Private Care as an Alternative to a Care Home

Many of us feel fearful about getting older and being unable to care for ourselves. Worries about how to access the right care or about having to go into a care home can mean sleepless nights for many. But there is an alternative to a care home; one which can take away those worries for people needing care and for their families, and that is private care. This can be in the form of 24/7 live-in care or visiting home care.

What is Private Care?

Private care services provide personal one-to-one care to someone in the comfort of their own home. Care plans are tailored to the person’s needs and requirements and care-givers are often personally matched with the client.

The type of private care offered will usually include:

• Help getting out of bed and being helped to bed at night
• Help dressing and washing
• Help with toilet needs
• Meal preparation
• Supporting and monitoring of medical and health needs
• Liaising with GPs and other health care professionals
• Social support and shopping
• Accompanying them to appointments

Benefits of Private Care for Those Who Want to Live at Home

The benefits to having care in your own home are numerous. It gives you peace of mind to know that you are safe and secure in your own home, surrounded by familiar things including much-loved pets and family members. Family members too will have peace of mind in knowing that their loved one is being cared for properly and with the utmost professionalism.

Aside from receiving help with the tasks mentioned above, private care can provide something even more valuable, and that is companionship. It is always good to know that you, or your loved one, has someone to sit with, chat with or simply watch television with. And when the care-giver is the same person allocated each time so much the better.

Benefits for Families

Private care doesn’t always have to mean full-time care. It can be as simple as the occasional visit or respite care to enable a family care-giver to have a break and recharge their batteries.

Where family members are living too far away from their loved one needing care, a private carer can often arrange for updates and catch-ups through the use of technology. If the person receiving care is unsure of how to use communication technology a private carer will often facilitate this to allow families to keep in touch.

Bespoke care is very different to the type of care you find in many care homes where there may not be enough staff to give residents the care they need. Private care is one-on-one, tailored to the client’s every need and requirement and given in the comfort of their own home.

Is Private Care Worth It?

Fees vary across the UK and depend on how much and what kind of care is needed. But when you look at the average care home costs which can average out at around £800-1000 a week (and often significantly more), you have to consider the greater benefits of receiving bespoke care at home and the peace of mind this brings.