Do Live-in Carers Buy Their Own Food?

No, Live-in carers typically do not buy their own food. Instead, their client often provides a food allowance or meals as part of their employment agreement.

This arrangement allows them to prepare food for themselves and the client within the household.

Let us dive into the details of all the questions involved here.

Should Live-in Carers Buy Their Food?

The answer to this question is a resounding ‘No’. Live-in carers are often paid less than the minimum wage for the hours that they are in the home due to the fact that the cost of accommodation and food is taken into account as part of their remuneration package.

Furthermore, practical advantages are also gained by grouping food spending together, such as economies of scale and reduced workload on the carer.

How Should Food Be Provided to Live-in Carers?

When it comes to providing food, you’ve got two options.

#1 Include in Grocery Shopping

The best way to arrange food for a carer is to increase the amount of what you are already buying for your loved one. Whether that’s through supermarket deliveries or doing the shopping yourself, it’s a good idea to check with the carer if there are any meals they would prefer or any dietary issues to be aware of.

Utilising an introductory service can be a great way of ensuring the perfect fit for your loved one’s needs.

#2 Give the carer a budget

If your loved one or their carer has specific dietary needs then it is best for the carer to purchase their own food. A budget of £30-40/week can be allocated to the carer in the form of petty cash or a carer shopping card. Should the carer also be tasked with the responsibility of food shopping for your loved one, then a larger budget is necessary.

Who Should Buy the Food?

Now that we know food should be provided for carers, the final question is about the best way to manage to get that food into the house. We’ve found that combining the following approaches works best for our clients.

Carer Shopping Trips

If your loved one has the capacity for mobility, then you may want to consider taking trips to the shops with a carer. These shopping outings are a tremendous way to get your relative out of the house and can serve to lighten the weight of responsibility of arranging food shops that fall on the family.

Online Shopping

Indeed, many supermarkets provide online shopping services, which your carer can access to place orders for you and your loved one. Furthermore, local producers have also begun to supply online and local delivery services, expanding your options beyond the larger supermarkets.

Family Shopping

If you reside in the local area and have a clear idea of what your beloved desires, then conducting the shopping yourself is the ideal approach. Nevertheless, be sure not to forget the preferences of your carer when making your selections.

Do Live-in Carers Cook?

Live-in carers typically provide cooking services to their clients as part of their duties, although this may be hindered by the intensive nature of their care provision.

At PrimeCarers, most of our carers possess the culinary skills necessary to create nutritious meals from scratch. Nevertheless, depending on the level of care needed by your family member, such as being unable to be left alone or being up at night, it may be more practical to provide pre-cooked or ready meals that the carer can access quickly.

Conclusion

We hope that this clears up any questions you have about how to handle live-in carer food.

If you’d like to find out more about live-in care then please check out our complete guide to live-in care!