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Assisted living

What is assisted living?

Assisted living can be carried out either in purpose-built accommodation, designed to provide extra support on-site for those people who need it, or, for people who don’t want to leave a property they love, in their own home. More and more older people are discovering that they don’t have to leave the home that means the world to them when they need higher levels of support, thanks to comprehensive homecare services like those offered by Helping Hands.

Since 1989, we have been offering the highest levels of care at home to our customers so that they can live their best life possible without having to relocate. Plus, thanks to our flexible packages of bespoke support and the fact that we’re fully regulated by the Care Quality Commission and Care Inspectorate Wales, you can have total confidence in our abilities to deliver expert homecare to you and your loved ones.


What does assisted living support include?

We’ll work with you to keep you in the home you love because we know how important it is to you. Your home is where you feel most comfortable and we understand why you don’t want to leave it, whether it’s the place where you raised your children, the garden that you lovingly planted or where you and your partner spent many happy years together. Perhaps you used to disappear regularly to your shed, summerhouse or workshop so you could spend time on favourite hobbies, or just have some solitude with an enjoyable book, but the reasons why you love your home are always personal to you, and we understand that.

The Benefits Of Assisted Living

Having care at home from Helping Hands is a highly beneficial solution to remaining at home, and our highly trained carers are compassionate and professional when it comes to carrying out your care. We offer visiting or live-in care to our customers depending on your condition and care needs, and regardless of which you choose, your carer will be able to undertake personal care, continence care, mobility support, medication administration, meal preparation, feeding & nutrition, housework, laundry and so much more.

They can also support you to go on excursions out of the house, to appointments and activities, or just to go for a walk or visit the shops. The possibilities are boundless. The added advantage of live-in care is that your carer resides with you around the clock, so if you required support unexpectedly in the night they would always be on hand to help you, as well as offer companionship whenever you required it. This can be of great reassurance not only to you, but to your loved ones living further away.


How much does assisted living cost?

The cost of assisted living support from Helping Hands varies depending on the services required, and the figures given below are only a guide to what the overall costs may be. However, there will always be a transparent and easy to follow pricing structure and no hidden costs with us, so you’ll always know what to expect when your bill arrives. Speak to our friendly customer care team to arrange for a local manager to visit and produce a bespoke quote just for you.

Live-in care

Prices start from £1,650 per week for a full-time live-in carer, which is comparable to the weekly cost of a residential care home. The difference is that you or your loved one receives one-to-one tailored 24-hour care in the comfort of your home.

Visiting care

A visiting carer can drop-in to provide personal care and assisted living around the home, for as little as 30 minutes each week. Prices start from £29.00 per hour for a fully-trained carer.


What should I consider before arranging assisted living?

There are many things to consider before arranging assisted living, which include whether you’d prefer to remain in your beloved home, or whether you’d rather move to a purpose-built, assisted living facility. Age UK have a helpful list of things to think about when considering moving from home into assisted living, including:

The level of care you need

Assisted living facilities generally offer a higher level of support than sheltered housing schemes do, however, if your care needs are very high or you are living with a life-limiting condition you may have to consider a nursing home to get the care you need outside of your home. There are also the practicalities to consider – what if the only flats available are on the second floor with no lifts installed? Or what if the lift breaks down, would you be able to manage the stairs? Is there wheelchair access?

In contrast, remaining in the home you love which you already know can support your needs is always going to be preferable, and with Helping Hands you can receive the support you require at home until the very end of your life. Regardless of the severity of your condition, we have expert carers in your area who can give you all the help at home you need, so this is another reason to consider care at home as the preferred option.

Your personal circumstances

Assisted living is sometimes referred to as ‘early retirement living’ and can have strict age limits on their properties that prevent anyone under a certain age from living there. This is typically 55 or even 65 in some cases. Therefore, if you need additional support you may find that certain kinds of assisted living are not available to you, or there are strict rules attached.
With Helping Hands though our customers range from 18 years old to over 100, and for the past 30 years we’ve gained experience and knowledge on supporting so many conditions that we’ll be able to care for you without delay.

Considering all the costs involved

Costs can be higher than you’re expecting when moving into a leasehold flat in a purpose-built assisted living block, including hidden costs such as possible fees when you want to sell the property and the cost of service charges and communal bills. There is also the question of whether you rent or buy your assisted living home and being able to maintain a high enough quality of life when all the other ongoing costs are considered. Rented flats are often in very short supply and those on a low income can therefore find themselves priced out of the possibility of assisted living facilities.

Helping Hands can not only care for you in your own home to the very highest standards we can also advise you on the costs of your care and how to secure funding for it in certain circumstances; our friendly customer care team will guide you through the entire process.

The location of the properties available

There are less assisted living properties available in most communities than private rented or owned ones, so finding one in the area you live in may be difficult. If staying nearby is important due to proximity of family or friends then you may struggle to find a suitable property when you need one. This can see you having to move some distance from the community you love and having unanticipated distance between you, your family and friends, just at a time when you need them most.

Having care at home from Helping Hands really is the best solution when it comes to assisted living, as our local care teams are experts in supporting people in their community to live the very best life they can. Your compassionate carers will also ensure you still get to access the activities and clubs that you’ve always enjoyed as often as you want to, so after all the evidence is weighed up, receiving assisted living care at home really is the best option possible.


How to arrange assisted living support

Call our helpful team of customer care specialists seven days a week to learn more about your options for assisted living at home. Alternatively, you can contact us via our website and we’ll be happy to call you back.


Page reviewed by Carole Kerton-Church, Regional Clinical Lead on November 9, 2021