Coming to the decision that your loved one needs additional help at home can be really difficult, there is a lot to consider and you will undoubtedly be thinking about it for a while before you act upon this decision. Even once you have decided this, there will still be a lot of things you need to figure out such as how much support they need and which type of care will be best. 

Finding the best care solution for your loved one can be a hard task in itself. There are a lot more options available than you may have previously been aware of and once you start looking into care, it can be quite confusing. For anyone that is currently trying to decide on the best type of care for a loved on, Safe Hands Live-in Care have put together a short guide to help you make the right choice.

Your loved one’s care needs

The first thing to consider in this situation is how much support your loved one actually needs. Is it constant daily help or just support every now and then. Understand this will help you to immediately narrow down your options. 

Consider whether something like companion care can help your loved one or whether really live-in care is more realistic for their needs. Think about how much you currently support your loved one and whether you can continue to help some of the time meaning you just require respite care or if you would ideally like to get someone to completely take over your loved ones care. 

Financial situation and budget

Unfortunately, your financial situation and budget does play a part in this decision. As much as you won’t want to put a price on the care your loved one will receive you need to be realistic about what you can afford.

The cost of different types of care can vary quite dramatically and adding a budget into the situation again will rule out some options. Depending on the amount of care your loved one needs, different options will be more cost-effective. For example, if you’re only looking for a couple of hours of care a day then moving them into a care home will mean that you’re paying for a level of care that you don’t actually need. 

Personal preference

Speak to your loved one about the options that they have and get them involved in the decision making. After all, it is their life that will be impacted the most by the type of care that gets chosen so, it is only fair that they are involved in this part of the process. 

You may find that your loved one has very strong feelings towards staying independent and in their own home. This is quite common so, if you can, then consider options such as live-in care that allow them to do this. Also, when it comes to talking to different care agencies, allow your loved one to be a part of the conversation. Their personal preference is important, consider the things that mean the most to them and bear them in mind when browsing care agencies. 

Reviews and testimonials

Like anything else you are doing and investing in for the first time, it is good to see what others have to say about it. If you have family or friends that are in a similar situation to your loved one, speak to them and find out what they decided on and how they’re getting on.

It is also worth requesting genuine testimonials and reviews from people who have used the agencies you are looking at. Try to find look at some from people who are using the same type of care that you are interested in, find out what they really think. The more you can find out about an agency the less you will have to worry about if you decide to choose them for your loved one. 

How Safe Hands Live-in Care can help 

Taking into account everything mentioned above you should be able to narrow down the best type of care for your loved one. This doesn’t need to be an overnight decision, take your time, do your research and feel confident in your decision. 

If you would like to speak to an experienced professional care agency in the UK about the different types of care and ask any questions that you have then Safe Hands Live-in Care is here to help. They offer a huge range of care services and can provide you with their professional opinion as to which type of care will be best for your loved one. You can trust that the friendly team at Safe Hands Live-in Care can help you to make the best decision.