An increasing number of families are turning to live in care to enable their elderly and disabled relatives to stay at home and avoid the disruption of moving to a care home and losing the family home.
For the live-in carers supporting these people there is a huge feeling of job satisfaction in the knowledge that they are supporting people to remain at home in the place with which they are most familiar, filled with memories and treasured belongings. Working as a live in carer offers the opportunity to make a real difference in someone’s life.
By living with the client the carer becomes a close companion and develops a detailed understanding of the client’s needs and routines so they can provide flexible help just when it’s needed. From the carer’s perspective there is no rush to complete care tasks and there is time to re-enable clients to regain skills they have lost and support them work on long term goals to improve their physical abilities and quality of life.
Live in care involves a care worker living in the clients home for a period of time so that they can provide support whenever it is needed. The client’s needs must be assessed to ensure that a single carer will be able to manage the workload.
A variety of assignment durations are available. Placements can be long term, for over a month, or for shorter periods for example where two or more staff work on a regular rota of 2 weeks on – 2 weeks off. For staff who want to build their experience and like change, regular relief work of one or two weeks at a time can be arranged.
The Benefits of working as a live in carer
There are a number of key benefits in pursuing a career as a live in carer:
One of the most significant benefits of working as a live-in carer is the opportunity to form deep and meaningful connections with the individuals you care for. Living alongside your clients allows you to provide continuous support and companionship, which often leads to the development of strong, long-lasting relationships.
Many live-in carers find the role offers flexibility and good work life balance. They work hard and are 100 percent focussed when on assignment, but this can be balanced with breaks that give the opportunity to spend quality time following their own leisure pursuits or other commitments,
Working as a live-in carer provides numerous opportunities for personal and professional growth. The immersive nature of the experience can help develop more effective caregiving and a deeper level of empathy and understanding. You can develop valuable skills in healthcare, communication, problem-solving, and emotional intelligence, all of which can be beneficial in various areas of your life and are useful skills for a career in health or nursing.
Many live-in carer positions offer accommodation as part of the compensation package, which can help alleviate the financial burden of finding and paying for housing. Additionally, meals and other living expenses are often covered, allowing carers to focus on their work without the stress of additional financial obligations.
With the increasing need for in-home care services, live-in carers can typically find stable and long-term employment opportunities.
Working as a live-in carer offers a range of unique benefits, from meaningful relationships, to good work-life balance and personal and professional growth. .
Whether you’re considering a career change or embarking on a new profession, the role of a live-in carer can offer a rewarding and fulfilling experience unlike any other.
Purely Care provide live in care services in Norfolk and the eastern counties. Further information about their care vacancies can be found here
Skills for Care set out the training that would be required on entering care work including the Care Certificate.