What is better – live in care or a care home?
This is a question we get asked a lot by existing clients and potential new clients, which is better live in care or a care home. The answer is not necessarily about which is better but more what suits your personality and your circumstances.
We have set out below some of the key questions and highlight the differences between live in care or a care home and the advantages and disadvantages of each.
Is my home big enough for a live in carer?
A major difference between live in care or a care home is that a live in care worker lives with you in your home. To have a live in care worker move in you will require a fully furnished second bedroom that becomes the care workers personal space. If you do not have a second bedroom then a live in carer is not an option.
In addition to a second bedroom it is usual for basic internet to be provided so the carer has access to entertainment in their down time. In addition to this a home care agency should undertake a thorough risk assessment to ensure the home is safe and that the electrical and gas installations are safe
Which routine would suit me better – live in care or a care home
Opting for live in care means you can stay in control of your routine whilst remaining in the comfort and familiar surroundings of your own home.
Some examples of the difference between live in care or a care home are with live in care you can choose what you eat and when you eat it, when you bathe, what time you wake and go to bed and what is on the TV and what temperature the house is.
Although you might be able to choose these things or have a say in them to a certain extent in a care home the views of many others will have to be taken into account or you might have to wait as your care worker attends to some else’s needs first.
Some care homes let you take in your own furniture but with live in care you will have all of your possessions and memories surrounding you at all times.
In addition to the above, opting for live in care will allow you to choose your social activities and any day trips you wish to undertake. Although most care homes do provide interesting outings as an option they will be chosen by the care team and not by yourself.
To learn more about a typical day for a live in care client why not read an example of a Guildford live in care client by clicking this link Typical day of a Guildford live in care client.
Which will be more social – live in care or a care home?
This is a difficult questions to answer. When weighing this up an individual needs to decide how satisfied they are with the company and visitors they are currently getting in their own home.
As live in care is in your own home you will have the full freedom of choice to decide who comes into your own home and when they come in.
In a care home there will always be plenty of people to sit and talk to, play games with and eat your meal with. The key question to ask is how open are you to meeting new people and making friends and how would you feel if you had to spend most of your time with someone that you didn’t particularly agree with or enjoy?
Whilst thinking about this it would be worthwhile reading this article from Bedford University which found that 80% of adults in a care home reported suffering from loneliness.
What is safer – live in care or a care home?
Your safety whether in live in care home or a care home will come down to the quality of the management team in place.
The first thing to do when checking out the quality of the management team is to visit the CQC website and read the latest report for the live in care company or care home.
A good quality care provider whether live in care or a home care should give you their full undivided attention when preparing your care plan and risk assessment. The quality and attention to detail in this plan will give you an indicator into how safe you will be in their hands.
When undertaking the assessment take the opportunity to ask them about their policies and procedures including safeguarding, disaster recovery plan, health & safety policy and infection control policy.
In some circumstances where an individuals needs are particularly high a care home could be a more suitable option. An example of this could be where the individual has advanced dementia and could become aggressive or violent or have a risk of wandering requiring 24/7 monitoring
Where will I receive better care – live in care or a care home?
Like the question which is safer, live in care or a care home, the quality of care will come down to the quality of the management team in place.
All well managed care providers whether a live in care provider or a care home should have a recruitment policy and a training and development policy in place and should be prepared to share these with you. In addition all care staff should meet the minimum training requirements and disbarring checks.
All professional care providers should have an electronic care management system in place whether live in care or a care home. Please review the post benefits of technology in care to learn how this can help provide safe care.
Other considerations to consider when asking yourself what is right for me live in care or a care home are how much attention do you want and need? A live in carer will be solely responsible for your needs for up to 11 hours per day and be nearby outside of those hours for any potential emergency. In a care home a usual ratio of staff to clients could be 1:7 which means you would get a lot less attention from the care team.
What happens if I don’t like my carer?
As live in care is in your own home you have every right to decide who comes and goes. As such if you do not like your live in care worker you can ask the management team for an alternative. It is worth bearing in mind that that there may not be an alternative or it may take some time to arrange for an alternative to be put in place.
The main difference between live in care and a care home is that it is unlikely a care home will be able to replace the care worker just because you do not get along with them. In a larger care home they will have multiple care workers and may be able to assign an alternative one to you but it highly likely that you will still have contact with that care worker and at times they may be the only person available to provide you with personal care.
What is cheaper – live in care or a care home?
A major consideration when choosing between live in care or a care home is the cost of each option
The cost of live in care and the cost of a care home varies depending on the quality of the care home and where you are located in the UK.
According to lottie.org the average cost per week for a residential care home is £1,232, and £1,470 for a nursing home with a good quality care homes costing over £2,000 per week. The average cost of live in care is likely to be in the region of £1,300 to £1,400 per week.
