Hello world!
July 27, 2022
Live-in care is when a professional full-time carer moves into your home to support with care needs as well as domestic tasks.
This is a better alternative to residential care, also it remains cost-effective and allows your loved one to be independent in the comfort of their own home.
A live-in carer can provide support and much more. From all your care needs, medication prompting to housekeeping tasks and companionship.
Considering care options for a loved one can be emotionally stressful and uncomfortable with the idea of sending them into a residential or nursing home, live-in care could be the ideal solution, with fees starting at £1225 per week.
We know that deciding on the best care for your loved one can be a challenging task, so we’ve detailed everything you need to know about live-in care.
A live-in carer performs a range of domestic and personal care duties to support your loved one with their wellbeing.
Live-in care allows people to stay in their own home, maintaining their independence while still receiving the care and support they need. This is important as it means everything and it’s part of who they are.
For people that have care needs but wants to remain in their homes and keep their independence, keep on living a way of life that is still familiar to them. It is also a beneficial alternative option for people with a range of care needs. People with vision or hearing loss, those that have survived a stroke or are living with dementia Live in care can be for both individuals and couples.
If your loved one or yourself has been receiving domiciliary care, and find visits throughout the day are no longer adequate or more one to one care is required. Live-in care can provide 24 hour care in your own home. Our carers often work four weeks on, one week off, basis (cover is provided when your carer is off).
Many times we have found, families of loved ones or those that have tried to settles in residential care, come to us for a better solution. As they just prefer being in their own home. If you find yourself facing the same situation, we’ll work with any health and social care professionals to get you or your loved one home.
With many changes in life, it can be an immensely stressful time if you have a partner of many years move into residential care. We understand the needs of many couples, especially if they require different care needs. Often we find that the best and most cost-effective way for them to stay together is the option to remain in their own home where they are the happiest being together. Options also include, if only one of your loved one has care needs, you can add spousal support to your care package for a small fee, which means your carer will provide housekeeping support for both members of the household.
If care is needed to be placed before you or your loved one is discharged from hospital. We can arrange care within their own home, firstly the carer can meet you and your loved one at the hospital to help ensure they get home safely. Please get in touch with us to make arrangements, we will be happy to put this in place for you.
There are some common misconceptions around how much live-in care can cost. Live-in care costs can differ between areas and different providers. But this doesn’t everyone can’t have access to these services, surprisingly they are available to many. Live-in care can be a very cost-effective care option.
Contact us and we can help you find the various sources of funding that can help cover the cost of live-in care. We will put your your mind at ease when it comes to working out how you’re going to pay for it.
Live-in care with SalMax Healthcare starts from £1225 a week, with no hidden charges for weekends or holidays. The fee may be higher if your loved one’s care needs are more intensive. For example, those that may require specialist support, such as Alzheimer’s care, or help with conditions such as Parkinson’s disease or multiple sclerosis. A live-in carer will need experience and skills in caring for people with a particular condition. Other costs to keep in mind, will be the food budget, you can do this by working it out directly with the carer, or simply ask one of our team to provide a food budget guide. We usually say £30 per week towards your carer’s meals.
You may also need to cover certain expenses to modify your home, help with costs is available from your local authority, everyone is entitled to up to £1,500 for minor changes to the home. If care needs are more serious, you are potentially entitled to more. For more information contact us and booking in a free consultation.
Firstly, you need to speak directly to social services in the area and complete a care needs assessment to find out if you or your loved one is eligible for funding. In some cases, you may be able to receive full or partial funding from their local council.
Once completed, you can request to receive any funding as a direct payment, putting you in control of how you spend it. Those eligible for direct payments generally receive between £50 and £600 a month, depending on the requirement of their needs. The rest will have to be covered by the family, many people find releasing equity from the home as a convenient way to cover this cost.
