The Good Care Group is based in the UK, but these guidelines are useful for all of us, regardless of what country we live in, who may be seeking live-in caregivers for our loved ones with dementias and Alzheimer’s Disease.

Three Useful Tips to Finding The Right Live-in Carer

When considering live-in care, one of the many questions you are likely to ask yourself is “what steps should I take in order to choose a carer who is right for me?”

Although your immediate needs are a crucial consideration, other important factors are sometimes overlooked. It is often these small details which lead you to feeling comfortable, at ease and completely satisfied with the care you are receiving.

Finding the right carer can make a world of difference, and can help you fully experience the benefits of live-in care. Following the advice laid out in this article can assist you in finding carers who support you and who also provide you with company.

How to Find a Live-in Carer
Unknown to many, in the UK, there are three types of live-in care: private, introductory and fully managed live-in care. It is important to understand what each type involves since how you find a carer will vary depending on which option you choose.

Private Live-in Care
Private live-in care is care that has been solely arranged by you for your loved one and it involves employing the carer directly.

Independently recruiting and hiring a live-in carer can be a quite difficult task which typically requires a team of individuals to manage it correctly. It involves looking for and selecting appropriate candidates, interviewing checking references and qualifications as well as potentially doing your own criminal background checks.

The work does not end there – as the carer is directly employed by you for your loved one, you become responsible for certain duties.

For instance, this can involve managing the carer’s taxes and organizing coverage for when the carer takes a holiday or if they happen to fall ill.

The decision to choose private care should not be taken lightly – it’s important to have the right resources in place, as failing to plan may cause rifts in the relationship between you and the carer, affecting the consistency or quality of your loved one’s care.

In this situation, you become the “employer” and need to be aware of the carer’s legal rights in this context.

It is also important to note that in this situation, care is not subject to the requirements of the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Introductory Live-in Care
Introductory live-in care is slightly different from private care as you are introduced to carers who have been previously selected and vetted by a live-in care company. Carers found through this process are entirely self-employed.

The introductory live-in care provider will help you select a carer that meets your loved one’s needs. However, as with private care, the employment responsibility resides with your family.

Since carers that work on a self-employed basis are not subject to the regulations as set out by CQC, the provider does not take responsibility for the day-to-day management of the carer, so this will be your responsibility.

In this situation, you are simply paying for the introductory service and when the carer is in place, you pay them directly.

Fully Managed Live-in Care

Fully managed live-in care providers seek to provide you with complete peace of mind by handling the entire live-in care service, including finding, vetting and employing highly-skilled candidates whom they have the responsibility to train.

Providers who offer the fully managed option organize all aspects of care from assessing your loved one’s needs, managing carer rotations and coverage, as well as ensuring you loved one’s r carer is continuously trained at no extra cost to them or you.

Often this will involve liaising with healthcare professionals if required.

This type of live-in care is also regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Companies registered with the CQC undergo full inspections and are rated on their service. These reports are then published online, giving you an independent opinion on the findings made by the regulator. They are a good reference point for anyone searching for a service.

Fully managed live-in care provides an unmatched level of stability and consistency compared to other live-in care options.

What To Look For When Considering a Live-in Carer

Live-in care presents the opportunity for our loved ones to remain in their own home while receiving around-the-clock support, assisting them and their families in maintaining a high level of control in their lives.

This control is also extended to the carer selection process. Consider the following factors to ensure you are fully prepared.

Skills and qualifications

All live-in carers are required to undergo intensive training and continuous development so that they are able to maintain a high standard of care during their placement with you. Training teaches each carer various skills and makes sure they are prepared to adapt if your loved one’s needs ever change. Selecting a carer with an extensive skill set can increase the longevity of your working relationship.
Some of the skills each carer develops during training include:

• • Medication Management
  • Nutrition and diet
  • First Aid
  • Personal Care
  • Manual Handling
  • Condition management

Live-in care is tailored to meet the needs of the person needing care and typically you will find different support is required, such as companionship care, personal care, and specialist/ complex care.

A managed service will undertake a full care assessment before selecting a carer they feel is appropriate for you and your loved one, considering the experience, skills, and qualifications that may be needed as well as personality.

Carers who undergo specialist training acquire a deeper understanding of certain conditions such as dementias, Parkinson’s Disease, strokes and Multiple Sclerosis, among other conditions.

This training educates live-in carers on how to provide care which is specifically designed to improve health and well-being for people with complex conditions.

This is why it is important to inform your service provider of all your loved one’s specialist care requirements, so they are able to provide them with carers with adequate knowledge and skills suitable to their needs.

Experience

Live-in carers traditionally enter the profession through two routes: those who have gained their experience through a work setting, and those who have cared for a loved one or friend.

Both paths prepare the carer for the responsibility of live-in work, while also providing a unique perspective which they use to provide professional and personalized care.

The level of experience your loved one would require from their carers will likely be based on their needs.

For example, a person who needs assistance due to mobility may require a less experienced carer compared with a person with more complex and specific requirements.

Lifestyle similarities

Apart from skills and experience, finding a carer that your loved one can simply get along with is of fundamental significance. Due to the intimate nature of live-in care, it’s very important that you, your loved one, and your carer see eye to eye.

Not only does live-in care make it possible for your loved one to continue living in your home, but they are also able to remain within their community.

People who receive live-in care are able to continue to enjoy activities and hobbies outside of their homes. Many live-in care providers work very hard to ensure your loved one and their carer have common interests – this could be a shared love for gardening, baking, pets or simply watching television.

Be sure to inform your provider of your loved one’s likes and dislikes to help them select a carer who will fit in with your loved one’s current lifestyle.

Why A CQC-Approved Provider Is the Safest Choice

The Care Quality Commission independently regulates services across the entire health and social care sector including your GPs, doctors, and dentist as well as in-home services, like live-in care.

All CQC-regulated providers will undergo full inspection which assesses the service on how well they uphold “fundamental standards.”

By choosing a CQC-registered provider you can be assured that the service has been assessed for safety, effectiveness, and quality of the care. How well the company performs can be found on the CQC website.

One aspect of care which CQC-regulated providers are measured on is staffing. Live-in care companies are assessed on how well their recruitment and training processes facilitate the hiring of skilled professionals, and how able they are at delivering care in a compassionate and understanding manner.

Meticulous recruitment processes such as personality profiling can help live in care companies find carers with the correct attitude and approach.

A good provider will keep an eye out for some of the following traits:

• Helpful
• Patient
• Supportive & Encouraging
• Responsible & Resilient
• Respectful

Fully managed live-in services also control and maintain quality of care by employing staff directly and by never using agency staff.

A good relationship between a live-in carer and the person receiving care is paramount for health and happiness.

Highly-rated CQC providers will take all the necessary steps in order to provide “person-centered” care. Suitability can be ensured by carefully matching each individual client with a carer. This is achieved by looking at your loved one’s personality traits and requests and pairing them with carers who are adequately trained to properly support them and compliment their characteristics.

The CQC also highlight the importance of you and your loved one fully understanding and agreeing to the terms of care.

CQC-regulated providers can be inspected at any time, and this means that in order to receive the best possible rating (Outstanding) they must constantly work to improve or maintain a high level of service.

Choosing a CQC provider can allow your loved one to benefit from the latest care methods as live-in care companies continually develop and train their staff so that they are able to provide innovative and effective care for specialist conditions such as dementias.

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The Good Care Group is a live-in care provider rated ‘Outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission. We provide excellent care, support and companionship to help you continue to live safely and comfortably in your home. Find out more about live-in care by The Good Care Group by visiting https://www.thegoodcaregroup.com/ or contact us on 020 3728 7575