24 hour care at home for elderly
What is 24 hour care?
24 hour care at home is care provided by a caregiver that lives in the senior’s house. This kind of care is less stressful for the person in care, more tailor-made and on many occasions, it simply costs less.
Who is the 24-hour care for?
And what is 24 hour care in terms of who would benefit the most?
Senior care at home services are recommended for patients that require round-the-clock care. This type of care is more personalised.
How to prepare for 24 hour care at home for elderly
At home care requires some beforehand house preparation. The live-in carer will be living in our loved one’s house. This means they need a comfortable environment to live and to work.
To be able to perform their duties well, the carer will need to have their own space to spend time, to rest and sleep. Live in care job is very demanding, both emotionally and physically. The carer definitely needs some own space to unwind. This room doesn’t have to be extraordinary and beautifully decorated. It simply has to be comfortable and equipped with bed and some storage space to keep clothes and personal things.
How much is 24 hour care at home?
Live-in care is often more affordable than care home. Care homes often charge upwards £1000 per week. So how much does 24 hour care cost? Live-in carers charge around the same amount as care homes per week, with some agencies charging more than that, and some being more affordable. Considering that the level of live-in care service is better, it seems that 24 hour care at home is a better option than a care home.
The exact amount of how much does 24 hour care cost depends on the agency and the range of service agreed.
So how much is 24 hour care at home with Veritas Care? Our affordable live-in services start from £658 per week, which makes this type of care more available to everyone.
How to get 24 hour home care
Unless you are entitled to NHS help for seniors living at home (“NHS continuing healthcare”), the 24 hour care at home for seniors is a self-funded option and needs to be arranged privately. Generally, there are 2 ways to find a live in carer:
- By agency – by a company that helps to find a carer and handles all the related formalities.
- Privately – you can find a live-in carer on your own. In this situation, you’ll become an employer and will have to handle all the related formalities and the paperwork.
To find out more details about how to find live in care for elderly at home, please refer to our article: how to get 24 hour home care.
24-hour home care at home as an alternative to care homes
Cost of care home is not necessarily lower
Care homes are considered a cheaper option than at home care. Surprisingly, it is not always true. It turns out that care homes are not so price-convenient as we generally may think.
Currently, to be able to use state financing help, we have to go through means-testing. In this process, the fees are quite generalised. According to this rule, the people who have more than £23,250 of total assets are considered as “self-funders” and don’t need any financial assistance. As most seniors own their homes, they don’t qualify for home care at home funding.
When it comes to senior care at home services, the cost is precisely estimated. You pay exactly for the services you need. On the other hand, you are free to participate in choosing the carer.
Live in care for elderly at home – less stress than care home
Moving into a care home may be very stressful. Set meal times and visiting times can be a real strain and a serious disarrangement of the senior’s life. Elderly home care at home means keeping the same habits and daily schedule. The person in care doesn’t have to follow strict meal times and family visit times.
More specialised to your loved one’s individual needs
24 hour care at home for seniors is a personalised help for seniors living at home. Unlike in care homes, where the carer looks after several seniors at the same time, the live-in carer devotes all their time to only one person in care.
Most obvious benefits of live-in care:
- 24hr care at home is often 30% cheaper
- Maintaining independence
- Remaining in a familiar environment
- Dedicated one-to-one care
- Home-cooked meals
- Being free to plan own daily schedule
- Maintaining social contacts
At Veritas Care we believe that 24 hour care at home offers the best solution for seniors. This type of care maintains their independence and dignity. It also allows the families to have a peace of mind when it comes to the safety and comfort of their beloved ones.