What Does a Private Live in Carer Need?

Dr Jane Gilbert Sep 30, 2020 4 min

A private live in carer for an elderly person will need space of their own, access to bathroom facilities and privacy. These are the key requirements for providing live in personal care and for carers looking for private live in care jobs. In this article we answer questions such as What do live in carers do? and Can I have a live in carer?

A private live in carer for an elderly person will need a space of their own, access to bathroom facilities and time for privacy. If you are looking for private live in carer advice, please contact us on the live chat to discuss your needs.

How to find a private live in carer

Quality private live in carers are not easy to find. If you looking for a private live in caregiver for your relative, Hometouch can assist, either through our introductory or regulated service. We have well-trained live in carers for the elderly, who specialise in dementia care and managing frailty. Once you find a private live in carer, here are the things to know.

What does a live-in carer do?

If a live in carer is required by your relative, they can assist with a multitude of skills and tasks depending on the needs of the client. This can vary from preparing meals to managing medication to performing personal care. A typical daily routine of a live in carer is illustrated here.

Can I have a live in carer?

This depends on various practicalities such as whether you have a spare room, the house is sufficiently tidy and clean and whether there is funding available, either private or state to make this arrangement affordable.

How to prepare for a private live-in carer

A private live-in carer can be employed to live in your loved one’s own home to ensure they can live safely, with dignity, in the place they feel most comfortable. However, there are a few preparations you should make before they start.

A live-in carer can make a real difference to your loved one’s quality of life, and it can allow you to relax, knowing they are safe. In many ways preparing your home for a carer is like getting ready for a weekend house guest. There are a few practicalities that you need to consider to make sure they can work, rest and live-in comfort.

A space of their own

Live-in carers need their own private space, both to sleep in and to have time and space away from the person they care for.

Looking after an individual on a one-to-one basis as well as living with them can be intense and exhausting, they’ll need some quiet time to themselves, no matter how well they get on with your loved one. So, once you find a private live in carer, you should find a comfortable space for the carer too.

Consider the layout of the home and the best way to carve out the space.

The room doesn’t always have to have been a bedroom. A living room, study or dining room can all be adapted for the task.

If your loved one has mobility issues, this could be a good opportunity to rethink their room too. Keep an open mind and think laterally, maybe it would be easier if they moved to an easily accessible room on the ground floor, leaving space upstairs for the carer to utilise.

Bathroom facilities

Live in carers for the elderly will need to wash, bathe and use the bathroom just like the rest of us.

They don’t have to have a private en-suite, but just ensure that the bathroom is clean, functional, accessible and that there is a place for them to store their toiletries.

Cleanliness, comfort and warmth

It’s much more important that the room is well heated, lit, ventilated and clean than that it has matching soft furnishings.

Take time to really clean the room and provide a full set of fresh bed linen and a wardrobe and drawers, so that there is room to store clothes and personal items.

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Staying connected

We live in a modern world and wi-fi is right up there with heat and light on the must have list. Set up reliable internet access, and write the WiFi code down on a card in their room to make life easier.

A TV is also usually provided for their room, as it helps to stop any battles over the remote control! Your live in carers for the elderly should be made comfortable so that they can work at the peak of their abilities.

Safes and security

Try to make sure any of your loved one’s valuables are safely locked away. That doesn’t mean that the carer cannot be trusted. All Hometouch caregivers have careful criminal record checks and their references are thoroughly vetted.

However, it makes life more comfortable for everyone if expensive items and cash are not left lying around.

If your loved one has dementia, there is a risk that they could get confused and misplace a precious object, and a carer could be unfairly blamed. You should take note of this private live in carer advice.

Housekeeping costs

There will be sundry expenses for household items, so consider how this will work. Of course, when you find a private live in carer, you will expect that the carer to purchase some essentials for elderly care

Some families set up a dedicated bank account, with a debit card for the carer to purchase anything that is needed.

A petty cash tin can be a simple alternative, as the carer can just collect all the receipts and records, so that all is clear and above board.

Correct cover

Let the home insurers know that a caregiver is now living and working in the home.

HomeTouch carers are self-employed and have their own insurance, but there could be an impact on your own household insurance.

It’s also vital to check the car insurance if the carer will be driving your loved one around, or using the car to run errands.

As part of private live in carer advice, a wise person once said:

A person who feels appreciated will always do more than what is expected.

The relationship between carer and client is symbiotic; the better you treat them, the more comfortable they will be in the home and the higher the quality of their work, which benefits everyone. Therefore, ensure that your live in carers for the elderly are comfortable and safe.

Find out more about live-in home care:

Dr Jane Gilbert

Jane has over 20 years’ experience as a health writer and TV presenter. Jane writes on a wide variety of clinical and care topics – from explaining the latest studies and research to unpacking conditions and discussing treatment options. Jane holds a MBBS degree from Imperial College, London and spent seven years working in the NHS.