Live-in respite care
Having a break from being an unpaid family carer is vital both for the carer and the person they care for. Yet in the Carers Week 2021 report ‘Breaks or breakdown’, Carers UK reported that since the COVID-19 pandemic began, “72% of carers have not had any breaks from their caring role at all.”
At Laurel Green Care, we provide live-in respite care that enables family carers to have the breaks they need and deserve, whilst the person requiring care remains in their home rather than moving into a residential home or a care home. Our respite care services — which are perhaps more aptly named restorative care services — can be arranged at short-notice, and provide complete peace of mind that the person who needs care will be supported comprehensively whilst their family carer takes some time for themselves.
Our dignified, side-by-side support is personalised to each individual client, and recognises that a family carer and the person they care for have a special relationship, with their own routines and preferences that need to be respected. We work with the person needing care and their family carer to create a respite care plan to provide replacement care that everyone is happy with, underpinned by our values of maximising a person’s independence, choice and control.
What is respite care?
Our respite care services enable a family carer to take a break of a few days or weeks while Laurel Green Care live-in carer supports the person who needs care in their own home. A family carer may want to leave the home for the duration of the respite period, or remain in the home but with the person’s care needs being met by our live-in carer.
Our respite carers are highly trained and vetted, and can support people with many different needs, from companionship and general support with mobility and tasks of daily living, to care for specific conditions that include:
- Dementia
- Parkinson’s
- Multiple sclerosis
- Stroke
- Cerebral palsy
- Spinal injury
We can also provide complex care for individuals with high dependency needs, and end-of-life care if a person is on a palliative care pathway.
What in-home respite care services do we offer?
We provide flexible, live-in respite care in a person’s own home that preserves their established routines and supports their preferences. Our respite care replaces the care a family carer would ordinarily provide, and our live-in carers work closely with the person, the person’s family carer, and any healthcare professionals involved in the person’s life to ensure that the person’s respite care plan will meet their needs.
The duration of our respite care is tailored to the needs of the person’s family carer and the person who needs care, with respite care periods varying from a few days to a few weeks. If an unexpected eventuality arises that means the respite care period cannot end when scheduled, we will do our utmost to provide continuity of care.
Although most of our enquiries for live-in respite care are because a family carer needs to leave the home they share with the person, we also provide respite care whereby a family carer remains in the home. We can tailor a package of support that works for your circumstances, so do contact us to discuss your needs.
If you are thinking of respite care as a precursor to longer-term care, you might want to take advantage of our 2-4 week trial to see if live-in care fits yours or your relative’s needs and expectations.
What is involved in setting up respite care at home?
As we look to set up your live-in respite care service, we will aim to find a live-in carer who shares some of the interests or hobbies of the person needing care, and whose company the person will enjoy. We want our clients to feel relaxed and happy with their live-in carer, so compatibility is vital. If, in the unlikely event, you feel your live-in carer isn’t right for you we will aim to find someone more suitable.
We will visit the person and their family carer to complete an assessment with absolutely no obligation to proceed. During this visit we will create a bespoke care plan which will involve carefully documenting all of the person’s healthcare needs. Alongside this we will also ensure we are fully aware of your wishes and preferences. All of our live-in carers know the importance of never taking over your home or doing more than you would wish for them to do.
To ensure comprehensive and safe support, all of our live-in carers are fully trained and vetted to give you complete peace of mind. Many of our live-in carers have extensive experience in providing respite care and bring a wealth of knowledge and good practice to their respite care provision.
Is respite care at home the right option for me/my family?
Live-in respite care provides all of the support the person needing care requires whilst their family carer focuses on their own health, wellbeing, hobbies or projects.
Many family carers often feel guilty about needing a break, viewing their caring role as a labour of love, but it’s important to recognise that providing day-to-day care is physically and emotionally demanding. By taking some time to restore their own physical and mental strength, a family carer can continue to care for longer, and give of their best both for the person who needs care and themselves.
Because our respite care is provided in the person’s own home it seamlessly transitions the care provision from a family carer to our live-in carer and vice versa, whilst the person who needs care and support remains in their familiar and comfortable environment, alongside any pets that they have.
It is highly personalised, flexible and dignified support that enables the person who needs care to enjoy new opportunities and perspectives, find renewed purpose and motivation, and enjoy the companionship of our live-in carer. For a family carer, it provides the reassurance of knowing that the person they care for is in safe hands whilst they take some much-needed time for themselves.
You can’t pour from an empty cup, which is why our live-in respite care is so important to enable family carers to restore and rejuvenate themselves whilst the person they care for receives expert support.
The benefits of live-in respite care
Our respite care is highly personalised, side-by-side care and support that includes:
- Support to enable the person to manage any health conditions that they have, including adhering to a medication regime, pain management, and continuing with any treatment, rehabilitation, diet or exercise plans.
- Any personal care support that the person usually has. This could include help with washing, dressing, using the toilet and any pampering regimes that the person enjoys.
- Nutrition and hydration support including meal planning, food preparation and help to eat and drink.
- Emotional and mental health support alongside friendship to alleviate any anxiety, loneliness or isolation that the person is experiencing as a result of their family carer not being present.
- If a person is at risk of falls, we will undertake a risk assessment and support a person to move around safely and minimise their risk of falls.
- Help with hobbies and activities that the person enjoys.
- Support to get out and about, including to shop or participate in leisure or social activities.
- Help for a family carer and the person they care for to stay in-touch whilst apart if this is what both people want.
- Support with domestic tasks as required, including looking after any pets that will be remaining at home.
Our clients have many reasons for choosing our live-in respite care service, including
- A family carer needs a break and the person they care for needs professional support for that to happen. Reasons a family carer might need a break are many and varied, and can include everything from needing some rest/sleep or wanting to complete a project, to having a medical procedure done or going away to visit family or friends.
- The person and their family carer don’t have access to other support options, like replacement care from family members, and they don’t want to use a residential home or a care home.
- The person and their family carer want to try live-in respite care with a view to engaging with our live-in care further in the future, perhaps if the person’s care needs are predicted to increase.
The cost of our live-in respite care starts at £1,400 per week. Many people find it is highly cost-effective compared to a residential home or a care home.