It’s important to know and understand what you’re entitled to, especially when it comes to claiming elderly benefits. As your local authority funding isn’t the only source from which funding is available. Ask your healthcare professional about NHS continuing healthcare, if your loved one lives with a chronic health condition and recently been in hospital. This can cover all the care costs and isn’t means tested, so your financial situation isn’t taken into account.
Speak to one of our team members and they will be able to point you in the direction of companies that offer financial products,that have been created specifically for those opting for live-in care. These other options for funding can be looked at and are available, such as downsizing, equity release, lifetime mortgages, or home reversion plans.
Families are often surprised at how affordable live-in care is. At most, people think because it’s one-on-one support, it’s a lot more expensive than residential care.
Thankfully, there are plenty of ways you care pay for it. We’ve created four-step guide to follow and maximise the amount of money you’re entitled to. Find out more by hitting the button below.
Learn how to pay for care
If Live-in care is what you opt for, there are three main ways you can arrange this, firstly privately, then a fully-managed agency or with an introductory agency. See below the pros and cons to each. but we are here help you to arrange live-in care and any questions you may have.
Private live-in care is when you employ a carer yourself, usually someone you already know.
Some people prefer, private live-in care with a friend or family member. However, it does pose some disadvantages of having to manage employment and holidays, sometimes becoming complex, as you’ll have to provide cover too.
With private care, you generally will become the employer and legally responsible for things such as sick pay, holiday entitlements and paying wages. You also have the responsibility of providing employment contracts and taking out insurance.
At SalMax, as an introductory agency, we pride ourselves on our matching process so you can be reassured your loved one is matched with a carer who suits their care needs and personality. Arranging care with an agency like us, can mean more peace of mind and less hassle in the long term
The aim of a live-in care agency is to provide personalised care and support for those who need it. There two main types of live-in care company are a fully-managed company or an introductory agency.
A fully-managed live-in care agency is regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). All of their carers are direct employees of the company, meaning the company manages your carer’s pay, benefits, holidays and pension.
They will also take responsibility for recruiting and training carers, undertaking background checks and DBS screenings to ensure all documents and references are accurate.
Companies providing this service generally charge more than introductory agencies, as the fee includes all the elements of care, this fee is determined in an assessment. Where as, introductory agencies are more flexible in costs having lower fees.
This difference in fee is not affected by care quality instead, it is determined by specific care needs and tailored to the individual.
SalMax is defined by the CQC as an introductory agency, in line with the Health & Social Care Act 2008. This is a model sits outside the scope of the CQC’s regulations.
As and introductory agency, we match customers who require care with self-employed care professionals from the SalMax network of carers.
All the live-in carers from the SalMax network are contracted directly with your family, as per the terms and conditions. The carers themselves are in line with the family members or primary contacts and local councils. This includes managing the personal care, risk assessments, continuation of care assessments and anything else required to make sure the recipient is safe and comfortable their own home.
It is important to know, unlike a fully managed provider we don’t have an ongoing role in the direction or control of the service provided. We put you in full control of how you want your service to be provided. This doesn’t impact the level of service approved carers provide on a day-to-day basis. We are there if anything changes, we’re here to support our customers whenever they need us. This option helps families to keep the costs down and want their loved one to be cared for at home but don’t mind taking on a bit of extra responsibility.
As a live-in care agency, we’re experienced in understanding the care needs of individuals and families. Having someone live in your home is a big change. We ensure through our matching service your loved one’s opinions and preferences are taken into consideration, as well as the views of the rest of the family. Helping you find a carer who’ll suit your situation for the long-term.
You’ll will go through your carers professional profile, watch their introductory video and even have a Zoom call with them to be sure they’re the right fit. Your first week with us is also a no-strings trial period, meaning you can cancel or switch carers with little notice.
We also provide a Live-in Housekeeper that can be a good option, those who require extra help around the house, but may not need full-time care. They can help with daily household tasks, such as cleaning, as well as preparing meals and cooking. People with limited mobility may opt for this as it allows an extra level of support and companionship in the home.
