The Benefits of Live-in Care Vs. Home Care

We believe that as you age, you should be given the best care possible to allow you to live a fulfilling life in the comfort of your home.

Here at Home Instead Southampton, we have a selection of services available to help and support individuals to remain as independent as possible.

From help with household chores or domestic tasks, medication management, running errands, shopping, personal care and bathing to specialist care such as dementia care, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, or help with other conditions, we’re here to help every step of the way.

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What are the different types of care options available?

Making the Right Choice for Your Loved One

Most people are unaware of home care services or the option to have a carer come to your home. It’s often thought that care homes are the only choice available to look after your loved one. Home Instead created home care and live-in care services to support people in their homes to feel most comfortable and happy.  

Different types of care are suited to different situations, and it’s important to know that there is never a right or wrong decision. It’s entirely down to preference and circumstances.

We understand that, where possible, most people would prefer to stay living at home where their precious memories and belongings are. Getting a little extra support at home is an excellent step to slowly introduce the idea of care. It can be a more affordable alternative to care as it is a fraction of the cost of most residential care options.

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Understanding the level of care required

If your loved one has reached a stage where they need assistance with their day-to-day living, you may be wondering if elderly care is appropriate and which type would best suit their needs.

As a first step, have a conversation with your loved ones to find out what support they may need. We’re here every step of the way with advice on talking about care with your family and can help you to explore the possibilities of having some external support. 

After an initial conversation, you may wish to arrange a free, friendly, no-obligation consultation with Home Instead to decide on the level of care you or your loved one may need. 

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What is Live-in Care?

Live-in Care is a form of domiciliary care. It’s a service where a Care Pro resides in your home to provide care and assistance. One of the significant advantages of a live-in carer is that it is a safe alternative to other types of care and offers peace of mind that someone is readily available should the need arise.

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What is Home Care?

Home care or domiciliary care is where a Care Pro will visit your home for a minimum of an hour a day, as little or as often as required. Home care is a great option should your loved one need additional help around the house, companionship, or other tasks that we can complete within the time the Care Pro is visiting.

Live-in Care is a safe and affordable alternative to a residential care home that gives you control over your care, bringing you consistent, one-to-one support in the comfort of your home. 

Is Live-in Care Safe?

Live-in care is one of the safest options available.

The risk of infection from outside your home is reduced when a Care Pro resides with you. Other care options typically have multiple healthcare professionals coming in and out of the house.

Our most important priority is to keep you as safe and shielded as possible while enjoying a higher quality of life from being in the comfort of your home.

Live-in Care Vs. Home Care

Living at home means staying in familiar surroundings and maintaining those daily routines that might not be possible in residential care.

We have broken down each service to highlight the benefits of both and help guide you with what type of care you will choose for your loved one. 

The best way to get a complete understanding is by speaking with a member of our team who will happily go through all of your concerns and requirements to help you decide on the best solution for your loved one.

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A Live-in Carer

We take a personal approach to matching your loved one with a suitable live-in carer. This is done by selecting an individual who will work well to support your loved one, shares the same interests and personality traits and can carry out specific instructions while becoming a true companion to them too. 

Here at Home Instead Southampton, we have a team of wonderful Care Pros that suit every client’s specifications; our Care Pros are kind, trustworthy, and are very easy to bond with.

Arranging in-home care is a big commitment. With live-in care from Home Instead Southampton, we can help give family members more quality time together while caring for them in the place they love the most, home.

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Live-in care can be the right solution When:

  • You live in a remote location or far from family members. 
  • Your parent or loved one needs a high level of attention and support
  • You care for someone at home, which means you miss work too often or have shortened shifts because you’re constantly worrying about your loved one.
  • You care for an older person with Alzheimer’s disease who is non-verbal, making it hard to assess their moods and safety level.

This includes giving medications as needed, ensuring they are eating correctly with scheduled meals and snacks to prevent malnutrition, assistance with bathing if necessary, and other duties of daily living like dressing them when appropriate.

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Live-in care provides Numerous Benefits

  • Assistance to vulnerable adults and those aged 70 & over to safely self-isolate.
  • Reduce unnecessary contact from other care professionals coming in and out of the home.
  • Provide you with a highly trained Care Pro in infection control, outstanding hygiene practices and shielding the vulnerable. 
  • Collect medication, groceries and supplies or arrange contactless deliveries to you as safely as possible. 
  • Help reduce the feeling of loneliness by having a loyal, compassionate companion by their side.
  • Provide you with your own trustworthy, exclusive, bespoke support.
  • Help with planning social lives

Live-in care allows family members to spend more quality time together and provides peace of mind that help is at hand. This means that high-quality care may be provided with better outcomes while causing minimal interruption to your loved one’s life.

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Benefits of Live-in Care

Companionship & Support 

One of the best benefits of live-in care is having a Care Pro around you that you can quickly familiarise yourself with. Our Care Pros will go above and beyond to enrich your loved ones physical and psychological well-being, making them feel comfortable, cared for and loved.

A Safer Care Solution

Live-in care is one of the safest care options available.

The risk of infection from outside your home is reduced when you have a Care Pro residing with you. Other care options typically have multiple healthcare professionals coming in and out of the house, increasing the risk of cross-contamination and infection from certain viruses.

Our most important priority is to keep you as safe and shielded as possible while enjoying a higher quality of life from being in the comfort of your home.

