The beauty of live-in care is the companionship that comes along with the care; as well as the obvious benefits of there being 24-hour support to take the weight off the family’s shoulders. The closeness of the carer relationship builds a different kind of trust and creates a deeper level of understanding when it comes to the specific kind of care the client might need.
There are a handful of preconceived perceptions about live-in care and its natural to want to take extra care when it comes to welcoming a new person into your home, particularly when you or a loved one are vulnerable and in need of care, but during my time working in the health and social care sector, as well as running my own Live in Care business, I have developed 10 top tips for finding the best live-in care agency:
1) Do they specialise in live-in care? Not just as an add on to care by the hour.
2) Are they regulated by the CQC? This is amazingly important; they regulate the standard of care and keep you safe.
3) Try not to use an agency who just supplies carers without employing the carers themselves- self employed carers can be great, but it’s very hit and miss, and you have no security of consecutive care.
4) Speak to the care manager who will be overseeing the care of your loved on – are they friendly and easy to get in touch with/relate to? Do they understand the individual circumstances your loved one is in? Can they empathise with it?
5) Ask what support is available to the carers and what arrangements are in p lace if your carer is ill or cannot work for any other reason – the agency should look after its carers as much as the clients.
6) Do they have a 24-hour helpline and does one of the are team always respond? This must be more than just a messaging service.
7) Do they offer general advice about how to get care/ funding/ primary care support?
8) Can you have a choice as to whether your carer is vaccinated?
9) Do you have online/ open access to the care notes at all times?
10) Can you look at reviews of their carers and service on an independent reviews site or speak to someone who has used the service?
These guidelines will set you on the right path, but if you have any questions about your own situation or just generally about the Live-In Care industry and what is available, we would love to help – do get in touch via our contact form or call us on: 01932 901444.
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