Live in Care

A realistic alternative

Live in care comes into its own when typically someone needs a personal assistant around the house at various times of the day to assist or carry out varying tasks. These may involve all aspects of care (assistance with getting up, washing, personal hygiene, etc.) and general ‘house keeping,’ (cooking, cleaning, laundry and ironing). The need may include shopping or accompanying their customer on visits to friends, to town or just out for a breath of fresh air.

One of the beauties of live in care is its flexibility. No two days need be the same and our customers can, if they wish, choose a different agenda each day. Obviously not everyone may WANT to do this, but the flexibility is there nonetheless. The daily tasks of everyday living can be fulfilled by the personal assistant but he/she can also help with pastimes and activities if required. This does not mean, however that the personal assistant will be some ‘holiday camp entertainer’ who will take over the house and everyone within it. Lancefield personal assistants are trained to be active when required but to be as unobtrusive and retiring when their presence is not needed. In that way our clients can relax and enjoy the comforts of their own home (which is after all the object of the exercise.)

Our care consultant will visit clients regularly to make sure that they are happy with the service and with their personal assistant. It is only by doing this we can make sure that we are delivering the right service.

How the service starts

On the first day the personal assistant and the supervisor arrive at an agreed time. The job of the supervisor at this point is to introduce the personal assistant to you, and to the way you want the job done. After a short settling-in period the supervisor will leave you and your personal assistant to get to know one another. But it doesn’t stop there and the supervisor will keep in contact on a regular basis to make sure that everything continues to run smoothly.

Some Frequently Asked Questions

• What tasks will my care worker carry out? The worst situation is to have someone arrives everyday and say ‘what do you want me to do?’ that is why, before we even start to deliver the care, we agree a ‘care plan’ which details exactly what you have instructed us to do. This then becomes the work list for each day. There are a few ideas of what we do earlier on this page but we are happy to discuss any other services you would like.
• And what will my care worker NOT do? Once we have established exactly what you want on each visit we will work to that list. We do not give injections or change sterile dressings and we will prompt but not actually administer medication. Obviously we cannot carry out tasks which are likely to cause risk to either the person we provide care to or to the Lancefield Nursing Agency worker, which is why we ask that any different tasks are referred to the office first.
• Will I have the same person every day? This depends on how many care visits you have each week. We very rarely have just one care worker assigned to a particular customer. This is to avoid someone new having to learn the ropes if the regular care worker is away on holiday etc. However we do keep the number of people to an absolute minimum.
• What about my personal security? Every member of the Lancefield Nursing Agency team has been through a rigorous vetting procedure before they ever start work. In addition all staff will always be in uniform and carry a personalised identification card which shows their name, photograph and signature.
• How can I be sure that my care worker will stay full time and carry out all the tasks? We take a belt and braces view to ensure that the service is exactly what is required. After every visit the care worker will write the details of what he/she has carried out during the visit in the care record (which stays in the customer’s house.) But in addition the customer is asked to show their satisfaction by signing the care worker’s timesheet which is then returned to the office each week for checking.
• How much does the service cost and can I get any help with the fees? We will put together a detailed plan for each customer which as well as setting out the care to be delivered also shows the weekly costs. Many people will be entitled to assistance with the cost of their care either from their local social services office or via other government grants. Ask us about it and well advice you about your rights.
• How do I pay for my care? We will send you a bill once a fortnight. If you wish to pay by standing order (to save you having to remember to write out a cheque) just let us know.
• What safeguards do I have? We are registered with the Commission for Social Care Inspection which sets the minimum standards by which we operate. We are also a full member of the United Kingdom Home Care Association (UKHCA). Both of these bodies have standards which set out how we should operate. We also carry public liability insurance (£10 million) with Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance.
• What if I do not like it or want to make changes? Our experience tells us that people’s care needs very often change. We therefore understand that there may be major or minor changes to make. That is why we carry out reviews on a regular basis and why we are pleased to hear from members of the immediate family about ways the service can be delivered most efficiently.
• How do I start? Contact us and make an appointment for us to visit you for a chat about how we can work for you. We are happy to visit you at home to discuss ways we can help and then once you have decided, you simply leave the rest to us!
• What happens when the office is closed? We maintain an out of hour’s emergency number. This is manned 24 hrs a day seven days a week including bank holidays and Christmas. Our office hours are 9.00am to 5pm Monday to Friday.