What do live-in carers do?
Live-in carers have one of the most rewarding occupations – they help to care for others and perform tasks for them like household chores and personal care. This means that the person being cared for can stay at home and enjoy the companionship and emotional support that a live-in carer provides. Live-in carers build great friendships with the people they care for, and get to know their likes and dislikes. They’ll share moments with them and ensure that life at home is fulfilling and enjoyable. Live-in carers help adults of all age groups with a range of medical conditions. The reasons why a person may need a live-in carer can differ depending on their circumstances.
Are you thinking of introducing live-in care for yourself or a loved one? Maybe you’re considering a career in care and wonder ‘what does a live-in carer do’? This article should give you all the information you need. At Mumby’s, we carefully match carers to the people they will look after to ensure high-quality live-in care that enables a person to stay in their own home.
How does a live-in carer work?
When you have a live-in carer, they live with you in your own home and support your medical, physical and emotional needs. This ensures that you can remain in your home and stay independent. Live-in carers provide assistance with a range of tasks such as:
- Companionship and emotional care (having a chat over a cup of tea or watching TV together)
- Giving continence support where necessary, bathing, showering and dressing
- Mobility assistance so the person being cared for can move around their home when they want to
- Assisting with medications and treatments where necessary
- Cooking and preparing food
- Chores and housework such as laundry, vacuuming and cleaning
- Shopping, picking up prescriptions and scheduling doctor appointments
- First aid in case of an accident
With the help of a live-in carer, many people up and down the country have the choice to remain in their own home, instead of living in a residential care home.
What facilities does a live-in carer need?
A live-in carer will be employed to care for you or a loved one at home. This means that they’ll need a space of their own for their own comfort and rest, a bit like having a long-term guest over to stay. Live-in carers always need their own private space where they can spend time away from the person they are caring for. Being a live-in carer can be a highly demanding and tiring job, and carers have their own needs, too. They will need a comfortable space for some quiet time to rest, re-charge and relax.
The room doesn’t have to necessarily be a bedroom – it can be a ground floor study with a bed or sofa bed. Or a dining room that has been converted into a sleeping area. Many rooms in the home can be adapted to suit the live-in carer’s needs. The room must be well lit, ventilated and clean. You should provide a wardrobe or drawers where the live-in carer can store clothing and personal items.
It is also important to consider whether the person being cared for has mobility issues. If this is the case, it may be better to have their living accommodation downstairs, and the live-in carer can live upstairs in the property.
The live-in carer will also need a clean bathroom where they can store their own cosmetics and wash regularly.
What does a live-in carer cost?
Costs of live-in care vary greatly, depending on the complexity of the needs of the person being cared for and their medical conditions. More complex conditions such as Parkinson’s or dementia can require more care. At Mumby’s we provide a free assessment of your or your loved one’s needs, to give you an idea of the weekly fee that you will expect to pay for care.
For Mumby’s fully managed live-in care, you should expect costs to start from £1375 per week for one person. Rates are different for couples and very cost-effective. You’ll pay a couples’ rate which is a small supplement for caring for a couple. It will not be the same as charges for couples in a care home. Costs for care homes are calculated on a cost per person basis. As a result, couples in a care home is twice the cost of an individual’s care.
Why hire a live-in carer through a fully managed care agency?
By hiring a live-in carer through a fully managed live-in care agency, you have the peace of mind that the carers you are hiring are experts in their field and offer amazing care for your loved one. A managed care agency will offer expert carers in elderly, dementia and Parkinson’s care. Carers will have appropriate training to cope with even the most challenging of medical conditions.
The organisation of care is in the hands of the agency, which makes things easier. A live-in carer is an employee of the agency, and the agency will be responsible for wages and holiday pay, overtime, sick leave, travel expenses, pension and so on. This is all taken care of and won’t be left to you to arrange. At Mumby’s live-in care, we also have a dedicated round-the-clock helpline for carers should they need us.
What are the duties of a live-in carer?
Are you considering a career in adult live-in care? Perhaps you’re wondering what to expect from the role and what live-in carers do? Being a live-in carer is a very rewarding career. It can also be challenging and hard work from time to time. You’ll help people with daily tasks, chores and personal care, as well as errands and other general life tasks. This is so the person you are caring for can live the most independent life possible. You’ll help people to feel comfortable and safe in their own homes through round the clock care and emotional support. You’ll need to follow the bespoke care plan given to you based on the person’s needs and have a good rapport with their family.
Being a live-in carer is one of the most rewarding jobs you can do. You have the job satisfaction of making a difference every day to your client’s quality of life and providing the care they need so that they can stay living in their own home.
What qualifications do you need to become a live-in carer?
Qualifications aren’t always necessary to become a carer. What is most important to bring to a live-in care job is the desire to care for others. Working as a live-in carer is one of the most rewarding jobs.
Some live-in care agencies require careworker experience. At Mumby’s, you don’t need to have previous experience or qualifications in care. We will provide you with excellent training and all the support you need to get started and empower you in your caring role.
What we do ask for of our live-in carers is :
- a compassionate, caring and positive attitude to work
- the natural desire to help others who need it
- to be reliable and flexible
- the ability to put people at ease and to stay calm under pressure
- good communication skills and attention to detail for accurate record-keeping
- to be eligible to work in the UK.
Our carers go through mandatory induction training which is based on the 15 standards of the care certificate that proves you have training in line with our regulator, the CQC. Mumby’s supports and empowers its live-in carers to achieve the full care certificate qualification. At Mumby’s, we will also observe you whilst you are on your placement to ensure that the care being given is professional.
So whether you have caring work experience or life experiences, you must bring a positive, dedicated and empathic nature. For more information visit our job vacancies or ‘why work for Mumby’s‘ pages.
What is the average salary for a live-in caregiver?
The average weekly rate for a live-in carer is £600 per week*. This means that as a live-in carer in the UK, you can expect to earn around £28,000 per annum. At Mumby’s, our live-in carers can earn up to £740 per week with their accommodation included and no bills to pay. They also receive £30 per week for food allowance.
More information?
If you’re considering live-in care for a loved one or yourself, or you’d like more information on a career as a live-in carer, get in touch with us at Mumby’s. We’ve been caring for people and giving them independence in their own homes since 2002. Live-in personal care is a great way for a loved one to stay in the comfort and familiarity of their own home. It will also give them companionship so they can live life to the full.
Try live-in care
Want to try live-in care for two weeks as a trial? Get in touch with us and we can arrange temporary care to see if it suits your circumstances.
Useful links
How to choose the best live-in carer for your loved ones
Why working as a live-in carer in the UK is such a rewarding career
The advantages to becoming a live-in care worker
References
*https://uk.talent.com/salary?job=live+carer