There are however more factors to consider. With live in care you have potential costs on top such as rent/mortgage payments, utility bills and food for both yourself and the care worker
It is also important to remember that if you move into a care home on a permanent basis you may have to sell your home to cover the costs of care whereas if you continue to live in your home it will be excluded from any financial calculations (correct as of June 2024). To learn more about this visit the age UK Website
Summary – choosing between live in care or a care home
We hope you have found our summary on choosing between live in care or a care home useful. The key is to do your research and think through what either option would mean to your life. And remember ultimately your happiness is the most important thing!
If you would like to learn more about choosing between live in care or a care home or you would like to discuss anything you have read in this article please either e-mail info@carersathome.com or call the Guildford live in care office on 01483 899 350 or the Odiham live in care office on 01276 748 270.
For more information visit:
Carers at Home Home
https://www.carersathome.com/
01483 899 350
37/38 Bridge Street, Godalming, Surrey
Carers at Home was established in 2007 to provide home care in Godalming and the surrounding areas, Carers at Home is a care agency now specialising in providing home care in Surrey and Hampshire and live in care across the south of England including Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Wiltshire.
Carers at Home care agency provides assistance to people allowing them to remain living at home. Clients are given the extra help they need in maintaining their everyday life.
Carers at Home’s experienced and well trained staff offer home care, live-in care and companionship which allows people to live a normal and happy life in the comfort of their own home.
Carers at Home’s home care and live-in care services promote independence. It’s at home where quality of life is enhanced without the stress of interrupting routines and changes in daily habits. Companionship is as important as health care, helping to enable clients to remain independent
The most common CQC regulated home care and live-in services Carers at Home provides for clients include help with getting up and/or going to bed, washing, bathing/showering, meal preparation and diet monitoring. For many clients we will prompt or administer their prescribed medication.
Other non-medical services include; light housework, cooking, laundry, shopping and errands. It’s often the little things in life that some of our clients miss and need the most however.
Companionship and human interaction are among our most important duties. Just chatting or reading to a client helps them not to feel isolated from everything that’s going on around them.
Carers at Home provides CQC regulated home care and live-in care and support services to seniors, people with disabilities or special needs, people coping at home after hospitalisation or illness, or anyone requiring help in the home.
Home care services can be arranged for a few hours a week or everyday, sometimes four times a day. Short term respite relief or longer term care is available seven days a week or live-in care, including public holidays.
• Senior Citizens
• People with disabilities
• People with special needs
• Patients recovering from a hospital visit
• Patients recovering from an illness
• Anyone requiring help in the home
• A few hours a week
• A few days a week
• Seven days a week
• Several times a day
• Short term
• Long term
• Bank holiday
To learn more visit www.carersathome.com or call Carers at Home Godalming on 01483 899 350 of Carers at Home Odiham on 01276 748 270
For more information on live in care or a care home contact us anytime:
Carers at Home Home
https://www.carersathome.com/
01483 899 350
37/38 Bridge Street, Godalming, Surrey
Carers at Home was established in 2007 to provide home care in Godalming and the surrounding areas, Carers at Home is a care agency now specialising in providing home care in Surrey and Hampshire and live in care across the south of England including Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Wiltshire.
Carers at Home care agency provides assistance to people allowing them to remain living at home. Clients are given the extra help they need in maintaining their everyday life.
Carers at Home’s experienced and well trained staff offer home care, live-in care and companionship which allows people to live a normal and happy life in the comfort of their own home.
Carers at Home’s home care and live-in care services promote independence. It’s at home where quality of life is enhanced without the stress of interrupting routines and changes in daily habits. Companionship is as important as health care, helping to enable clients to remain independent
The most common CQC regulated home care and live-in services Carers at Home provides for clients include help with getting up and/or going to bed, washing, bathing/showering, meal preparation and diet monitoring. For many clients we will prompt or administer their prescribed medication.
Other non-medical services include; light housework, cooking, laundry, shopping and errands. It’s often the little things in life that some of our clients miss and need the most however.
Companionship and human interaction are among our most important duties. Just chatting or reading to a client helps them not to feel isolated from everything that’s going on around them.
Carers at Home provides CQC regulated home care and live-in care and support services to seniors, people with disabilities or special needs, people coping at home after hospitalisation or illness, or anyone requiring help in the home.
Home care services can be arranged for a few hours a week or everyday, sometimes four times a day. Short term respite relief or longer term care is available seven days a week or live-in care, including public holidays.
• Senior Citizens
• People with disabilities
• People with special needs
• Patients recovering from a hospital visit
• Patients recovering from an illness
• Anyone requiring help in the home
• A few hours a week
• A few days a week
• Seven days a week
• Several times a day
• Short term
• Long term
• Bank holiday
To learn more visit www.carersathome.com or call Carers at Home Godalming on 01483 899 350 of Carers at Home Odiham on 01276 748 270
