Living with an old individual diagnosed with a chronic illness such as multiple sclerosis, lupus, and arthritis is not an easy thing to do. Furthermore, unless you are trained to provide medical aid, it can be quite challenging to care for someone suffering from debilitations.  

Every senior deserves to receive attention and support every day. They need help in performing daily chores, moving around the house, drinking medication and even running errands such as going to the groceries and maintaining the house.

Thankfully, today, seniors can either hire a live-in carer or move into a care home. For some people, it’s not easy to choose between the two options.

To help you decide, we laid out a few things you need to know about care homes and live-in caregivers.

What do live-in carers do?

A lot of seniors today prefer hiring a live-in carer. In this setup, a caregiver resides in the home of the senior to provide the medical care and support.

Do take note that live-in carers differ from 24-hour caregivers. Live-in carers are allowed to sleep at least eight hours per day. They provide assistance if you need to pee or drink at night.

On the other hand, 24-hour carers is a team of carers that work on shifts to provide round-the-clock medical service.  

Aside from providing continuous medical aid, live-in carers can help seniors with the following activities:

• Personal care – showering, brushing teeth, dressing wounds, hair grooming, toileting and moving around the house with a mobility equipment

• Household chores –  preparing meals, doing the laundry, shopping, ironing, assisting in going to events and administering medication

• Social and emotional support – dealing with anxiety and stress and providing advice

Hiring live-in carers also come with many benefits. A few benefits you can get includes receiving undivided attention and support, easier adjustment, forging a strong bond with a caregiver, and getting more value for your money.

What to expect from care homes

Some seniors prefer to live in a care home instead of staying in their own homes. They prefer this option because they get to share a house with other old folks.

When you live in a care home, a team of medical personnel attends to everyone’s needs.

The ratio between the medical staff and the home care residents largely depend on the management. However, you can expect the ratio not to fall under one medical staff to five home care residents.   

Which option is better?

Choosing which option fits you better depends on your personal preference and a number of other factors.

How much is your working budget?

The cost of living a care home amounts to around £33,000 to £40,000 a year. The cost covers for the meals, housekeeping services, daily care costs as well as maintenance costs.

Some nursing care homes tend to cost more especially in highly urbanised areas. For example, some areas such as the south-east portion of England tend to charge higher annual fees.

On one hand, hiring a live-in carer will cost you around £750 per week or around £41,000 a year. Unlike living in a care home, you have the option to change your live-in carer depending on the terms of the contract.

What kind of set up do you prefer?

Another factor you need to look into is the level of independence that you want to achieve.

Some elderly individuals prefer maintaining an independent lifestyle so they choose to opt for a supported living at home setup. Live-in medical carers only provide assistance instead of doing the task on behalf of the patient.

Also, seniors who choose to hire a live-in nurse or caregiver don’t need to leave the comfort of his/her house. They don’t have to adjust to the new surroundings.

Other elderly individuals opt to stay in a nursing care facility because they prefer to get round-the-clock monitoring and support from a trained team of medical practitioners.

What preparations do you need?

If you want to live in a care home, your first priority is to find a good facility near you. Check the rates and the staff to patient ratio.

Also, you check the carrying capacity of the facility. How many residents share a bedroom? Can you still enjoy a bit of privacy? Or is the room too cramped?

If you choose to work with a stay-at-home carer, make sure to run a complete background check. Consider his/her level of experience.

Has he/she handled seniors with the same condition as yours? Make sure that he/she can help you in case you need special medical attention.

Assess his/her personality too. Ask his/her hobbies and interests.  

If possible, hire a carer from a reputable company. Alternatively, you can hire a carer recommended by your trusted loved ones.  

Choosing between hiring a live-in carer or staying in a nursing care facility may seem a very hard task. However, if you have carefully assessed your needs and priorities, you can easily determine which care option will work well for you.