How Many Hours Does a Live-in Carer Work?

Live in carer working hours and the duties undertaken vary depending on the customer’s care package. Some customers prefer live-in care because it provides round-the-clock support in the comfort and safety of their own home, whereas other people love the constant companionship it offers. This is also a comfort to their loved ones who worry that they’re often alone and vulnerable. Their live-in carer lives in their home, always nearby and available to offer a helping hand whenever needed. Live-in carers do whatever the customer needs to live independently and as well as possible, such as medication support, meal preparation, laundry, mobility and support with activities. They’re not just able to offer physical care either. At Helping Hands, we focus on the ‘whole person’: holistic care that ensures a person’s emotional and spiritual needs are also undertaken.

While live-in care and 24-hour care are similar, there are distinct differences. Live-in care will see your carer have a break each day, arranged to suit both your and their needs. They will also be available if you have an emergency at night, which is a source of comfort for both you and your loved ones. However, if you require constant support around the clock, there will usually be a second live-in carer in place, working on opposite shifts, or you may have visiting carers come in to cover their downtime. This ensures that your carers are not at risk of burning out and that they are fully rested to return to you and continue your support and companionship.

Live-in carers work on a schedule that suits them, their customer, and Helping Hands. Most of our live-in carers have a break every day that is covered by family members or a visiting carer or will arrange their downtime with the customer and their loved ones on a schedule that works for everyone. Placements tend to run for a few weeks at a time before the carer takes an extended break to return home to visit family or go on holiday themselves. These breaks will be arranged well in advance so that the customer and their family have plenty of time to make alternative arrangements, either with Helping Hands or amongst themselves.

Yes, live-in carers get holiday. It’s very important that carers get the opportunity to take regular breaks, either for a few hours or a few weeks. Whether taking a daily break for a chance to relax and undertake an activity they enjoy, or a few weeks between placements, it’s vital that they have an opportunity to take a complete physical and emotional break from their role. Live-in care is very rewarding but like any caring role can be demanding, which is why it’s so important for live-in carers to take prescribed breaks. Unlike some other care companies, we employ our own carers at Helping Hands, rather than relying on them to be self-employed. Because we’re not a care agency our carers also accrue paid holiday during their working hours, amongst other benefits such as a pension plan and Blue Light Card.

If someone is interested in becoming a live-in carer, they should ask themself if they could live in someone else’s home across England or Wales for weeks at a time. We work really hard to match our carers and customers by interests, but it’s important that our carers go into their placement with an open mind and their natural caring attitude for wanting to help their customers to live as well as possible. We know that our carers are the best in the industry because we carefully select the most naturally compassionate people to work for us. Consequently, we’re confident that our customers will be satisfied with their carers and that our carers will be happy delivering our exceptional live-in care, all fully regulated by the Care Quality Commission and the Care Inspectorate Wales for total peace of mind. And thanks to our amazing carers and customers, we’re consistently rated the UK’s most trusted home care provider, too.