Live-in Care For The Elderly
VersaCare provides a live-in care service for the elderly, helping you or your family remain independent in your own home. As we reach our later years, retaining our independence is vitally important. That’s why care for you or your elderly relative at home is a good way of receiving that care in familiar surroundings.
Our elderly live-in care service
At VersaCare we have over 16 years of experience providing a range of live-in care services for the elderly. We have carers across the country who are ready to support you or your family within their own home. Our cost-effective service helps you or your loved one retain an independent and fulfilling life with the support of a full-time, qualified carer. While commonly thought of as an expensive solution for care, our live-in care service can work out cheaper than full-time residential care. Our current rates are £895 per week and are fully inclusive with no hidden costs.
What’s included in live-in care?
While every provider of live-in care is different, at VersaCare our live-in care service is fully inclusive. This includes but isn’t limited to:
- Cooking and domestic work such as laundry, shopping, cleaning
- Pet care
- Assistance moving around and the use of mobility aids
- Support for activities and hobbies
- Helping with bathing, dressing, grooming, and toileting
- Managing medicines
- Health monitoring
- Providing companionship
- Accompanying or driving to appointments, social events, or activities
- Emergency response
- Family liaison, keeping you or your family informed about wellbeing
How carers are matched with you
We ensure that carers are always carefully matched with the person they are caring for. When spending lots of time together it’s important to us that you or your family member is matched with someone they’ll get on with and enjoy spending time with. We also match caregivers to ensure that they are fully trained to cover any care you or your loved one might need.
All of our carers also submit a detailed profile covering their personality and interests. This ensures that you and your carer have things in common and you’ll get on well. We also take into account your cultural and language preferences and find a carer who matches and that you can create a bond with. For example, it might be as simple as being able to talk to someone in your own language or having a traditionally cooked meal that reminds you of home.
How we guarantee the best carers
When having someone live with, as well as care for you or your loved one, you want to be assured that they not only have experience in caring for people but also have strong people skills. All of our carers are hand-picked by our leadership team to ensure that all carers at VersaCare show the highest standards of care and support.
Everyone we employ has had experience working in the care sector with many having been live-in carers. During the recruitment process, we ask for several references which are all checked prior to someone joining our team, as well as enhanced DBS checks. Once part of the team all of our carers have access to ongoing support, training and guidance from both internal trainers and area managers as well as external expertise.
All of our carers are employees of VersaCare which means that our carers go through regular training and best practice refresher training as part of working with VersaCare, rather than having to proactively do this themselves. They also have access to a support network and resources that they otherwise wouldn’t have as a contractor or agency worker.
Why choose live-in care from VersaCare?
There are many live-in care providers out there however we pride ourselves on both the quality of care we provide as well as making sure it’s affordable. We have consistently been rated as good by the CQC and receive lots of positive feedback from both the people we care for as well as their families.
As part of keeping your care affordable, we help you access all the funding, grants and benefits available to pay for live-in care.
We have been providing care services for over 16 years and in this time we have built up not only lots of loyal clients who we have been caring for for many years but we also have extremely low staff turnover. This high level of staff retention helps us to provide the highest levels of care delivered by people who care and love the job they do.
Live-in care costs
While live-in care might seem like an expensive luxury, compared to the cost of paying for residential care it can actually work out much cheaper. Our current rates are £895 per week and are fully inclusive. We have deliberately made our charges transparent, with no hidden fees or extras.
If you live as a couple and both require care then a live-in carer is far cheaper than residential care and it means you can both live the same life you already do, just with a carer on hand to help.
One thing to bear in mind is that as you’re living in your own home you will still be responsible for any household bills such as gas, water and electricity.
Funding your live-in care
Funding live-in care can be approached in various different ways. Firstly, if the Local Authority will only pay for several daily calls then you can ask for a Direct Payments, where the local authority provides the approved amount in cash to pay for care services, allowing you greater choice and control, as well as the option to chose to top-up the funds to have a Live-in Carer. Additionally, NHS Continuing Healthcare Funding (CHC) may be available for those with severe and ongoing health needs, though it often requires appealing decisions due to stringent eligibility criteria.
If necessary Equity release from property can also extend the ability to fund live-in care. Equity release goes much further with live-in care compared to residential care and often allows some equity to remain for anybody the client wishes to include in their willed estate.
Another thing to consider with residential homes is when the private funding runs out the home may not take clients paid for by social care and so the client will have to move to a facility that may be much less desirable or in a less suitable location.
For comprehensive support, it’s crucial to explore all available benefits, such as Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance, and Carer’s Allowance, which can further aid in managing the costs of live-in care.
Funding care can be complicated and confusing but we are on hand to walk you through all of the options available, helping you find the best way to manage your or your loved ones’ care.
