How To Choose a Live-in Carer?

Choosing the suitable person to care for you or your senior loved one is not the easiest thing to do. It is a momentous decision that will affect your senior’s quality of life, so it’s worth reflecting on it properly. Just what should you consider when choosing a live-in carer? How to choose the perfect person for the job? How much does a carer get paid? How to choose a carer for an advanced age senior?

When choosing a live-in carer, you should rely on many facts and information, yet fortunately, the answers to the above-mentioned questions can be found in today’s article! Let’s get started! How to choose a carer?

Choosing a live-in carer – defining your preferences

The first step in choosing a live-in carer is of course defining your preferences. This includes both the senior’s preferences in terms of care and such mundane matters as your budget. What should you take into account? First and foremost, the health and physical capabilities of the elderly person requiring care. Consider whether the senior is able to perform daily activities such as dressing themselves or shopping. Think about whether they require professional nursing care or whether all they need is a live-in carer who will be a companion.

When choosing a live-in carer for someone with a serious health condition, immobility or dementia, it’s worth betting on an experienced, qualified and physically fit person with the appropriate credentials. The safest bet is if it is someone from an agency, as then we can be sure they have been subject to background screening. If, on the other hand, you are choosing a live-in carer for an active senior, then instead of just considering qualifications, also think about human factors, such as shared likes, personality and soft skills.

Choosing a live-in carer – questions to ask yourself

When choosing a live-in carer for a senior, we should consider many issues. And to make sure you do not miss anything, we have prepared a checklist for you with the most important questions you should know the answer to when hiring live-in care.

The most important questions when choosing a live-in carer:

• What is the health status of the senior for whom we are seeking live-in care?
• Is the senior able to perform tasks such as dressing themselves?
• Does the senior have mobility issues?
• What is the senior’s temperament?
• What are the accompanying medical conditions?
• Does the senior have any specific requirements for a live-in carer?

• Does the senior require nursing care?
• Live-in care provided by an agency, or do I search on my own?
• What is our budget for live-in care?
• How much does a carer get paid?
• What will be the live-in carer’s responsibilities?
• Are the duties to include additional services such as shopping or cleaning?

The list of questions can, of course, be extended so feel free to add other questions concerning the specific conditions you are experiencing.

How to get a carer?

The first question, if you are wondering how to get a carer, is whether you want to look for such a person on your own, or prefer to outsource it to an agency. We would definitely opt for a proven intermediary agency, as the employees of such agencies are always thoroughly screened and trained, and their references are confirmed.

Furthermore, in case of any inadequacies or incompatibilities of character, they will offer the help of another live-in care professional, without any downtime in assisting the senior. Before choosing an agency, however, it is important to carefully check its customer reviews and credibility and then formulate your needs and requirements carefully, as this will speed up your decision on choosing a live-in carer. Another option is to look for a live-in carer through referrals or on your own, but this is a much longer and more uncertain way, so do not rush the decision and check credentials.

How to choose a carer?

Once you have identified the peculiarities of the senior’s condition and decided on an agency or your own search, it is time to choose a specific person. Choosing a live-in carer who is not only qualified but who also has the appropriate rapport with the senior is no small task. So how do you choose a carer who meets these criteria? The simplest and most reliable option is to arrange a trial day, during which you can see how the person plans to look after the elderly person, what their disposition and attitude towards the elderly person is like, and whether their qualifications and capabilities suit you.

It may not be the fastest or cheapest of options, but it will undoubtedly give you the best idea of whether the person and the senior are compatible. When choosing a live-in carer, we need to pay attention not only to hard facts and experience but also to the contact this person has with their clients, whether they are polite, creative and if they simply enjoy their work. Do not forget that when choosing a live-in carer you are choosing a companion, friend and helper, not just a housekeeper!

We hope that armed with this knowledge, you will choose the perfect person to care for the senior in your life. If you find that you don’t have enough information on this topic, we invite you to check out the other articles available on our blog!