Resources · 5 min read
What is live-in care, and how does it work?
How live-in home care works for an older adult: what the caregiver does, who it suits, how it compares with hourly care, and how to start.
Published by AMP Staffing Network on . Reviewed by the AMP Staffing Network team.
What live-in care means
A live-in caregiver stays in your loved one's home and provides consistent, non-medical support throughout the day, with a dedicated place to rest. Instead of a rotation of visits, the family gets one familiar person who learns routines, preferences and the small things that make a day go well.
Who it suits
People who should not be alone for long periods, people who feel anxious at night, and families who want continuity. It is often the next step when hourly visits are no longer enough, and it can be a way to stay at home rather than move.
What a live-in caregiver does, and doesn't
Everything that non-medical home care covers, around the clock:
- Personal care and hygiene, bathing and dressing.
- Meal preparation and mealtime company.
- Light housekeeping and laundry.
- Mobility assistance and fall prevention around the home.
- Transportation to appointments and errands.
- Medication reminders (not administration).
- Companionship, conversation and activities.
Live-in or hourly?
Hourly care is the easiest to start small and adjust, and suits people who manage most of the day alone. Live-in care suits people who need someone present most of the time. Many families start hourly and move to live-in as needs change; a good agency makes that change without starting over.
Questions to ask before you choose
- How are caregivers screened and matched to my loved one?
- How are the caregiver's rest periods and days off covered?
- What happens if the regular caregiver is sick?
- How will you keep the family informed?
- What is included, and what is not?
How to start
Request a free care assessment. A member of AMP Staffing Network's home-care team talks through a typical day for your loved one and the support that would help, and together you plan how to begin.