What it's like to work as a live in carer

What it's like working as a live-in carer:

As a live-in care assistant, you will provide personalised care that empowers individuals to maintain as much independence as possible in the comfort of their own homes. You'll reside with the customer for a duration of your choice, typically ranging from 3 to 8 weeks. Becoming a Live-in Care Assistant offers immense fulfilment both for you and the person you're assisting, as you can significantly impact their life. However, it's important to acknowledge that due to the assignment lengths, you must be prepared to be away from your own home & loved ones for these periods of time.

In this role, you'll establish a strong connection with the customer and provide support throughout the day, assisting with tasks such as waking up or going to bed, personal hygiene, medication management, meal preparation, and offering companionship. Additionally, you'll oversee general household tasks. As you progress, you may be entrusted with more complex care responsibilities, and we'll provide comprehensive training to equip you for these challenges.

The kind of support you will provide as a live-in carer:

• Your responsibilities as a live-in care assistant encompass a wide range of duties aimed at ensuring your customer's well-being and comfort:

• Assisting with the morning routine, including helping them get up, washing, dressing, and ensuring they have a nutritious breakfast.
• Providing support with medication, offering reminders, assistance, and facilitating pharmacy or GP visits as necessary.
• Preparing and aiding your customer during mealtimes.
• Handling outgoings such as collecting pensions, shopping, unpacking groceries, or offering assistance with shopping.
• Performing household chores like laundry, ironing, and maintaining cleanliness and tidiness around the house.
• Facilitating social outings, which may include accompanying them on walks, attending day centres, visiting friends or family, or participating in church or club activities.
• Engaging in activities and hobbies that align with your customer's interests and preferences.
• Assisting with personal care tasks such as bathing, showering, hair care, and skincare.
• Providing support with continence care, including helping them to the toilet or managing catheters and continence aids.
• Offering specialist care, such as stoma care or PEG feed assistance.
• Providing companionship and being present to accompany them throughout their daily life.
• Monitoring changes in health or well-being and coordinating necessary support from healthcare professionals.

Despite living in the customers home, your workload will not be 24-hours. Your tasks will be structured into contact/work hours and non-contact/downtime periods, tailored to fit your customer's daily routine and preferences, which we'll evaluate thoroughly. Typically, you may expect to work around 8-10 hours each day, with a mandatory 2-hour break provided daily – typically within the hours of 2pm until 4pm, though this may vary dependant on the customer.

The paramount focus is to ensure you're readily available for any necessary care or assistance your customer requires, with their individual life and preferences taking precedence. While the tasks serve as a general guideline, your role is to adapt and support your customer according to their unique needs and preferences.