Advantages of Hiring Live-In Care

Tips When Hiring a Caregiver

Live in Caregiver

Live-in care is often confused with 24 hour or overnight care. Live-in care, whether provided by a professional caregiver or a private hire, implies the provision of room and board to the caregiver. The caregiver takes up residence in the home with the care recipient and as a resident of the home, live-in caregivers are permitted respite and sleep. There may be some sort of schedule adaptation so that the care recipient and the caregiver's sleep schedules are aligned, but generally, a live-in caregiver has a 5-8 hour period of sleep built in to the care plan.

Overnight care and 24-hour care also occur during hours when the care recipient is asleep, but the caregiver in these agreements is paid to remain awake. Oftentimes coordinated by an agency, the 24-hour period is broken up into shifts covered by multiple caregivers so that a senior is never left unattended. Hiring around-the-clock care ensures a senior remains as safe as possible at all hours of the day and night in the comfort of their own home.

Live In Care vs. Assisted Living

According to Genworth Financial, the national average cost of assisted living is $4000 per month. Just as when calculating the costs of in-home care, assisted living costs will vary by where you live and the care services that are added on to the base level of residency. While many seniors balk at the cost of assisted living, aging-in-place might cost more than you think. There are costs to maintaining a home, even if the home is owned free and clear.

Property taxes, home modifications, repairs and upkeep coupled with the cost of a care aide add up. For a senior who truly needs supervision or assistance with 24-hour availability, assisted living may be a more economical choice than around-the-clock in home care.

Since the majority of live-in caregivers are privately hired, the logistical negatives are largely the same as when hiring an independent caregiver. Vetting the caregiver's background and qualifications are entirely up to the family, and once hired independent caregivers can create tax complications and paperwork nightmares. More importantly, though, consider your candidates carefully. The demands on a live-in care giver are intense and may cause relationships to sour. If there is some risk that one or both parties may feel taken advantage of, an alternative care option might be a better solution.

As a senior's needs increase, it isn't possible to expect untrained caregivers to provide skilled care nor is it reasonable to expect live-in caregivers to provide 24/7 care day in and day out. Respite is necessary for any caregiver to provide quality care. If a senior needs 24 hour care, it may be time to consider transitioning to a residential care setting.

What is Home Care?
Private Caregiver vs. Home Care Agency
Preparing for Home Care
In-Home Care vs. Home Health Care

DISCLAIMER: Links to other websites or references to products, services or publications do not imply the endorsement or approval of such websites, products, services or publications by Elder Options of Texas. The determination of the need for senior care services and the choice of a facility is an extremely important decision. Please make your own independent investigation.