My Elder
Become a Carer
How live-in care with Elder works
If you or someone you know is considering live-in care with Elder, this page details step by step how to arrange it.
1. Book your free consultation
Book a convenient time to speak to someone from our expert care team. During this no-obligation call, they’ll be able to provide advice on navigating the system, discuss how to put funding in place and help you understand whether live-in care is suitable.
2. Complete a care appraisal
Following the call, it’s time to complete our care appraisal. You can do this by creating a free MyElder account via the button below, or by requesting a freepost form during your call. It covers everything from health requirements and medication, to favourite meals and hobbies.
3. Matching process
Our matching team then works with you to help find the most suitable available carer. We’ll help source them based on the service user’s individual needs and personality.
If needs are urgent, we’re able to put care in place within 48 hours of the initial inquiry.
4. Receive profile & video
Once we’ve helped to find a carer we think is suitable, we’ll send their profile and introductory video directly to your MyElder account. This is an opportunity to get a feel for who they are, and helps everyone involved to make a more confident decision.
5. Carer arrives and trial week begins
We’ll arrange travel with the carer. They’ll arrive between 12pm-2pm on the first day of the care package with plenty of time to get to know you, your family, and the local area. The first week is what we call the ‘trial’ week, during which you can adjust and ensure live-in care works for you.
6. Manage care with MyElder
MyElder organises all information around care in one, accessible place. From updating payment details and reading carer profiles to planning handover days and, crucially, keeping care information updated.
How live-in care works day-to-day
Daily responsibilities
A live-in carer’s responsibilities will range depending on the level of care that’s required. However, standard tasks include:
Household cleaning
Help getting dressed
Personal care
Preparing meals
Emergency response
Support with mobility
Medication prompting
Running errands
Companionship
A familiar and comfortable routine
We do our best to ensure a service user’s care is as consistent as possible. However, like all jobs, time off is needed. Here’s a typical pattern of care:- Week one: The service user’s primary carer starts. They live in, working up to ten hours a day, with two hours of breaks taken intermittently throughout the day. This first week is a trial week. If it doesn’t work out, the service user and family are able to cancel.
- Week two to three: Provided everything is going well, the carer remains in place, supporting the service user with everything required to make the most of life.
- Week four: The primary carer takes time off. A substitute, ‘respite’ carer moves in. They’ll take care of the service user until the primary carer returns.
- Week five to seven: The primary carer returns. They’ll typically be in place for another three to four weeks. This working pattern will usually then continue, so everyone can get into a comfortable and familiar routine.
