As a live in carer adapts to your daily routine, the day of each carer will most likely be very different. Some clients lead very active lives and like a live in carer more as a companion to accompany them to a whirlwind of social visits, dining out and theatre trips. Others may be suffering from Alzheimers and find the prospect of leaving the house a bit daunting. Some clients like to get up early and enjoy the morning while others prefer to stay up late and lie in bed come morning time. The activities you like to do may vary depending on whether you live in the town or the countryside.

So while the schedule varies from person to person there are some common threads that seem to run through most placements.

One is that the carer is around most of the time so you can feel safe and protected knowing that someone is there if the need should arise. And in the cases where the client lives by themselves, there is someone there to have a sense of human connection and warmth.

Another is that as there is one live in carer to cater for your needs, the carer is able to provide you with their full attention. You are able to develop a caring friendship with them.  They are not being torn in many directions as might be a family member is is trying to care for their relative in addition to all the other commitments they may have in their life. Or like in a care home where the staff usually only have the time to cater for the physical needs of the residents, often without the chance to sit down and chat with a cup of tea.

So the carer can be with you to share a favourite television programme or to comment on something you find interesting in the newspaper, or to share the joy of the flowers emerging in the Spring.

In many cases the clients like to cook for themselves, but the majority of the time the carers will be responsible for preparing three nutritious and balanced meals each day, and will be able to cook the exact things that you like to eat at the time when you would like to eat.

Often the carer acts as a social lubricant, enabling you to visit friends and family, and organising these events where it might otherwise be difficult to do so.

Then of course, most carers will be responsible for keeping the house clean and tidy, helping with the laundry, taking care of pets, helping with bathing and getting dressed. And in many cases will help by assisting with moving around the house, either with the use of aids such as a frame or a wheelchair.

By taking care of all the physical needs as well as many of the emotional needs, this means that family members can visit with peace of mind and you can enjoy time with them without them needing to take care of things like shopping and cleaning. It means that they can go home happy and at ease knowing that their loved one is being well cared for and not by themselves feeling vulnerable and lonely.

To find out more about live in care and how we can help, please explore our website.