“What is the difference between live-in care and hourly care?”

Are you considering the need for domiciliary care, either for yourself or for a loved member of your family? A frequently asked question is “what is the difference between live-in care and hourly care?” The following points will help answer this question. For more information on hourly care click here or live-in care click here.

Hourly Care

• Helps people to be independent and live their life how they wish.
• Enables people to live in their own homes, amongst their own furniture and belongings, with their family and pets but receive help to do so.
• Can help the other family members to live their own lives.
• The amount of care received is dependent on the clients’ needs. Visits by carers are arranged in advance according to a pre-agreed care plan.
• Visits by carers can be once a day visits, or more often, depending on the amount of care requested.
• The length of visits also varies according to the amount of care required and is dependant on the type of care required i.e. depends on what the carer needs to do.
• Can be occasional help or regular hourly care.
• Hourly care is suitable for people who are not yet ready for live-in care.
• The care can be personal care, housework based, cooking and meal planning, medical support or related to companionship
  e.g. personal care: washing and dressing, housework based: vacuuming, making beds, laundry, medical support: medications prompting, companionship: arranging appointments, stimulating interest in social activities and interests, cooking and meal planning: preparation of meals, shopping for ingredients.
• Can be single-handed or two carers at the same time depending on what tasks are required.
• Can be cost effective as only the hours that the carers work are paid for.
• Family members have peace of mind as their relatives are being looked after/ visited when planned.

Live-in Care

• A popular alternative to care homes for people who have long-term health needs.
• Professional support is possible without leaving the comforts of home.
• Enables people to be independent and live how they wish to.
• There is no disruption or upheaval of moving home but 24 hour care is still available.
• The carer lives with the client and therefore does not frequently change.
• A rapport can be built between the client and the carer.
• The same carer is providing personal care, housework, medical support, meal planning and companionship.
• The client’s lifestyle and routines are taken into account as the carer fits the care around the client.
• If extra care is needed, a carer is already there, in the home, to help.
• The carer has time to attend to the small but important details of care that can make all the difference to clients.
• The usual ratio of client-to-carer is one-to-one unless a couple who live together are both receiving care.
• A more economical option to care homes if couples are both receiving care.