Articles

Live-in Care - A Better Alternative to Care Homes

03/08/2015

If you were asked whether you would prefer to remain in the comfort of your own home and to receive help there, or to be relocated a care home, what would you choose? If you said you would prefer to remain in your own home then you are part of the majority, as a recent survey conducted by ConsultUs, a leading supplier of care found that 97% of people would share your view.

A recent article published in the Telegraph provided evidence of soaring care home fees, with some reaching an average of £34,000 in certain areas. Figures show that costs have risen by up to 10% in parts of Britain, something which is certain to impact on the 350,000+ elderly people living in residential care.

Across the country, the average bill for just a single room in a care home is almost £30,000 with a rise of £723 in a year. Research undertaken by Prestige Nursing + Care found that pensioner incomes, rising at just 2.2%, are not capable of keeping up with the rise in care home costs which rose by 2.5%. Jonathon Bruce, the managing director of Prestige Nursing + Care stated that “Care home prices are rising faster than ever, outstripping the rate of increase in pensioner incomes for the first time in three years.”

The obvious advantages of being able to stay at your own home are manifold. Possessions accumulated over a lifetime can be kept, independence can be mostly retained, beloved pets will not have to be lost and one can experience peace and seclusion as well as someone to help when one needs them. Also, a possibly significant factor is that according to The Money Advice Service the value of your home is not taken into account when calculating the cost of care.

Costs themselves vary, but with the flexibility involved in live-in care you can tailor the service to your needs. According to PayingForCare, a report undertaken by healthcare specialists Laing and Buisson in 2013/14, care homes can cost an average of £37,500 if nursing is required. This figure does not take into account added extras such as trips out and other luxuries.

On the other hand, ConsultUs care state confidently that their live-in care can work out much cheaper than residential care. On their website at http://www.consultuscare.com/live-in-care/home-care-costs it states that “for a single client, the charge for a live-in carer is typically less than residential care home fees. Where a couple wish to remain at home together, it is often possible that they could both be cared for by a Consultus live-in carer with costs being considerably less than two residential care home fees.”

With the rising costs of residential care and the evident advantages of remaining at your home and receiving support according to your own needs, it is easy to see why live-in care is quickly becoming a preferred alternative to a care home.