Live in care is rapidly becoming one of the most popular care options in the UK. From humble beginnings as an ‘alternative’ to traditional residential care, it is now a favoured choice for many people needing care, and their families. And understandably so – since live in care allows individuals to remain in their own home for longer.
This is something a massive 97% of us would prefer compared with the prospect of residential care.
But with this popularity comes a larger number of care companies and greater choice. This is a good thing, but it can also be daunting when making a decision.
At UK Care Guide we specialise in offering friendly, straightforward advice on live in care. In this article we will cover three of the main live in care agencies in the UK, explaining who they are, what they do and why they are so popular. You can read more about the advantages and disadvantages of live in care here.
It is worth bearing in mind that there are many different live in care agencies throughout the UK. It’s important that you find one that is the right fit for you. You’ll find tips and advice at the end of this article to help you when making a decision.
You can find a list of the main live in care agencies below.
The Good Care Group was founded back in 2009, founded by people with personal experience of the care industry and lack of options available.
They set up after realising the stress attached to moving into residential care and noticing the lack of home care providers offering a truly high quality service.
They wanted to build a care company that would revolutionise the home care sector, driving up standards and professionalising what was then a very alternative option.
Fast forward a decade and The Good Care Group has multiple hubs throughout the UK, operating on a local basis through dedicated care teams.
They provide a host of services including live in care, day care and respite services. Clients are supported with a variety of medical conditions including MS, Dementia, Parkinson’s and Motor Neurone disease.
They say the aim is not just to administer care – but to improve overall wellbeing and quality of life for those they work with.
The Good Care Group has consistently built its stellar reputation on the quality of care it provides. It has been rated Outstanding by the CQC – an incredible achievement which is testament to the standard of services on offer.
The dedicated nature of staff and personal touch they provide has made the name synonymous with excellence in live in care. Values include expertise, trust, empathy, professionalism and respect – all very important qualities for a person requiring round the clock care.
Christies Care are one of the longest-running, largest and most established live in care companies in the UK. Family owned and run, the company specialises in live in care. They are based in Suffolk, but operate via Local Area Advisors who take care of clients situated throughout the UK.
Christies are live in care specialists – so they provide round-the-clock live in care assistance through dedicated care staff.
All team members are carefully selected and trained in-house to incredibly high standards. Different types of live in care are available, including respite, convalescent and long-term care.
They offer a trial period, so potential clients can see if their services are a good fit for them without commitment. Christies deal with a variety of different conditions including dementia, stroke, Parkinson’s, MS, learning disabilities and physical disabilities.
Christies have been at the pinnacle of good live in care for 25 years. Their dedicated teams carefully match carers with individuals, ensuring lifelong professional and personal relationships that help them to feel comfortable and happy.
Clients’ wishes and preferences are at the forefront of the services they provide, ensuring truly personalised and tailormade care.
The business is built on word of mouth – a testament to the quality of service Christies provide. They have also been awarded a rating of Outstanding by the CQC – something achieved by only 7% of agencies in the UK.
Helping Hands are a large care company operating throughout the UK.
The provide a wide variety of home care services, specialising in live in care. Helping Hands has been established for over 30 years, driven by a passion for personalised, high quality care and support. They focus on helping people to stay at home, employing experienced home care specialists.
Helping Hands focuses on offering quality home care. They want people to stay in their own homes for as long as possible – the place they’ve come to know and love.
They employ staff directly through a stringent recruitment process – with only 3% of applicants making the cut. Intensive in-house training and continuous professional development ensure that carers are fully equipped to deal with a variety of conditions.
Helping Hands offers care for people coming out of hospital, couples and people with dementia and long-term conditions. They also have a specialist nursing care branch, which accommodates people with more severe medical needs.
This service includes neurological and stroke care, catheter and stoma management and tracheostomy care.
Helping Hands offers ‘custom-made home care for adults of all ages.’ Their versatility, flexibility and wide range of services offered throughout the UK makes them incredibly popular.
Many different conditions are supported, with bespoke care packages put together around the individual’s specific needs. They are rated by the CQC as ‘Good’, with ‘carers that go above and beyond, doing things that are “not on the list”’
Although we’ve covered the ‘main three’ above, there are many more live in care agencies operating throughout the UK. It is very important to think carefully about each agency on your shortlist, and how they can meet your needs appropriately.
It’s likely that you’ll be working with the agency for a long time, so you need to be confident that they are the right fit for you. It’s important you think carefully when you choose a live in carer. Things to consider include:
Reputation is incredibly important. Some live in care agencies have been established for a long time.
Others are popping up to take advantage of the popularity of live in care. Ask important questions such as ‘how long have you been operating for?’, and ‘why do you do what you do?’ Some agencies will have personal stories and passions behind them.
Be sure to also check out impartial reviews and testimonials online. This will give you an accurate picture of the quality of their services. Word of mouth recommendations are always best. If this isn’t possible you can find real reviews via Google, Facebook or sites such as Trustpilot and Feefo.
What does your gut tell you? We generally get a positive feeling about an option, usually when meeting a representative.
Staff should be pleasant and professional, asking lots of questions to get a good understanding of your personal needs. Remember that this is a personal preference, so you should choose the option that feels right for you.
Live in care agencies must be as flexible as possible in order to fully meet their clients’ needs.
When meeting them they should be keen to get an accurate picture of who you are as a person, your likes and dislikes, as well as your care requirement. Agencies that have lots of restrictions and limitations in place may cater to your needs now, but won’t be able to do so in the future.
This is also worth noting if you plan on accessing live in care for a long time. In this case your needs are likely to change, and the agency’s care should adapt to accommodate them. If the agency shows signs of being inflexible now, this doesn’t bode well for your future relationship.
If you are nervous or unsure about the decision-making process, ask for help from a trusted family member or friend. They can guide you through the process and offer alternative insights to help you make a decision.
Medical professionals and social workers may also have some recommendations of agencies they have worked well with in the past. Don’t struggle on your own – be sure to ask for help when you need it.
Choosing a live in care company can be daunting and confusing – but with the right guidance and an informative approach it needn’t be difficult. For further information on live in care agencies in the UK you can browse our selection of articles here.
We cover a variety of topics from the cost of care and funding options to eligibility and suitability. You can also find tailored advice and support via your local branch of Age UK, your GP, healthcare professional or social worker.
There are 3 ways that we can help you find carers for the elderly. You can:
Use the robot below. Answer a few questions and he will tell you who would be a suitable match for your circumstances. It only takes about 2 minutes! It’s worth a go as you never know…
Alternatively you can book a call with a Live in Care specialist to learn more about what Live in Care is and what type of support they typically provide.
In addition, once you have told us your circumstances we will be able to identify which carer we think could be a good match for you or a family member. This is a no obligation discussion and is designed to help set you on the right path.
Just pick a free slot from the calendar below.
Speak to a live in care specialist straight away to discuss the costs of live in care and importantly whether you are entitled to receive any funding from your local authority towards meeting the costs.
It is surprising to us how many people don’t fully find out what financial help they could receive towards their costs, so we do strongly recommend you call this number to find out may be entitled to.
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Finding Live in Care for a loved one can be a time consuming and expensive process. Have a free consultation with a specialist now or book an appointment for a callback
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