Top 10 Live in Caregiver Duties: What to Expect

It is a big concern for many people when their loved ones get to an age when they might need additional support.  In a global world, with many families not living close to their elderly family members, it can be a traumatic time to have to make difficult decisions on what to do for loved ones.  Sometimes medical problems or health issues can add to a complex situation.

Thankfully there are multiple options and routes that families can take, depending on the level of care and attention that is required.  From residential care homes to private live in caregivers, the choice now allows for peace of mind for all the family.

The greatest concern many families have for their elderly family members is the quality of life.  In a residential care home, it is much harder to gauge what this level of care might be, and sadly, we have all read stories about abuse within these systems.  It can also be traumatic for the elderly person to have to relocate to a new home at a late stage of their life.  Nowadays, many families turn to the route of having a live in caregiver.

The greatest concern many families have for their elderly family members is the quality of life. Click To Tweet

In 2009 in England and Wales alone, people aged 65 or over accounted for 7,475 deaths as a result of an accident. 49% of those accidents were due to a fall. Many accidents can be caused by the growing fragility of an elderly person, causing them to slip and fall. If they are alone then the ability to seek medical attention and help is greatly reduced.

So what are the top 10 live in caregiver duties you might expect to provide safety and peace of mind for all involved?

1. Medical – Working closely with any medical teams, the medical element can be more advanced depending on the individual.  From ensuring medication is taken to even taking blood pressure or regulating more complex medicine (should be performed by a medically trained carer).
2. Assisting – In all areas, from dressing, bathing to visiting the toilet.  Some individuals may need physical help, whilst others might just feel safe knowing someone is there.  A good live in carer can also advise about updating facilities within the home to cope with individual needs. For example, a bath rail to help with access in and out of the bath tub.
3. Cooking – Not always required in the list of live in caregiver duties, but sometimes a live in carer will do the shopping and cook for the individual they are caring for.
4. Housekeeping – Again not always required, but it is typical that a live in carer will care for the home alongside the needs of the individual.
5. Appointments and transport – From driving them to see their friends or to the hospital, this is one of the important live in caregiver duties performed by a confident driver.
6. Rehabilitation – If the live in carer is providing specific support, they may help with exercise prescribed by a physiotherapist. They might even be a physiotherapist themselves!
7. Record keeping – An important aspect of the live in caregiver duties is to ensure that all details involved with the care of the individual is updated. This is especially important when the live in carer is off duty or on holiday!
8. Companionship – Elderly people can get lonely.  Its very sad when this happens, and the role of the live in caregiver is there to give emotional support and companionship as much as physical support.  Elderly people deserve to be loved!
9. Emergency Support – The biggest factor of having a live in caregiver means that they can be called upon for any emergency.  From a slip or fall to a more serious incident, it can be the difference between life and death.
10. Communication – Another main responsibility of the live in caregiver duties is to provide communication between them and the individual, the family and other people involved in the care.  This can give additional peace of mind for the extended family members for many years to come.

Regardless of the caregiver you are looking to hire, we can help!  We’d love to hear from you, so please just give us a call or drop us a line and one of our friendly consultants will be in touch to discuss your specific needs and live in caregiver duties.  We look forward to helping you.