What is overnight care?
Overnight care is when a carer stays overnight to assist with any care needs you may have.
With overnight care, a private carer will stay with you throughout the night to provide personal care and companionship at the times you most need them. Whatever your personal needs, your carer will be able to support and assist you so that you’re able to maintain your independence and confidence at all hours.
Overnight care is specifically for those who have additional needs throughout the night, require 24-hour care or become more anxious during the early hours by themselves.
We offer the following types of overnight care:
Sleeping night
With sleeping night care, your Helping Hands carer sleeps in your home throughout the night but is on hand if you need support at any time
Waking night
Waking night carer means your carer will stay awake throughout the night so that they can provide specialist care whenever you require
Sitting service
When you opt for a sitting service, a carer will stay awake and cover for a regular carer who would normally provide your care full-time
Why choose overnight care?
Overnight care supports your independence and provides reassurance to your loved ones.
With overnight care from Helping Hands, you have the constant reassurance that there is someone there to provide you with support and companionship when you’re at your most vulnerable. Here are just some of the ways in which you can benefit from overnight care:
Support for a condition
All of our carers are fully trained to provide dedicated, condition-led support – whether your needs are straightforward or complex
Constant reassurance
Having an overnight carer means you can go to bed each night safe in the knowledge that you’ve got someone on hand to help out in an emergency
Friendly companionship
If you struggle to sleep, you may benefit from having someone to chat to at points in the night, or to bring you a cup of something warm to drink
Mobility support
Your carer can provide you with physical support throughout the night, such as helping you get in and out of bed and turning you over safely
Personal care at all times
Our carers are all trained to provide discreet personal care – such as helping with toileting and dressing – and can also assist with your medication
Peace of mind for the family
An overnight carer also provides your loved ones with peace of mind that you’re in safe hands, especially if you’re receiving palliative care
Who is overnight care for?
Care during the night is suitable for anyone in need of extra support overnight.
Whether you have a spinal injury and need help turning safely in bed, or if you need dementia care and regularly wake in the night, overnight care could be a great support solution for you. We’ll ensure we put the right level of support in place to ensure you’re never left feeling isolated, so that you and your loved ones have peace of mind that you’re being looked after no matter the hour.
You might consider overnight care if you:
Have a complex condition
An overnight carer can offer expert support throughout the night for those living with a medical condition
Experience regular falls
A carer can boost your independence in the night by helping you get out of bed and to the bathroom
Need mobility support
Our carers are fully trained to provide mobility support to those living with a disability or age-related frailty
Are living alone
For those living alone, having a carer stay overnight can provide valuable security and peace of mind
Fully regulated Visiting and Live-in Care
Visiting and Live in Care
We are a fully regulated home care provider, closely monitored by the Care Quality Commission
Independent inspections
Regular inspections, including unannounced visits, give you peace of mind that we are committed to doing what we say we will do.
Fully vetted carers
We have a robust recruitment processes in place and ensure all necessary checks are carried out before we employ someone to work at Helping Hands. We take the time to make sure we only employ the right people.
Consistently meet high standards of care
We must consistently show that we meet the highest standards of care and provide safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led services.
Guaranteed training and development
All our employers are trained to nationally-recognised standards before they work unsupervised with our customers. We provide ongoing professional development and support so our carers remain competent and safe to carry out their role.
Types of overnight care
As with all of our care services, our overnight care is tailored to your situation. Here’s what can you expect from the different types of overnight we offer:
Waking nights or sitting care
Sleeping nights
The benefits of staying at home for overnight care
Traditionally, those requiring care support overnight would have moved to a residential nursing home. However, staying at home for overnight care can be far more beneficial for a number of reasons, such as:
You can remain in the comfort of your own home
You have full control over your meal times and preferences
One-to-one, 24-hour care from your own dedicated carer
You can continue with your preferred lifestyle and routines
Your friends and family can visit as much as they like
What to expect from an overnight carer
For waking nights or sitting care, your overnight carer will generally arrive in the evening at around 9pm and stay for approximately 10 hours. There may be a slight overlap with another carer if you receive care throughout the day or if a Helping Hands carer is taking over from your regular caregiver whilst they take a break. They will then be there until the morning, again at a prearranged time with your local care manager, which will all be discussed and confirmed at your initial meeting.
For sleeping nights, your carer will more than likely already be living with you in your home as a live-in carer, so you won’t have to arrange a time for your carer to arrive like you would for a waking nights carer.
Carers who truly make a difference
At Helping Hands, we pride ourselves on having the very best carers in the industry.
Whether you have care for waking nights or sleeping nights, all of our carers are chosen for their professionalism, empathy and compassion. All of our carers receive in-house training from our instructors, covering modules such as safeguarding, personal care, dementia, first aid and medication.
Any carer who supports someone with complex care needs will also receive additional training from our regional nurse team, who have many years’ experience in delivering and overseeing clinical care. This specialist clinical training will cover the specific needs that you have – anything from PEG feeding and stoma care to helping with mobility.
Our carers are always:
Expertly trained
Our carers all receive our industry-leading training, which equips them to support people with a wide range of needs
Fully regulated
Our overnight care and live-in care is independently regulated by the Care Quality Commission and Care Inspectorate Wales
Kind and compassionate
We only hire the most friendly, empathetic carers to our local care teams, ensuring we’ve always got the best people for the role
Matched to your needs
With our rigorous assessment process, we do the hard work of finding the best carers so that there’s certain to be someone suited to you
Read some stories from our customers
We love hearing about the difference our carers make in the lives of our customers!
Read about how live in care from Helping Hands is supporting Kathleen and Enid to live more independent, fulfilling lives.
Kathleen
Live-in care customer
Enid
Live-in care customer
3 simple steps…
How to arrange overnight care
Speak to our team
Our friendly, knowledgeable team can answer your questions and talk you through your options. We are available 7 days a week.
Book a free care assessment
Your local Helping Hands care manager will visit you to understand your needs and preferences and discuss how we can help. We can visit you at home, in hospital or even a care home to carry out the care assessment.
Confirm your care package
We create a tailored care plan for you to review. Once you’ve agreed the plan, we can organise care in as little as 24 hours.
Overnight care FAQs
Night time carers, or overnight carers, provide constant support, companionship and reassurance throughout the night. They can help with just about anything, from mobility assistance to helping you visit the toilet and take the right medication.
Overnight care involves a waking night carer staying in your home overnight to provide care whenever required. This form of specialised care helps people with essential activities, such as using the toilet, medication dosing, food & drink preparation and personal hygiene. The care typically lasts 10 hours.
You can arrange overnight care by calling our friendly customer support team. They’re available seven days a week, and are always happy to assist with any queries you may have.
A waking night carer provides essential support services throughout the night tailored to your condition. This is often confused with a sleeping carer, where assistance throughout the night is provided, but not on a regular basis.
Page reviewed by Kathryn Mahon, Regional Clinical Lead, on July 25, 2024.
How we wrote this page
This page has been produced referencing key insights and data from external experts, trusted medical sources and our team of in-house specialists. We have worked hard to ensure that all information is as accurate as possible and reflects current consensus at the time of writing and reviewing.