How does 24hr care at home work? What are the options available?

What is 24hr care at home?

24hr care at home can be a personalised care option for those who need care or support round-the-clock and this type of care can be provided using ‘live-in’ care or 12hr care ‘shifts’ or ‘visits’.

How does live-in care work?

Live-in care is suitable for people who might need care or companionship throughout the day and who generally sleep overnight. Caregivers will need a bedroom during their work and may work 1, 2 or more weeks in a row after which they handover to another carer.

This type of care is usually less costly than ‘shifts’ or ‘visits’ and is normally suitable for people who are at risk of falls, recovering from an illness or who may have a physical disability for which they need support. This option can be particularly helpful when care or support is required at unpredictable times throughout the day where short 1hr ‘calls’ are not working.

How do 24hr shifts or visits work?

24hr care shifts are similar to hospital shifts, one staff member completes a day shift, then hands-over to another carer who completes the night shift. Due to the nature of the work, a team consisting of 5-6 care staff is usually required.

This 24hr care option is suitable for people who need 1:1 care at all times throughout the day and night. This type of care could be appropriate for someone who requires hourly monitoring and who cannot be left alone for any period for example.

You could choose to recruit and train your own carers to provide this or you could use a specialist provider like Paragon Home Healthcare to provide this for you.

Organising care yourself

If you choose to recruit and train your own carers Skills for Care offer some advice to help you here: https://www.skillsforcare.org.uk/Recruitment-retention/Employing-your-own-care-and-support/Employing-your-own-care-and-support.aspx

We have also written an article on organising care yourself and our top tips can be found here: https://www.paragonhh.co.uk/newsarticles/2019/1/30/how-do-i-get-care-for-my-elderly-parents-at-home

Using a specialist care organisation

Paragon Home Healthcare specialise in 24hr care options at home and our experienced nursing team carefully oversee and manage the care.

More about our live-in care options can be found here: https://www.paragonhh.co.uk/livein-care/ Choosing live-in care through Paragon Home healthcare means your dedicated care assistant is always on hand, whatever the time of day.

Our care assistants provide companionship and care which is dedicated to your needs. Care support is fully adaptable to your needs, from personal care, continence support, medications support through to mobility aid and trips out.

Our care assistants can help to maintain your home with housekeeping, cleaning, laundry and shopping and we recognise the importance of matching your care assistant to you so you feel comfortable chatting and spending time together.

Our nursing team will be happy to talk through the options with you and to answer any queries you have. Call us on 020 3006 2802.

We hope you’ve found this article helpful.