Around-the-clock care is crucial to the health and safety of seniors with advanced medical conditions. Families are given two in-home care options to help facilitate their loved one’s ongoing care: live-in home care or 24-hour home care.

Both options offer distinct care services, and families are tasked with deciding which caters most effectively to their loved ones’ needs. By evaluating how each form of care differs, family caregivers are able to make sound decisions that increase the comfort and well-being of their loved one.

1. Evaluate Coverage Needs

Live-in caregivers remain in a care recipient’s home for a 24-hour period. They work continuously, taking eight-hour breaks for sleeping and a four-hour break mid-shift. During caregivers’ breaks, families may hire an additional caregiver to cover these hours or, if the senior is medically stable, forgo extra coverage.

A live-in caregiver typically provides care for a stretch of four to five consecutive days. A different caregiver must be scheduled for the remainder of the week. As a result, the senior receives care from at least two different live-in caregivers each week.

In 24-hour caregiving situations, multiple caregivers rotate 8 to 12-hour shifts to meet the care needs of the senior. Sleeping breaks are not integral to 24-hour care. As a result of two to three rotating 24-hour caregivers, the care recipient receives constant monitoring every hour of the day.

When a senior is in critical condition, 24-hour care is a necessity, since the senior will receive constant monitoring by alert professionals. However, live-in care is optimal if the elderly individual requires less than 24-hour constant supervision and is well enough to remain unattended during caregiver breaks.

2. Consider Level of Focus

Live-in care services are offered day and night by one person per a multiple-day shift. These factors place pressure on the live-in caregiver to respond to care needs at any time of day. As a result of continual demands, the live-in caregiver may potentially have less focus than is ideal.

Rotating 24-hour caregivers, on the other hand, are more alert and focused during each shift. Due to the fact that care services are shared by at least two or three caregivers who are refreshed each shift, these professionals are less likely to make mistakes in care.

When evaluating care needs, consider caregivers’ abilities to focus. When several medications must be administered throughout each day and in the correct dosages or when situations have no room for medical error, the alertness of 24-hour caregivers may be warranted.

3. Gauge Opportunities to Bond

At most, two live-in caregivers provide continuous care for the senior. As a result, the elderly individual becomes familiar with the caregivers, allowing for the development of trust and bonding. Such dependable relationships are important for some seniors’ levels of comfort.

In direct contrast, however, when multiple 24-hour caregivers arrive each week to deliver care, the senior has fewer chances to develop a meaningful relationship with them. Given the frequent, daily rotation of 24-hour caregivers, some seniors may be less comfortable.

Familiarity is especially important when the care recipient prefers consistency in care. The senior and live-in caregiver are presented with opportunities throughout each day to develop a fulfilling relationship. Seniors who desire consistency experience better well-being with the same caregivers.

4. Compare Costs

The cost of live-in care may be offset by arranging for room and board. Depending on the location, live-in care prices vary. Usually, live-in care services have a flat rate up to $250 per day. Medicare will not cover the cost of 24-hour-a-day care at home.

Pricier than live-in care is 24-hour care, which can balloon up to $350 per day. However, 24-hour care rates are hourly rather than a flat rate. In some instance, 24-hour care rates are lower when the caregiver is allowed to sleep, but higher when the professional remains awake.

Price is a significant factor when weighing whether live-in or 24-hour care is more suitable. Unlike Medicare, some long-term care insurance policies will pay for in-home care services. Veteran’s aids and Medicaid (for low-income seniors) may also be used to help pay for in-home care.

When evaluating the costs of live-in care and 24-hour care, remember that live-in care costs can be higher. An increase in costs is due to hiring additional care providers during the caregiver’s four- or eight-hour break periods. If extra coverage is not necessary, costs will naturally be lower.

5. Assess Ability to Accommodate

Live-in caregivers do not live in the senior’s home but remain on the premises for the duration of their shifts. Live-in caregivers must be provided accommodations, such as a bed and sleeping quarters for use during shifts. Caregivers may sleep in the same or different room as the senior.

Sleeping provisions are not mandatory for 24-hour caregivers. These professionals do not require a bed or separate quarters in order to perform optimally in their daily shifts. Families are welcome, however, to allow the 24-hour caregivers to take sleeping breaks inside the home.

The most significant deciding factor when choosing between live-in care and 24-hour home care is the recommendation by a physician. The senior’s doctor will be the first to advise whether live-in care or 24-hour home care is best for the elderly individual’s well-being.

When the family comes to a decision about in-home, non-medical care, Assisting Hands Home Care is ready to deliver. Our reputable, insured and bonded home care agency offers both live-in and 24-hour home care to help improve or sustain the quality of life for our senior care recipients. We start care services with a certified nurse’s assessment, followed by a customized plan of care. Case managers subsequently conduct regular check-ins.

Assisting Hands Home Care delivers the most compassionate elder care services in Elmhurst, Lombard, Glendale Heights, Villa Park, Itasca, Bensenville, Addison, IL and the surrounding areas in DuPage county. Families in the community continue to rely on our dependable home care services. We offer a complimentary in-home consultation, so seniors and their families become acquainted with our highly rated, comprehensive elder care services. Call Assisting Hands Home Care at (630) 313-6160 to schedule your in-home consultation for live-in caregivers and 24 hour home care needs.