You can receive high-quality care from the very best carers and still enjoy hobbies, activities and interests – the choice is yours.
Additionally, friends and family can visit when it suits; you can enjoy your favourite foods when you want them, and get support with daily life when you need it from a professional live in carer.
Greater Independence
Live in care offers greater independence to those elderly people who want to stay in their own homes whilst giving them the security of 24/7 professional care and support close by.
Those who currently benefit from live in care describe it as supporting their ability to live as they want in their own homes. They can keep to the routines they have always had, just with the necessary additional help with everyday tasks such as getting out of bed, bathing and dressing.
Relief at not having to move to a care home
For those older people and their families who are worried about care needs but have concerns about being in a residential home, live in care offers them all the help and support they need with the added peace of mind of remaining at home. This can bring a sense of relief to older people and their family who may have thought a care home was their only choice.
The benefits of live-in care for people with reduced mobility
Ageing can mean a reduction in mobility. Many conditions such as arthritis, Parkinson’s, diabetes, stroke or heart disease impact on a person’s ability to get around, which in turn can lead to a further decrease in mobility.
Always on hand
If you opt for live in care you can always be sure that there will be someone present and able to assist at any time of the day or night. Having reduced mobility covers a wide range of abilities from being unable to walk 50m to needing assistance to get across the room, out of bed or when using the toilet. Whatever restrictions on mobility you or your relative face you won’t have to face waiting for a call button to be answered before assistance comes becasue a live-in carer is always on hand.
Reduced risk of falling
Having assistance on hand whenever it is needed also reduces the risk of taking a tumble. Falls are one of the biggest reasons that older people are admitted to hospital through the accident and emergency department. Complications caused by being in hospital and a further reduction in mobility mean that some falls can lead to much more serious life-threatening issues.
Decreased risk of depression
When getting around is difficult it can be hard to find enthusiasm for life. Depression is common in the elderly and is often connected to worsening of chronic conditions. Simply having companionship throughout the day may be enough to stave off depression for some people, for others knowing that there is a non-family member who they can talk to and express their feelings to honestly can also help.
Travelling
Reduced mobility doesn’t need to reduce a person’s social life or lifestyle. Provided a suitable and willing carer is employed, all that is needed is a bit more planning. Unless there are other medical conditions that preclude travelling, if an older person wishes to see the world (or at least visit further afield than their home town) then their ability to get around shouldn’t be a barrier to travelling.
Consistency of care
We all have our likes and dislikes but if asked to list them all we would undoubtedly forget some or find others impossible to describe. Having live in care means having the same one or two carers providing care which means they can build a relationship and learn about you or your loved one’s preferences.
Being cared for by someone who knows instantly how to make the perfect cup of tea, where you like to put a grabber, even which arm you’d rather be offered when getting up from a chair can make a huge difference to the quality of life an older person enjoys. These may seem like small issues but having to remind a succession of different visiting carers can gradually erode a person’s sense of individuality and self-worth.
Better quality of care
You deserve the best quality of care and support as you grow older. Unfortunately, for many, their family members will have work commitments or live far away, which means that caring for an older relative simply isn’t possible. That is when it may be necessary to find professional care as an alternative to a family care-giver. But rest assured that when you choose live-in care you will benefit from dedicated one-to-one assistance and support from a trained carer 24/7.
No matter what type of care you opt for, it is essential to remember that everyone has the right to expect the following:
Safety
You should feel safe in the company of your carer, who should have the appropriate experience and skills. They should ensure you receive the highest quality of care and support according to your needs.
Consideration
Personal preferences and opinions are extremely important and should always be a factor when choosing live in care. Our carers will always treat you with consideration and respect. They will always do their very best to accommodate your needs and desires.
Quality of life
Everyone is an individual and should be treated as such. How you dress, do your hair, what you eat, when you go to bed and get up; the entertainment and activities you enjoy. These are all elements that add to the best quality of life in your later years. Receiving care at home means you will have control over all the factors that contribute to quality of life.
Need help with live in care?
Options for elderly care can be confusing, but at Greenwood Homecare, we are here to enable people to make the best decisions for their future health outcomes and peace of mind. Our care team offers both live in care and home care as well as respite care and overnight care.
As a live in care provider we have been rated Good by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). We offer expert advice and support on whether live in care is right for you.