How to arrange live-in care
Arranging care can be challenging, especially if it’s needed urgently. Once you fill out the contact form or give us a call we’ll set up an appointment to assess the care needs required. We can typically assess people within 48 hours and we then follow up with the assessment results as well as the costs for your live-in care. There is absolutely no obligation to accept our assessment and rates, and you can rest assured there are no extra charges.
If you’re happy with the assessment and costs we will then work quickly to find a carer that matches you or your loved one’s personality and interests. If urgent care is required we can provide a temporary carer within days and then find a better matched carer suited to you.
Live in care testimonials
Some reasons why you may need live-in care
There are lots of reasons why someone might need live-in care, sometimes it’s short-term and temporary such as returning home from hospital and needing someone on hand to help with the cooking. Other times it can be longer-term care as you start needing support with more day-to-day tasks but want to retain your independence. Reasons why live-in care might be a good choice include:
- You’re not feeling as confident as you used to and would like someone on hand for support.
- Needing support after recovering from surgery/a trip to the hospital.
- Temporary support while family and loved ones who usually support you are away on holiday.
- Support during your daily life such as getting the bus, going shopping or getting out of bed in the morning.
Other reasons you might live in care is to help and support with chronic illnesses such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, or multiple sclerosis which require medication management and support with daily activities. The benefit of a live-in carer proving this means you’re able to stay in your own home with your own routine and local support network which has proven a great way to delay the onset of dementia and slow down the effects.
Elderly Live In Care FAQs
Live-in care means having a fully qualified carer live with you in your own home. This allows you to keep your independence and potentially avoid the need to move into full-time residential care. Live-in care is personalised to your own care needs but also your own personal preferences. Live-in care is typically preferred over residential care as it allows you to keep your daily routine and independence, there’s no set dinner time and there’s no need to miss out on things you love such as a weekly cinema trip or a coffee with friends.
While live-in carers are there to help you there are some things you will need to provide your carer with. These include:
- A Private Room: The carer needs a private space to sleep and rest so they can recharge and have some space to themselves.
- Meals: While some carers might cook their own meals, it’s often expected that food is either provided or the costs are covered.
Access to - Facilities: Carers should have access to basic amenities such as a bathroom, kitchen, and laundry facilities.
- Internet Access: Ideally carers will have access to an internet connection to stay connected with family and for their personal use.
Live-in care should be considered as you or your loved one becomes less independent and this will vary from person to person. Other signs include frequent falls or near misses at home, worsening of chronic conditions or difficulty recovering from illnesses, it could also be that you’re currently providing care yourself but this is becoming unsustainable.
Live-in care has numerous benefits to both the person being cared for as well as their family, these include:
- Personalised Care: Tailored support based on individual needs and preferences.
- Comfort of Home: Remain in familiar surroundings, close to existing friends, support networks and family.
- Consistency: Continuous care from a dedicated caregiver means that the care you receive is always the same and can adapt over time.
- Companionship: Having someone live with you helps to reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation.
- Independence: You can remain independent and only receive support with tasks you need help with. For example, if you enjoy cooking you can continue to do so but if you need support with washing up or reading labels your carer can help.
- Familiarity and Routine: For individuals with dementia, consistent daily routines and environment significantly improve mental well-being.
Elderly live-in care provides tailored support to meet various needs, ensuring individuals can continue living comfortably and safely in their homes. There are also different types of live-in care available:
- 24-hour live-in care: Provides round-the-clock assistance, ensuring continuous support and supervision for optimal well-being.
- Complex care: Caters to medical and specialist conditions such as dementia, Parkinson’s, or multiple sclerosis, offering specialised attention and expertise.
- End-of-life care: Focuses on meeting a person’s needs and preferences, ensuring dignity and comfort until the end of life.
- Emergency care: Offers immediate live-in support following unexpected events like surgery, accidents, or sudden illnesses, ensuring prompt and effective assistance.
At VersaCare we cover all of these types of live-in care and we can adapt to your needs as they change.
Live-in care and 24-hour care are similar however there are slight differences between the two. While live-in carers may be “on call” and available to help when you need it, they also have their own rest periods where they might go and read a book in the garden, watch TV or go for some fresh air and if needed, they’re on hand to help during these periods. Live-in carers are on hand to help with the occasional night call but they need a full night’s rest in order to provide excellent care service throughout the day.
With 24-hour care on the other hand it’s usually not safe to leave a client unattended for more than a few moments and they typically need more in-depth care overnight. Multiple carers are needed to ensure that everyone is well taken care of. These are often split into a day shift and a night shift in order to make sure everyone is well-rested and can provide the care levels required.
At VersaCare we provide both live-in and 24-hour care so if you start needing additional care overnight you don’t need to switch providers. You also keep the same carer you’ve built a bond with but gain additional support overnight.