What Does a Live-in Carer Need?

A live-in carer requires a clean, comfortable bedroom with adequate heating and storage facilities, access to bathroom facilities, fresh linen, food, some form of entertainment, and regular breaks for privacy and comfort.

You may feel as though it is out of reach, but there are plenty of ways to provide all five things for your carer.

The five live-in carer requirements:

1. Bedroom

A live-in carer must have a private, comfortable place to sleep and relax while they are in the home. Live-in care is physically and emotionally tiring, meaning having a place of privacy is a crucial aspect.

The room does not have to be elaborately decorated; all it has to be is clean and comfortable.

2. Storage

A live-in carer is going to be staying longer than just a weekend, so providing a place to store their belongings is vital. Ideally, this means having a wardrobe or a chest of drawers available to them.

This also includes having spaces within the fridge and cabinets to keep their food.

3. Food

You should provide your live-in carer with food. Whether you want to provide groceries or a food allowance is up to you. Any allowance could be provided with either cash or a carer expenses card that the carer has access to. It is essential when considering this that both you and the carer are clear on the expectations for this.

Usually, a live-in carer will cook for themselves and your loved one. Sharing meals is not only convenient but also helps form a good relationship between the two.

4. Entertainment

Wi-Fi or a TV won’t be a requirement for all carers but will make their time in the home much more comfortable. This is also likely to be your carer’s primary way to stay in contact with family and friends.

Communication and reports from the carer can also be much quicker and easier with the help of Wi-Fi.

If you cannot provide these, you must have either phone service or a landline. Your carer needs to be able to call yourself or the emergency services if needs be.

5. Breaks

It’s typically expected that carers should be able to take at least 2 hours of uninterrupted breaks per day. This does vary on the difficulty of the job; for more straightforward jobs, some carers will be happy to collect up their breaks and take an afternoon off at the weekend. As a client hiring a private carer, it’s essential to consider how these breaks can be covered. If your loved one mostly requires companionship care, then they may be able to be left alone, but if more intensive, then you or another carer may need to cover the breaks.

What if I can’t provide these things?

Check out this list of choices if you can’t provide one of these things.

Bedroom

Do you have an unused room?

Don’t have a spare bedroom and are still keen on live-in care? Why not consider converting to another room of the house? This could be the study, the dining room or maybe even the living room.

While this might not be ideal, moving into a care home is also not ideal.

Could hourly care work?

Can you meet your loved one’s needs with a local hourly carer that can go home at night? If this is a viable option, you would no longer need to worry about a spare room, storage, entertainment or food.

Food

Can your carer go?

It may be possible that your carer can go shopping alongside the person in their care. This could be a way to help your loved one get out of the house and experience some freedom but it might only sometimes be possible.

Is there a food delivery service available to you?

Using a food delivery service is a simple way to take something off your plate. The live-in carer can form the list and organise an appropriate delivery time without consulting you. This may be easier for both of your schedules.

Some examples of popular supermarkets which now deliver are ASDA, Sainsbury’s, and Waitrose. The delivery cost varies between around £1 and £10 depending on the overall cost of the shop and your supermarket of choice.

Can family and friends give you a hand?

If you can secure the help of a kind family member or friend, this could be a good option for sorting the food. With good planning, this could be a job which only needs to be done every few weeks.

Storage

Spare furniture?

If your struggling to find storage for your live-in carer, consider repurposing furniture you already have or exploring local charity shops.

Wi-Fi Alternatives

If your loved one doesn’t have the internet, as many older people don’t, then why not consider a 4g/5g mobile dongle? If the signal in your area is reasonably good, it should be suitable for a single person. A dongle can usually be picked up with a rolling or pay-as-you-go contract if you only anticipate needing a live-in carer for a few weeks after surgery.

Breaks

Hire an hourly carer?

If you don’t live near your loved one, then hiring an hourly carer to cover breaks could be a good option. It’s worth discussing break requirements with your carer as some will need more than others.

Could a friend or family drop by?

If your carer is happy to take their breaks as an afternoon once a week, then maybe you can organise for a friend or family member to drop by for the afternoon. Someone usually visits once a week anyway, so it makes sense to save some money on hourly carers where possible.

Conclusion

Having these five things will allow your carer to provide the best possible care for your loved one.

Some carers will have additional requirements on top of this. Therefore, it is vital that you discuss both of your expectations at the beginning of your communication. Finding a suitable carer for your family is of the utmost importance to ease your state of mind and your loved ones.

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