Making decisions for or with an elderly loved one can feel overwhelming. The decision to move your elderly relative to a care home won’t have been an easy one. Maybe decisions were made rapidly following an illness or injury, and a care home may have been the obvious choice.
But a drastic change in environment can sometimes be detrimental to an older person, especially dementia sufferers. Or maybe your aging loved one just hasn’t been happy since leaving their home behind. Maybe you didn’t even know about the option of live-in care at the time.
Whatever the reasons for the decision, here are some things to consider when moving from a care home to live-in care.
Here you can find a more detailed understanding of the benefits of live in care.
Funding live-in care
Funding care is a concern whichever type of care you choose. Funding for live-in care can be both private or local authority funding depending on financial circumstances and following a care needs assessment.
Age UK says:
‘Your ability to pay for care will be worked out through a means test. Your home will not be included if you’re arranging care and support at home and may not be included if you live with a partner, child, or a relative who is disabled or over the age of 60.’
Your local council’s adult social services department will carry out a free assessment of your care needs.
Preparing for the move… again
At this point your elderly loved one has already moved once, into the care home, and maybe from hospital before that. They’ve had a lot of upheaval already and you will have seen how they coped with the first move. This one will likely feel better to them though. They’re going home.
You will need to consider if any adaptations need to be made to the house to ensure safety. Have their needs changed since they last lived at home? An Occupational Therapist can be accessed via a GP, Social Worker or via the NHS website. They can assess the needs of the person and advise of any adjustments that should be made in the home to meet these needs.
Preparing to move your carer in
A live-in carer will need their own bedroom where they can have privacy and time alone. Sometimes a spare bedroom is not always available so it may be necessary to convert another room in the house to a bedroom. They will also need furniture and storage.
A private bathroom is preferable, but not necessary. A shared bathroom works well as long as it is clean and fully equipped with a place to store toiletries.
Internet access is no longer a luxury, but a necessity, so it is important to have reliable internet access in your home.
Choosing live-in care could be the best decision you make. Eximius guarantees that your companion is dedicated to providing everything your loved one needs in order to live a full, happy life.
You can learn more here about how Eximius chooses carers and companions.
If you are considering live-in care, or would like to know more about it, please get in touch for an informal chat about your needs.