Our live-in care involves the presence of a dedicated care professional who resides with you or your loved one, ensuring uninterrupted care and assistance with daily activities. A live-in carer offers a valuable combination of support, companionship, and round-the-clock independence. You can read more about live-in care options on Which.

Opting for live-in care is a practical and preferable choice over care homes or supported living, as it offers continuous support and aims to reduce the risks of falls, urinary tract infections, and hospital admissions.

We aim to provide care for all conditions on an individual basis and will always endeavour to operate within our sphere of skill, experience, and competency in line with the National Institute for Care Excellence guidelines.

We have extensive experience providing care for clients living with Spinal Injuries, Multiple Sclerosis, Brain Injury, Cerebral Palsy and age-related frailty. Our care is suitable for both elderly people and younger people with advanced needs, and we provide it on a 24-hour basis, as well as running shorter-term respite and interim care services.

A live-in carer will primarily ensure that the person requiring care is able to remain at home with the highest level of independence possible based on their individual needs and circumstances.

Live-in carers will work approximately 8 to 12 hours per day on average hands-on (depending on the individual's health needs) and live with the client for a period of two to eight weeks depending on the care provider.

Live-in care is about enabling and supporting others to live their lives as they wish to without set rules or routines. A live-in carer will likely assist with the following tasks:

• Personal care

• Medication administration and management

• Cleaning and tidying the home

• Meal preparation

• Running errands

• Shopping

• Arranging trips out

• Pet care

• Delegated healthcare tasks such as Catheter Care.

There are two types of live-in care available: fully managed and introductory. For your peace of mind, we’ve established the key differences below.

Fully Managed Care.

Fully managed live-in care is regulated by the Care Quality Commission. The care provider is responsible for the end-to-end management of care from start to finish—including acting as the main point of contact for advice and support. A managed care provider will screen, recruit, train, and supervise their carers directly to ensure care delivered to the clients meets regulatory requirements.

Introductory Care.

Introductory live-in care is an unregulated service where the agency will source and introduce you to a carer which you then employ directly. You are responsible for paying the carer's wages, tax, holiday pay, and allowances. You will usually pay the introductory agency a one-off introductory fee and an ongoing fee for advice and support.

• Fully Managed Care
• Care is contracted to the care provider and bears legal responsibility.
• Regulated by the Care Quality Commission.
• Experienced advice, support, and expertise in managing care.
• The care provider manages the carer with support from the experienced care team.
• The care provider will source an alternative carer in the event of sickness or unsuitability.

• Introductory Care
• Care is contracted by the client, who bears legal responsibility.
• Unregulated by the Care Quality Commission.
• The client is responsible for sourcing advice and support.
• The carer is managed directly by the client.
• The client is responsible for finding replacement carers in the event of sickness or unsuitability.

In order to choose a care provider, it’s important to be clear on what you are looking to get from receiving care at home. Each provider will have their own set of expertise, skills, and experience, which may prove beneficial to your or your loved one’s individual needs. Some initial steps to take into consideration when choosing a care provider are:

Establish what type of care you need.

The most popular type of care in the United Kingdom is Domiciliary Care. This is where an individual comes into your home for an hour up to five times a day, depending on the level of care required. Live-in care is becoming a far more popular option than a care home because it provides people with greater choices, opportunities, and continuity over their care. This provides a better quality of living and health outcomes, particularly for those living with conditions such as Dementia.

Check the provider's reputation and accreditations

You can often establish how well a care provider operates by reading their Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection report. This report will outline how well they complied with the five key areas of regulation, the quality of care provided for their clients, and feedback from staff. Newly formed care providers may not have an inspection report but must go through the same stringent regulatory standards as experienced providers to register to provide care. Astute Home Care is registered and adheres to a code of practice set out by the Homecare Association.

Take the time to speak and meet with care providers.

We love meeting new clients at Astute. We always recommend you speak and meet with care providers other than ourselves to ensure you understand the available options. We recommend the Which ‘Questions to ask a home care agency’ checklist to support you with your enquiries.

Our live-in carers require a spare room, bed and bedding to have space to rest and sleep to perform their duties to the best of their ability. We ask that internet access be provided to enable them to complete their legal documentation to manage your care most effectively. Carers must also have access to shared cooking and bathroom facilities.

We ask that carers be provided with a two-hour break daily to ensure they feel rested to provide the best possible care. Many clients find this works best when they have an afternoon rest and can be left alone or when a family member can visit to cover the break. We can orchestrate a domiciliary care provider to cover this if required.

We have a unique approach to care, where a dedicated carer stays with you on a rotating 6-8 week schedule. If the rapport is positive and everyone is comfortable, the same carer may return for subsequent rotations. Alternatively, should you prefer, we can introduce a new carer. This way, you benefit from consistent care and the chance to build a strong relationship while also maintaining the flexibility to adjust as needed.

A live-in carer works 8 to 9 hours per day on average, depending on the client’s individual care needs. These hours are often established at the point of the care assessment to ensure that everyone has a complete understanding of the care with clear expectations. Working hours can always be adjusted if required and are flexible depending on social activities or changing health needs.

Live-in care costs start from £1,350 per week for fully managed care. This often works out far more cost-effective than a care home or supported living when receiving care as a couple because the cost does not equate to double that of an individual's care. You can read more about funding your live-in care here.

Our preferred method of payment is direct debit. We also accept bank transfers. Payments for care are made monthly in advance.