What is Live In Care? Stay Independent and Safe at Home

Live-in care is a popular type of home care. A professional carer lives in your home and provides round-the-clock support. This particular type of home care may be best suited for those who require regular supervision.

There are lots of benefits to live-in care, particularly for people who would prefer to receive care in the comfort of their own homes.

In this article, we explain live-in care, including its benefits, how to find a live-in carer and what you’ll need to provide for them.

In this article:

1. What is live-in care?
2. Find live-in care near you
3. The difference between live-in care and domiciliary care
4. What do live-in carers do?
5. What to expect when organising live-in care
6. What does a live-in carer need?
7. How much does it cost?
8. Benefits

What is Live In Care?

Live-in care means a fully trained carer lives in the home of you or your loved one, providing around-the-clock care. People choose live-in care for a variety of reasons, including:

• Assistance with personal care - Such as bathing, getting dressed, and administering medication

• Support around the house - Help with domestic tasks like preparing meals and support with cleaning and tidying

• Companionship - To make sure you never feel isolated or at risk

• Staying at home - You don’t have to leave your own home in order to feel supported, and you can stay in a familiar environment

• Staying together - A wonderful option if you’re a couple with different needs who want to stay together, or you don’t want to move away from beloved pets!

• Cost - Live-in care costs can be less than moving into a care home, though this largely depends on specific care needs

The purpose of a live-in care service is to provide personalised support and one-to-one care in familiar surroundings and the comfort of your own home. The person receiving care and their family have peace of mind that they can maintain hobbies they enjoy in their own space and keep their independence, all while receiving specialist support for a better quality of life.

There are a variety of live-in care services. It usually involves your own dedicated carer, but sometimes you may have two carers or more on a rotating basis. You can find a live-in carer through your local council or with a private home care agency, who should be verified with the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Find Live-In Care Near You Through Lottie

You can use Lottie to find home care near you. You can request a free home care shortlist through our service, and we’ll send you the best, fully-vetted home care providers in your local area, all of which have availability in their care teams.

You can easily find the type of home care you’re looking for, including live-in care. Lottie can support you to find high-quality care, whatever your needs, wherever you live in the country.

Nationwide live-in care agencies

To ease your search, here are live-in care who provide care across the UK:

• Helping Hands
• Dove Home Care
• Edyn Care
• Ellea Nursing
• ENA Care Group - England and Wales
• Hamilton George Care
• Noble Live-In Care
• Promedica24
• The Good Care Group in England
• The Good Care Group in Scotland
• Trinity Homecare

You can also use the following websites and services to find a local live-in care agency near you:

• Search the NHS website for local homecare services and agencies. The NHS also has a list of national homecare organisations
• Ask your local council’s social services department for any information they have on homecare agencies nearby (they may also have a directory of homecare agencies on their website)
• Contact the Care Quality Commission (CQC) for live-in care options in England. All homecare agencies must register with the CQC. You can also find the latest inspection reports for agencies through the CQC
• Ask the United Kingdom Homecare Association for a list of approved homecare agencies in your or your loved one’s local area

The Difference Between Live-In Care and Domiciliary Care

Both live-in care and domiciliary care are types of home care (specialist care in your own home). There are many similar tasks that both types of care support with, like getting in and out of bed, washing and getting dressed.

However, there are a few differences. Live-in care involves:

• 24/7 support
• The carer has their own bed and own space in the house, which makes a huge difference for those with complex conditions and gives peace of mind

On the other hand, domiciliary care involves:

• Visiting care, where the carer comes just to administer medication and check in, for example
• Visits can be one or two hours (or longer) and can occur every day, multiple times a day or just once or twice a week.

Whether you choose live-in care or domiciliary (visiting) care depends on your or your loved one’s needs, and whether they require a full live-in care package.

What Do Live-In Carers Do?

There’s a variety of tasks live-in carers can help with - both inside and outside of the home. Here are some examples:

• Personal care, including support with things like washing, dressing, using the toilet and continence
• Emotional support and companionship care
• Household chores such as cleaning, doing laundry and gardening
• Medication management
• Providing transport to and from appointments and anywhere else you need to go
• Food preparation and making meals
• Mobility support
• If live-in care is provided by a registered nurse then specialist care such as PEG feeding, stoma care and wound dressing can also be given

What To Expect When Organising Live-In Care

The process starts with an assessment of your loved one’s needs, either by a medical professional, a social care worker from the local council, or a representative from a care agency.

After this assessment, your loved one will then be matched with a suitable caregiver, based on their unique care needs. A care plan detailing your loved one’s needs, routines and preferences will be created.

Before moving in, the caregiver will visit your loved one’s home for an introduction and to familiarise themselves with the home and any specialist equipment they may need to use.

Once everything has been agreed upon, the caregiver will move into your loved one’s home to provide care and support as required. This may be periodically reviewed, as care needs can change over time.

What Does a Live-In Carer Need?

The main thing a live-in carer needs is their own room. This room should be spacious enough for the carer to live comfortably. It should also have a strong Wi-Fi connection.

Although a live-in carer won’t need their own bathroom, they will require the use of bathroom facilities. There should also be enough space within the bathroom to store any toiletries.

Similarly, the carer should have access to a functional kitchen. This is where they’ll make your loved one some delicious and nutritious meals!

These requirements will vary between care providers and also from one local authority to another.

How Much Does Live-In Care Cost?

The average cost of live-in care in the UK is around £228 a day. So, if your loved one receives live-in care seven days a week throughout the year, this would cost around £1,596 a week.

Source: Lottie's internal data, based on the home care providers we're partnered with.

This cost will vary from region to region, with care in the North of England often costing less than in the South East or South West.

The above figures should be taken as guidelines only. The final cost of live-in care depends on the extent of any complex care needs. For example, live-in dementia care costs more than lower-level support with daily life.

However, live-in care is often more cost-effective for couples, as it allows them to remain in their home, surrounded by loved ones.

The Benefits of Live-in Care

• You’re able to remain in familiar and comfortable surroundings and still receive personalised care

• This is a great way for elderly parents to stay together for example, or to remain with any beloved pets

• Your family and friend will have peace of mind that an experienced, private carer is properly looking after you

• You’ll be able to maintain your independence and have a more structured daily routine

• You’ll have access to dignified and respectful personal care

• Specialist conditions requiring advanced care such as Alzheimer’s, Multiple Sclerosis (MS) or Parkinson’s can also be treated through live-in care

• Always having someone to talk to will work wonders for your mental health and emotional wellbeing. A care plan and care package will map out your preferences, including hobbies. A carer can make sure these hobbies are maintained and that you stay connected to other family members and friends

Learn About Other Types of Home Care

We’re here to help you and your loved one choose the right type of home care, whether this is live-in care or a different care service. Learn more about the different types of home care offered by the agencies we’re partnered with:

• Domiciliary care (hourly care)
• Overnight care
• Respite (short-term) home care
• Dementia home care
• Nursing home care
• Palliative home care
• End-of-life care at home

Lottie matches care seekers with the best home carers for their care needs. You can request a free home care shortlist, where we’ll find you home care providers with availability in your local area.