What Is The Role Of A Live-in Carer?

If you have been thinking about pursuing a career that revolves around compassion, kindness and a sense of making a difference to your community, then live-in care may well be the career for you.

Becoming a carer guarantees you the chance to make a difference to the lives of the clients you work with. However, working in residential care homes can be restrictive and quite a high pressure environment. In some instances, carers can feel like they don’t have the ability to care in the way they were trained to, and in the way that they want to because of time and staffing pressures.

With live-in care, the opportunities to fully put your training into place with compassion and consideration are almost endless, and change with each client. Every day is likely to be different, and the challenges that do come up need a creative and dedicated carer with an eye for detail and problem-solving.

In fact, the Department of Health & Social Care is currently running a recruitment drive they have called the “Every Day is Different” initiative, through which you can explore job roles, develop the skills you need to work in adult care or take a quiz to see if the role of a live-in carer could be the right career for you.

With 18% of the UK population aged over 65, and that figure set to grow massively in the next few decades, the demand for care is growing. Live-in care is an excellent alternative to residential care homes, providing the ability for those who want to remain independent in their own homes in later life to stay in the place they love the most. It is also a great way for carers who want to make a really positive impact on clients’ lives to do so without the common restrictions associated with working in care homes.

Thinking of becoming a live-in carer? Read on to find out more about what the role involves:

What Does A Live-in Carer Do?

A live-in carer’s job is to help a person remain dignified, independent, safe and comfortable in their own home. The services provided are there to support the day-to-day requirements of the client, which means that the services are individual to each client’s needs. Although the carer will make recommendations based on training and experience, the client and the client’s family are the decision makers.

Usually, the basic level of care will involve helping the client wash, dress, go to the toilet and maintain their appearance. The role of a live-in carer will also usually help make meals and help with feeding if necessary. Medication administration and organisation is also commonly something carers are trained to do. A carer may also provide additional services like:

• Garden maintenance
• Cleaning
• Pet care
• Helping the client get to appointments
• Helping the client get to social events
• Physiotherapy

The core of the care is based around companionship, which can often make the biggest difference to a person’s life.

Special Medical Conditions

In some instances a carer may provide special medical support with patients who have cancer, Parkinsons, dementia or other conditions. This requires specialist training and a carer would always have the correct training before being placed in a role where this kind of support is needed.

Live-in Care: A Way To Truly Make A Difference

Live-in care affords a carer the opportunity to truly make a difference to a person’s life. If you have always wanted a career that revolves around compassion, or you already work in care and want the opportunity to properly apply your training and skills, look into the role of a live-in carer. It could be a really positive step towards a better career in care.