What is Hourly Care?

Hourly Care is a form of home care where a professional carer visits a patient’s home for 30 minutes or longer at regular intervals to assist with personal care, companionship and administrative tasks.

Hourly care is a highly flexible form of professional care for someone needing a bit of help. Visit frequency can vary from a few times a week to a few times a day and can be a short-term fix or a long-term solution.

Who is Hourly Care For?

Hourly Care is the ideal solution for those looking for short-term in-home care to facilitate recovery from an illness or injury, assist with daily activities, or provide rehabilitation services. It is also ideal for family and friends who need respite care or those requiring end-of-life care but who do not require long-term or full-time care. The care provided can be tailored to the individual and scheduled as often as necessary.

What are the Pros/Cons?

Hourly care can be an excellent solution for seniors who need a little bit of help but don’t require round-the-clock care. It provides flexibility and independence for seniors who want to stay in their own homes. The biggest pro of hourly care is that it can be customized to fit seniors’ needs. Whether they need help with housekeeping, meals, transportation, or personal care, an hourly caregiver can be there to assist.

The biggest con of hourly care is that it can be more expensive than other forms of senior care. In addition, hourly caregivers may not always be available when needed, particularly during peak times and holidays.

Who Provides Hourly Care?

There are two main options when it comes to hourly care – independent/private carers and care agencies.

Independent/private carers are individuals who provide care on their own. They are typically self-employed and are responsible for finding clients, setting their rates, and providing care. This type of care can benefit both the carer and the client, as it allows for a more personalised care plan and a closer relationship between the two. It also allows the client to have more control over the care they receive, as they can choose the carer they’re most comfortable with.

Care agencies are organisations that provide care services to those in need. The agency will employ carers and assign them to clients. This type of care can be more affordable than independent care, providing an extra layer of security. The agency is responsible for ensuring that the carers are qualified and experienced. However, it can be more difficult for the client to build a relationship with their carer, as the carer may be assigned to them on a rotational basis.

Overall, both independent/private carers and care agencies can provide quality hourly care. However, for those looking for a more personalised care plan and a closer relationship with their carer, it is often best to opt for an independent/private carer.

What Does Hourly Care Cost?

That’s a complicated question. Check out our article on the subject.

What Alternatives Are There?

While Hourly care can be an excellent option for those early on in their care journey, it can become less financially efficient than other forms of care if your needs are more intensive. In those situations, overnight and live-in care might be better options.

Live-in Care – This type of care where a carer lives in a spare room of your house, making them available should some support be required during the night. Find out more about live-in care here.

Overnight Care – This is for those with intensive needs, even at night. Even if an hourly or live-in carer is supporting someone during the day, an overnight carer will be able to provide additional support.

Conclusion

Interested in an Hourly Carer? Why not consider entering your location at the top of the page and seeing if PrimeCarers has any carers in your local area? We’re an introductory service that makes it super easy to work with private carers near you.

This article is part of our more comprehensive article on Home Care.