Do you need care at home? A live-in carer could be the answer

As we get older it gets harder and harder to perform every day tasks. Sooner or later we start thinking about how we are going to get the care that we need and many of us will come to the heart-breaking conclusion that we will need to move out of our familiar home and into an institutional care home.

Care in your home

Homecare services could provide the answer you are looking for. Instead of you moving to where the care can be provided the care moves to where you are. All you need is a spare room for your carer to live in.

What can a live in carer do?

Typically your care will be tailored to your requirements. This can be very precisely tailored and may vary from day-to-day giving you a huge degree of control over your care. According to live-in care providers and agencies some of the areas that in home care cover include:

• Washing, bathing or showering
• Toileting and dealing with continence issues
• Dressing
• Getting into and out of bed
• Using stairs safely
• Getting out into the garden
• Cooking
• Shopping
• Cleaning
• Pet Care
• Transport to and from appointments
• Medication management

Your carer is there to provide you with companionship as well as care. They are there to offer a listening ear when you need to rant about how frustrated you are with getting old, or complain about how little you see your family or any other concerns you may have. They are there to support you if you get confused and to help you back to bed when you wake in the night. They are there so you can continue to attend club meetings or to have friends round for coffee. They are there so that seeking out the right level of care for your needs doesn’t mean having to rehome your best friend. They are there to reduce the risk that you fall and to provide speedy first aid in the event that you do.

Even if your partner or spouse doesn’t need any help with daily living they need support emotionally. By taking over some or all of your care a live-in carer can help to preserve your relationship with your other half. This can be especially important if you have suffered a stroke or suffer from dementia as there may be mental changes that will strain your relationship. It’s not just you that can open up to your carer – they will offer a listening ear to your partner, your family and your friends if they need it.

Care homes are surprisingly expensive so you may be pleasantly surprised by how affordable live-in care is. It offers a real, well-rounded and personalised alternative to a care home and it may benefit you more than the standard care home would