‘Outstanding’ live-in care

Any of the following signs can indicate that it may be time to consider live-in care or 24-hour care:

• Problems with balance or an unsteady gait
• A recent hospitalisation or stay at a rehabilitation centre following a heart attack, stroke or fall
• Frequent confusion or memory loss
• Challenges maintaining the home environment or keeping up with personal care
• Frequent low moods or feelings of loneliness
• Family caregiver stress

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the regulatory body in England that inspects and monitors care providers across the UK. A CQC-regulated service offers peace of mind and reassurance as to the quality offered by a care provider. Our ‘Outstanding’ rating in all five areas in England and our ‘Excellent’ in Scotland assures you we are exceeding standards in the quality of care we provide.

All that is required is a spare room for the carer to have their own space during breaks and to sleep, with a TV for their relaxation and internet access so they are able to complete the records required to manage your care. Your live-in carer will cook your daily meals and eat the same food, with you if you wish.

The carer will need to have a two-hour break in any 24-hour period, which many clients usually find works best when they are resting in the afternoon. If you require care and support during this period many will have family visit to cover this break, or we can organise for an hourly care provider to cover this for you.

A live-in carer will move into your home to provide you with daily care. All of our carers work for either 10 or 12 hours a day and have a two-hour break each day. Minimal disruption throughout the night is expected, so if you require frequent nighttime support 24-hour care must be arranged.

At The Good Care Group, we understand the importance of continuity and consistency of care. However, as we are sure you will appreciate, it is important for our carers' own well-being to have sufficient time off work and holidays to rest, so that they continue to deliver the highest quality of care that you should expect.

You will have a team of two carers who will provide care in your home usually for two weeks at a time, rotating to the next carer after two weeks. Whilst this is a typical rota patten we do offer various patterns, including a four-week working period with two weeks off. A team of the same two carers ensure they really get to know and understand you as a person. If one carer requires a short amount of time off, we will always endeavour for the other carer to provide cover to ensure consistency of care.

As a fully managed service, we have a rapid response and relief team of highly trained professional carers who can come to support you during your carer’s holidays and for longer periods of leave. These are always planned and scheduled well in advance and communicated to you and your family so you can be reassured that we can continue to meet your needs.

The Good Care Group has been providing live-in care to couples for over 10 years. Receiving care in the comfort of the home you have enjoyed together for, what is probably many years with all your memories and possessions around you, is fast becoming the preferred choice for couples, as opposed to enduring the upheaval, disruption and emotional upset of moving into a care home. Whether one of you is living with a specialist condition, like dementia or Parkinson’s, and the other one just requires mobility or frailty care, or to recover from an operation, we will provide you with a well-matched carer who will support you both to live a better quality of life as a couple, but also individually according to your needs, choices and preferences.

One of the most significant considerations when planning care for a couple is the cost of care. If a couple moves into a care home, the cost of care is typically double the price of receiving high-quality, live-in care at home. With live-in care, there is only one weekly fee for the care team, with a small supplement depending on needs, so it is a very cost-effective alternative to moving into a care home.

At The Good Care Group, we know receiving care in the comfort, safety and familiarity of your own home has far reaching benefits in improving overall health and well-being for a person living with dementia. Moving at any stage in life can be very stressful, but can negatively impact a person who is living with dementia, which is why many families up and down the country choose live-in care as an alternative to moving into a care home to receive high-quality dementia care.

All our professional carers receive unrivalled training in dementia care before they care and support someone with the condition. Working closely with Dementia UK, our carers and our families are supported by our own dedicated Specialist Consultant Admiral Nurse, Dr Jane Pritchard, who ensures people are able to live well with the symptoms dementia presents, whilst improving health outcomes, enhancing well-being and enabling a person to live a content and fulfilled life – all in the comfort of their own home.

There may be care funding available to you to receive a live-in care service depending on your financial circumstances and your care needs. The local authority will only fund care at home (referred to as social funding) if your assets are worth less than £23,500, which we know that for many families exceeds their financial situation.

If you are assessed and have an identified healthcare need you may be eligible for NHS Continuing Healthcare funding organised by your local Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) to support you to receive care in your own home.

Many families are faced with having to fund the care they receive themselves (referred to as self-funding care). For these families there are options to help finance care at home, including a Care Fees Annuity, which is an insurance policy you purchase to cover the cost of your care, or by realising capital in your assets through an Equity Release scheme. Read more about care funding here.