The Benefits of Live-in Care vs. Nursing Homes

How Live-In Carer Provides Better Service At a More Affordable Price

When your elderly loved one is no longer able to take care of themselves, you have a multitude of options available to ensure their needs are taken care of. Some of the popular ones include nursing homes and live-in care. You can choose based on a number of factors including quality of care, price, reliability, and level of independence for your loved one. In this article we will explain the benefits of Live in Care versus other care types. That being said, let’s first mention the options and and then the pros and cons of each one.

 

•  Nursing Home

  This method requires your loved one to move to a dedicated facility where the professional staff takes care of their basic needs.

•  Visiting Care

  A caregiver comes to your loved one’s residence regularly and ensures that all of their needs and requirements are taken care of. This provides a higher level of independence as compared to nursing homes.

•  Live-In Carer / Live-In Care

  A caregiver moves into your loved one’s home and resides there round the clock providing basic care and other services 24/7. This method ensures the highest level of independence and care for your loved one.

Downsides of Nursing Home compared to Live-in Care

We all know that a nursing home is the least helpful option for providing care to your elderly loved ones. You don’t only need to pay higher prices but your relatives also lose their independence and freedom and mobility as they have to stick to the rules and regulations enforced by the nursing home. Apart from that, there is no personal bonding or connection between the nurses and your relatives which can take care of their emotional needs.

Nursing homes also make for the least attractive caregiving option because it becomes more difficult for relatives to visit their loved ones. They have to take time out of their schedules and travel out of their way which is often done on a regular basis. That’s why live-in care through a live-in caregiver is a far better option. However, a live-in home carer is the best alternative because of a number of reasons. We will discuss a few major advantages of a live-in caregiver, but lets first mention a few downsides of the alternatives (because we really believe the Live in care provides more benefits compared to anything else).

Downsides of Visiting Care compared to Live-in Care

While visiting care is better than a nursing home, it still doesn’t provide the same level of service, independence, and versatility as the live-in care service. With visiting care, there is a strict schedule which means that the caregiver comes at a certain time and leaves when their time is up. Since they are usually hired for a day job, there’s no one to take care of your elderly loved ones during the night.

The other option you have is to hire two different people for the day and night care and it can become quite expensive. For occasional or regular night care, you may end up paying 200 euro per night which is prohibitively expensive. You can do so for a few nights every month but if your relative requires 24/7 professional assistance and care, it no longer remains an option for a majority of families.

Why Live-In Care is the Best and Most Affordable Option

That’s why live-in home care offers you the best alternative when your loved one requires round the clock support and care. The point to keep in mind is that if someone needs professional assistance during the night to be independent and have freedom of mobility, they don’t automatically become self-reliant during the day. If someone needs care or assistance during day or night, there is a high chance that they would require all-around care 24/7. This is why hiring a live-in caregiver is almost always the best option.

When you hire a live-in carer, you are basically providing them with a living space that they don’t have to pay for. In return, they are always there to take care of your loved ones. This saves money for both parties. The caregiver doesn’t have to rent a place for accommodation and since they don’t have to travel every day, they also save money that would’ve otherwise spent on fares. On the other hand, the person who needs to be taken care of gets affordable prices for professional support as they don’t have to pay for the cost of living and travel. It’s a win-win situation.

This becomes a strong motive for qualified people from Eastern Europe who are searching for live-in care jobs. And since they move from their country to another, they are far more likely to stay for a long work period. For instance, if you are from Dublin and recruit a local caregiver for an individual with severe Alzheimer, their job becomes extremely tough. However, as they live in the city, it is much easier for them to decide to quit earlier and find a less challenging job where their client is more independent both physically and emotionally.

That’s not the situation with a caregiver who comes from the other end of the European Union. Their only source of food and accommodation is their client’s house so they are more likely to stick to their job for long.

That is why we think the benefits of Live-in Care vs. Nursing Homes and other types of care are indisputable.