Once you’ve created your MyElder account, you’ll need to complete some online clinical suitability questions and submit a ‘Care Request’. This can often be completed in under 10 minutes, and ensures Elder’s platform is right for your needs, and gives us the essential information we need to kick off the carer matching process. Questions cover –

• Basic information such as the name, age and location of the person needing care
• medical conditions
• mobility level
• hobbies and interests
• discrimination risk

Once submitted, our ElderMatch technology will use your answers to shortlist suitable self-employed carers. You’ll usually recieve the profiles of suitable carers within 24 hours.

Profiles contain details of the carers experience and background, and feedback they’ve recieved from other families. You’ll also be able to view a short introductory video from the carer to get to know them a little better.

You can invite other family members / decision makers to your account to help review potential carers, and can use the chat feature in MyElder to message the carers you’re interested in, and arrange a phone / video call with them.

If you’re unsure what to ask potential carers, we have some suggestions here. Once you’ve found a self-employed carer you’d like to work with, click ‘accept’ on their profile. For more tips for choosing the right carer for your needs, click here.

You can create your MyElder account by clicking this link.

Creating an account is free, and there’s no obligation to move forward with Elder once you’ve created your account.

Because we’re a marketplace operating across Great Britain we can often connect families to self-employed carers within 24 hours. In some urgent instances, we’ve facilitated matches same day.

Yes, we give you the choice if you’d prefer a male or female carer, simply let us know if you or your loved one has a preference.

Yes. Every carer who joins our platform must have a good level of written and spoken English.

If you’d prefer a carer who also speaks a second language, simply let us know.

Many families use Elder Chat in your MyElder account to introduce themselves to their carer and arrange a follow-up phone or video call. If your carer is nearby and available, you may also be able to arrange a face-to-face meeting between yourselves before their first day.

A carer who moves into your loved one’s home will need their own space in which to sleep and spend time when they are not actually providing care. Most commonly, a carer will have a bedroom of their own, but if this is not practical, you could adapt a reception room or study for them to use – as long as it’s a private space i.e not a thoroughfare to another room or in regular use by other family members during the day.

The live-in carer will not need a bathroom of their own, although this would be preferable. They will need clean and functional bathroom facilities that they can use, and if sharing a bathroom, there should be somewhere for them to store toiletries.

We also recommend setting up a WiFi connection if you don’t have one already. The internet is useful for many things, including keeping in touch with Elder, which can be even more important if you live in a rural location with poor phone signal.

The carer will prepare meals and probably eat with you / your loved one, so separate dining facilities will not be needed. We’d recommend budgeting £40 per week for the carer’s food. However, if you’d like us to arrange it, we can add it to your weekly payments.

If the carer has any special dietary requirements they may prefer to provide their own food. We recommend discussing this with your chosen carer to come to an agreement that everyone is happy with.

Self-employed carers will usually work between 8-12 hours per day.

Yes. The self-employed carers on Elder’s platform provide personal care, which may include –

•  toileting and continence
• washing and bathing
• getting dressed
• oral care
• hair care and grooming
• medication prompting

Some people may feel uncomfortable accepting help with intimate personal care tasks. If this is the case, it’s really important to detail how much support or supervision is needed, and any measures that may make things more comfortable in your Care request and Care Profile This will ensure your self-employed carer has all the information they need to support you / your loved one.

Please note, the self-employed carers on the Elder platform will not be expected to undertake Stoma care, PEG care, Wound care, Ventilation and oxygen support, e.g BiPAP or CPAP Support, Specialist drug administration, including Controlled Drug Administration, Covert Medication Administration, Glucose readings via finger pricks, Injections, Pessaries, Enemas, Suppositories, or Catheterisation

For more information, visit our quick guide for customers.

Yes, self-employed live-in carers can provide occasional night-time support, for example, helping the person they’re caring for get to the toilet, or providing reassurance if they wake up confused.

Carers expect to assist with night-time disturbances up to 2x per night for around 15 minutes on average. If your loved one requires more support than this, you’ll need to make alternative arrangements, such as waking night care. Live-in carers must get enough rest, so a self-employed carer should not expect to exceed these waking times unless he/she is a waking night carer.

For more information, visit our quick guide for customers.

While self-employed live-in carers aren’t professional cleaners, they can support with some light housework as part of their weekly duties. This may include –

• wiping down surfaces
• vacuuming and mopping floors
• emptying rubbish bins
•  laundry
• changing bed linens
  

Expectations around household cleaning should be discussed and agreed upon with your carer before they begin the placement.

Self-employed carers are not expected to perform deep-cleaning tasks. It’s recommended that you enlist the services of a professional cleaning company for deeper cleaning or specialist expertise.

When your live-in carer takes time off you can use Elder to search for a self-employed respite carer to cover their break. Here’s how the process works –

• Together, you’ll discuss when they plan to take their break.
• They’ll then book their time off via our carer platform – The ElderHub.
• The dates will be automatically advertised on the ElderHub, and other carers will be able to apply to cover the period.

You can then choose from applicants, following the same process you used to select your first carer on MyElder.

Your primary carer will also receive the respite carer’s details so they can discuss key aspects of your loved one’s care and plan a smooth handover. For more information, click here. (link tbc)

If you choose to make private arrangements or have a family member step in to provide care instead, remember to let us know so that we can pause your care schedule to ensure you’re not invoiced for this period.

Yes, a number of families use funding to cover all or part of their care costs.

Depending on your financial situation, you may qualify for some level of live-in care funding from your local council. If you don’t qualify you may decide to use savings, or release money from your home.

Some people with long-term complex health needs are eligible for social care arranged and funded in full by the NHS. However it’s worth noting that this funding is reserved for those with more intensive health and care needs, meaning those who qualify may require specialist care, for example PEG feeding or stoma support. This falls outside of what an introductory service like Elder can facilitate.

For information on funding options, please take a look at our ‘Funding your Care’ guide.