At North River Home Care, we’ve increasingly been asked about Live In Care, what the difference is between Live In Care and 24 hour/ 7 day per week care and when Live In Care makes sense.

What is Live In Care?
Live In Care is when a home health aide lives with a client (typically an elderly person or couple) and helps to care for them. The service provided by the live in aide ranges from meal preparation, light housekeeping, medication reminders, companionship, driving & transportation, assistance with fall prevention, it may also include help with dressing, bathing, grooming, eating, incontinence, and transferring(known as Activities of Daily Living). The Aide lives with the client and must have their own bedroom. The caregiver also must sleep through the night uninterrupted, and stays with the client in case of emergency. Often, we use a baby monitor so our aide can hear the client if the client is up during the night.

Why would I hire a Live In Caregiver?
Most people hope to age in place, they would like to stay in their home, even if they need assistance now and then. As care needs progress, live in care can be an alternative to an assisted living facility or nursing home. Live in care makes sense for those suffering from a chronic illness, such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, macular degeneration, cancer, or diabetes. It also makes sense when one spouse is ill, and the other spouse is struggling to care for themselves as well as the infirmed spouse. Live In Care is an excellent solution for seniors who have family living far away or those who feel overwhelmed by their daily responsibilities.

What’s the difference between Live in Care and 24/7 care?
24/7 Care is continuous care where an aide is always awake and always attending to the clients care. There is no down time for the aide, no sleeping for the aide. 24/7 Care is necessary for acute situations, where a client cannot or should not ever be left alone, and needs to have someone awake looking after them. Typically, 24/7 care is a short term solution where Live In care can go on for a long time.