Live-in care is the preferred option for most people when it comes to care. Here we look at how live-in care is able to improve the quality of life for the elderly.
Live-in care is the preferred type of later life care for 97% of people according to the Better At Home report by the Live-in Care Hub. This is no surprise when it has so many benefits, both practical and emotional. Let’s take a look at the practical benefits first:
- The family home is able to remain owned by the family, rather than be sold off to pay for care
- Live-in care fees are comparable to residential care home fees and paying for care at home can be manageable for many different types of budget
- Relatives do not have to search for a good care home
- Both parents can be cared for in one place
- Family and friends can still visit the same familiar place
- At-home care helps the NHS who have elderly patients in beds simply because they don’t have a place to go that can provide adequate care.
These are just a few of the practical benefits you get from live-in care or home care services, and here’s an overview of just some of the many other benefits of live-in care:
One extremely distressing occurrence that results from a person having to go into a care home, is having to rehome their pets, or worse have their pets put down. This is because most residential care homes do not accept pets. Think about your own pet and how much you love them and consider them a part of the family. Imagine having to give them up in order to have full time elderly care, or worse have them put to sleep. That would be a heart-breaking decision for anyone. Paying for care at home not only avoids that terrible situation, but also promotes higher quality of life by enabling the person to remain with their pet, who provides them with daily joy and company.
On a day to day basis, those with live-in care can also enjoy many of the things they used to enjoy in life. Baking, walks, hobbies, visiting friends, playing board games: there are plenty of life-enhancing activities to be enjoyed when you have a live-in carer. They will look for ways to enhance your quality of life alongside providing you with the best possible care in your own home.
Compared to residential homes where social care resources are stretched, live-in care is a great option for many people. Although there are, of course, some wonderful residential care homes, there are down sides that even the very best care homes aren’t able to avoid. An example would be how unsettling it is for a person to leave their home and most of their belongings at a time when they feel frail and vulnerable. They might even have to leave their partner. This can be very distressing for all involved.
There is also evidence that being in a residential care home hinders the enjoyment a person could have from the food and drink they would normally enjoy and as we get older enjoying good food may be one of few pleasures left in life. A person in a residential care home is also less likely to have independence, with statistics from the Better At Home report showing that a massive 37 percent of people in residential care don’t ever leave the home even when they are able to.
These shocking facts are just a small amount of the evidence available to back up why, according to statistics, 97% of people would rather have at-home care than go into a care home. If you’re choosing the right care options for yourself or a relative, it is really important to consider the best way to ensure you or your relative has adequate care along with the best possible quality of life.
10 Comments. Leave new
Good point, especially about food – if I had to go to anywhere, the food would drive me mad – it is bad enough in hotels!
I agree! My Mum would only eat certain things and when she had to go into hospital for a short stay, she didn’t eat at all. Our carer ended up bringing in her usual lunch and dinner for her! Another benefit of the kindness and dedication of carers.
Hi Anna,
This is so true. My parents were both frail at the same time and Live-in Care saved our sanity. My Mum had Alzheimer’s also, and so the thought of moving her to a new location was very distressing. Our carers were magnificent and looked after Mum to the very end – one was by her bedside when she passed away. We could not be more thankful for the care they received.
we really need to get the message about this option out there – so many people rule it out on cost when its more cost effective for couples
97% would prefer to stay at home speaks for itself.
In my experience it was just a chance conversation with a social worker (not even my Father’s own social worker) that pointed me in the direction of the carer who became so vital to Dad’s quality of life and dignity in his final months. Having experienced a few weeks of rehabilitation in a care home our family knew that would never be right for him. We are so thankful for that chance conversation but, clearly, we need to make sure others can find the information they need easily and quickly so they can make the right decision about such an important stage in life.
This is a brilliant article to share and confirms the fantastic role that we all play in the lives of elderly people. Lets get the message out there!
Live in Care is a fantastic option, it is more person centered and allows people to carry on doing the things they enjoy and eating the foods they enjoy within the comfort of their own home whereas within a nursing home or residential home this would be more restricted.
Hi Jess,
I completely agree with you. More people need to hear about live in care and it’s benefits.
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