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A Care Professional talks to an elderly man in a wheelchair in a cosy, well-lit living room with plants and warm decor. - Home Instead Southampton

You Get to Stay at Home

A person’s home is their own little time capsule, holding personal treasures and precious memories, making it very difficult to give up. But beyond the sentimentality attached to your little patch of the world, the familiarity of home is good for several reasons.

Remaining in recognisable surroundings is a major benefit for people needing care – particularly if that person has Alzheimer’s or dementia. Simple things like easily navigating your way through the home can make all the difference to someone prone to becoming confused.

Vulnerable people of all kinds can benefit from Live-in Care, not just older adults. Anyone suffering from an illness, injury, loss of a loved one, or long term disability can benefit from 24-hour care.

At Home Instead Southampton, our range of services could help improve the quality of life for someone that requires 24-hour round the clock care.

  • Highly personalised, one-to-one support
  • Remain independent and stay in your local community
  • Reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation with the companionship of your live-in Care Pro
  • Your Live-in Care Pro will assist you with medication reminders, nutrition and hydration
  • Live-in Care Pros can help with household chores such as laundry, cooking and cleaning
  • Create a safe and familiar environment to prevent falls or accidents
  • Live-in Care provides peace of mind that someone is there to help when it’s needed most

Although you will have someone there to help around the clock, should you need it, live-in care offers a greater opportunity to live an independent life than living in a nursing home or residential care home. Our professional carers can tailor your care package around you, offering a better quality of care. 

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Home Care Service

Home care allows independence, absolute comfort, and dignity. In addition, it promotes healthy living and general healing for those who need support with recovery.

According to a 2008 scientific research by Avalere, “clients heal faster and are more comfortable when treated at home than they are in nursing homes, or hospitals.” Home care services can also be recommended for people (especially older people) recovering from an injury or managing a chronic condition. 

Home Care Reduces Loneliness & Isolation

Having a Care Pro visit throughout the day to check in on a loved one, sit down for a cuppa or make a meal for them to enjoy reduces feelings of loneliness and isolation and ensures they are well-nourished and okay.

Our Care Pros will encourage your loved ones to partake in activities to keep their minds healthy and active. Visiting care allows your loved one to enjoy old and new hobbies and make friends within the community at local events.

It’s Safer & Offers Peace of Mind

Our home care service will ensure you are in good hands; we can help manage medication, meal preparation, personal care, companionship, light housekeeping, pet care and more.

Our Care Pros are highly trained and will ensure that the house is a safe living environment for your loved one. 

They will also use an app to help update you in real-time about what your loved one has had to eat, how the visit went and how they are feeling. This offers families great peace of mind that their loved one is in safe hands.

One-to-one Care

Home care allows for total comfort and privacy in the home compared to other types of treatment in healthcare facilities or nursing homes.

Affordable

Home care services are a more affordable solution to other types of care. This is calculated on the needs and requirements of each individual and the level of support that is needed. Visiting care is a fantastic way to introduce the idea of care, and many of our clients often go on to need live-in or 24-hour care.

Encourages a healthy lifestyle

Home Instead provides a range of supportive services, including preparing meals and encouraging a client to enjoy a healthy, balanced diet. Home Instead can ensure clients eat correctly and monitor any health and well-being changes. Our latest campaign aims to help and assist families who are providing care for their loved ones themselves to be aware of an older person’s risk of becoming malnourished. We have devised a workshop to educate families and relatives on the issue of malnourishment and what to do if you suspect someone is at risk.

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Respite for Family Care Pros

Our Care Pros are highly-trained and compassionate people who love making a difference in people’s lives and providing respite for those who need to take time for themselves.

When it comes to self-care, it’s common for family carers to put themselves at the bottom of their priority list.

Respite care is proven to reduce stresses and tensions that come with caring while improving your loved one’s wellbeing. When tensions are relieved, you have better relationships with the person you’re caring for.

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Our Care Pros can offer the following home care services;

Dementia care

Overnight care

Live-in Care

Assisted living

Companionship care

Home help

Housekeeping

Day-to-day tasks and activities

Our home care services also support older adults who need additional care following an operation or illness. At the same time, their regular carer has a well-deserved break from their demanding duties of being a full-time carer.

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Arranging the Right Care

The best way to start the process is to contact us and speak with a team member to ask any questions you have. Our team will guide you through the process and arrange to complete a care assessment with you. A care consultation allows us to provide you with highly personalised care tailored to your individual needs.

Our free, no-obligation home care consultations give you the chance to talk through your needs and requirements so we can create the best package of care for your loved one. In addition, home care consultations are a fantastic way to learn more about each other while providing insights into your personal preferences.

Whether your regular carer is going away or you need support following an operation, we can tailor a care package to suit you.

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Why Choose Home Instead Southampton?

Home Instead has a kind and compassionate local caring team that sits at the heart of your community, ready to offer you all the support you need.  

Our live-in Care Pros are hand-picked for you and are the next best thing to family, developing fantastic relationships with clients.

They have at least 1+ years of experience and are trained in all aspects of care delivery, including specialist support.  Feel free to tell us what’s really important to you, and we’ll go above and beyond to find a Care Pro that ticks all the boxes to meet your exact needs.

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An elderly man in a wheelchair and a smiling woman stand together in a cozy, well-lit kitchen. - Home Instead