When it comes to arranging live-in care for yourself or your loved one, there are a number of things to consider, such as how much help is needed, how many live-in carers should be working on rotation, what kind of person you would like living with you, and much more.
If you are trying to decide between live-in care from an Introductory Agency or a Managed Care Provider, we are comparing the two by looking at what they both do, what the difference is, and how to choose the right one for your specific situation.
At Home Instead, our aim is to help people age positively and in place by bringing expert care to their home. For nearly 20 years, we have been providing the highest standard of care, and creating industry-leading training programmes for our Care Professionals that are accredited by nursing and medical professionals. Today, we are the world’s largest global home care network, supporting over 100,000 older adults with personalised, tailored care at home. So whatever questions you have about home care, we can help.
Both Introductory Agencies and Managed Live-in Care Providers offer live-in care services for older people and disabled people, but an Introductory Agency focuses on finding you an appropriate carer and setting up their employment with you, rather than the ongoing care being delivered.
Introductory Agencies will perform background checks on all of the carers they recommend, which typically includes collecting references, ensuring the carer is DBS checked (if you live in England) or PVG checked (if you live in Scotland), and conduct interviews and assessments to make sure all carers on their roster are qualified and ready to deliver the necessary care.
An Introductory Agency will not be registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC), who oversee the quality of care in the adult social care sector, but may still be recognised by them.
With an Introductory Agency you or your family will likely be in charge of arranging and managing your carer’s daily tasks and workload from the point of employment, but these agencies can help you with the process of finding the right self-employed carer for your needs. To be clear, the carer will become your employee and you will pay them directly, so once they start working for you it will be up to you to manage their employment.
Unlike an Introductory Agency, Managed Live-in Care can manage every aspect of home care, from the initial search for the best carer, to finding cover when your regular carer goes on holiday, to being on call for any questions you have.
Managed Live-in Care services are registered with the Care Quality Commission so they must adhere to certain standards, and as a result they train their staff in order to develop a certain standard of care for all clients.
In most cases, Managed Live-in Care is offered to the client as part of a package including everything they need, which is created based on the client’s specific care needs and life preferences.
A Managed Live-in Care service like Home Instead will take on most of the burden of:
Managed Live-in Care could be a good option for anyone who would like a fully managed service where they do not have to think about the administration and stress of employing someone.
There are a few benefits and disadvantages to both options, so if you are weighing up the pros and cons of Introductory Agencies versus a Managed Live-in Care service, the following list may help:
There are positive and negative aspects to both Introductory Agencies and Managed Live-in Care services, and both will endeavour to do background checks on carers and ensure they are fully qualified, experienced and trained in the areas of care in which they are being employed.
We always aim to offer an unbiased view of all care options so you and your family can make an informed decision on the best one for you, however, if you are looking for an option that is regulated by the Care Quality Commission to protect you from a potentially substandard quality of care, a Managed Live-in Care service may be the best option for you.
When researching care options, the best one for you depends on your individual circumstances, care needs, and personal priorities. To summarise the positive and negative elements of both options, an Introductory Agency could be the best choice for you if you would prefer to feel more in control of the service your care worker provides for you and when, and keep your costs low by only paying for the care you need on an ad hoc basis. Or, if you believe you could benefit from having the whole care process taken care of with no administration to handle – from initial employment to day-to-day support – and pay an all-inclusive cost, a Managed Live-in Care service could be the best choice for you.
We’re an award-winning home care provider and part of a worldwide organisation devoted to providing the highest quality relationship-led care for older people in their own homes. Arranging care for yourself or your loved one shouldn’t be stressful, so whatever questions you would like answered, feel free to reach out to the Home Instead team to discuss your needs.