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How to choose a carer for the elderly

How to choose a carer for the elderly

Receiving specialist one-to-one elderly care from an expert carer can make a huge difference to your quality of life and well-being, especially if you’re experiencing age-related frailties or are susceptible to falls. When you’re choosing a carer, it’s important to know that you can trust them and that they’re the sort of person you’ll be able to get along with, as they’ll probably be spending a lot of time in your home.

Partnering with a highly respected care provider such as Helping Hands can give you much-needed peace of mind about the quality and reliability of the care you can expect to receive.

A smiling carer in a purple uniform sits beside an elderly man with white hair and glasses, looking at a large photo album together in a comfortable, well-lit room.

Care home or care at home?

Traditionally, people requiring care on a daily basis may have opted to move to a residential care home to receive a higher level of support. However, an increasing number of people are instead choosing to remain at home and have visiting care, or even a live-in carer, to provide them with all the extra assistance and attention they need from day to day.

Staying at home for care means you won’t have to go through the stressful, time-consuming process of moving to a completely new place of residence. Instead, you’ll get to remain in the home that you love, surrounded by your favourite views, familiar furnishings, friendly faces and maybe even a furry companion.

Care at home also allows you to have more control over the type and level of care that you receive – from setting your own bedtimes and letting us know your favourite meals, to determining just how often your carer visits you and at what times you want to see your loved ones.

A carer in a purple uniform kneels by a garden, tending plants, while an older man sits on a stool holding a potted plant. They appear to be having a friendly conversation outdoors.

What support is available?

At Helping Hands, our superb carers are trained and equipped to support you around your home in pretty much any way you need – whether that’s accompanying you to the shops, doing the laundry, helping you toilet, bathe and dress, and so much more.

Our visiting care starts from just 30 minutes a week, which might be ideal for someone simply requiring an extra pair of hands around the home every now and then. Someone needing a more comprehensive level of care might consider live-in care, which involves having a carer live in your home with you and provide you with round-the-clock assistance – meaning you’ll be fully supported at all times. We know that certain things get more difficult with age, and that sometimes having a carer around the house can take a bit of adjusting to, so we’ll always be discreet and professional in the way we operate.

A carer in a purple uniform pours tea for an elderly man and woman sitting at a garden table, smiling and enjoying a sunny day. The table has tea cups, a teapot, and snacks. Greenery surrounds the patio area.

Qualities to look for in an elderly carer

When you’re looking for a carer to look after an elderly loved one, you want to be absolutely certain that they’ve got the right attitude and character to deliver the compassionate, dedicated support that you’re after. At Helping Hands, we’ve got over 30 years’ experience in the care industry, so we know what to look for when it comes to recruiting people who are perfectly suited to care-based roles.

We’ll only ever hire people who are naturally empathetic and kind, and who display a genuine desire to help people enjoy a better quality of life. We also perform extensive background and DBS checks on all applicants before they join us, as well as providing them with award-winning training that prepares them to provide specialist care to people with a wide range of needs. All of our carers share our family values and our commitment to delivering life-changing support.

An older man with white hair and glasses, smiling and holding playing cards, sits outdoors wearing a beige jacket and blue jumper. Another person holding cards is partially visible in the foreground.

Will i have to pay?

Yes, unless you’re eligible for funding. Elderly care from Helping Hands starts from as little as £32.40 per hour for visiting care, and starting from £1,675 per week for a full-time live-in carer. The primary difference between home care and a care home is that you or your loved one will receive bespoke one-to-one care in the comfortable, reassuring surroundings of your own home.

An older woman with long grey hair smiles whilst sitting up in bed, holding hands with a carer dressed in a purple uniform, in a warmly lit room with a patterned headboard.

Getting an elderly carer from Helping Hands

At Helping Hands, we’ve got over 30 years’ experience in providing compassionate home care to people across England and Wales. In that time, it’s safe to say we’ve developed extensive expertise in giving elderly people the dedicated, transformative care that they need. Contact our friendly customer support team today to find out how we can help you or your loved one to remain independent, confident and comfortable at home for longer.

A smiling woman in a lavender uniform, holding playing cards, sits outdoors with another person. She has dark hair tied back and a name badge, and the background features greenery and a wooden trellis.

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