If You Can Provide These Things, A Live-In Caregiver Can Be A Good Choice

Caregiving can come in many different modes.  When an individual needs help to remain at home, sometimes a spouse or family member is able to provide the necessary assistance.  However, sometimes a professional caregiver may need to be brought into the picture.  Professional caregivers can be part time (generally under 30 hours a week), full time (around 40 hours a week or more), or “live-in”.  "Live-in" care generally refers to a situation where a caregiver lives in a client's home round-the-clock for an extended period of time.

Live-in care can be a great option for certain individuals.  It can effectively meet the needs of someone who needs assistance and/or supervision throughout the day and is at risk when left alone.  In the Chicago area, as well as other major metro areas, the labor market usually is such that live-in caregivers are available.

However, having a live-in caregiver in your senior's home also comes with a number of important considerations, some of which are:

• Private Sleep Area - While on a long-term live-in assignment, a private sleeping arrangement is required for a caregiver (unless specified otherwise.)
• Downtime - A caregiiver should be allowed at least 8 hours of sleep time in every 24-hour period.  Sleep time is considered to be 5 hours or more of uninterrupted time.   A caregiver will typically also require 3 one hour meal breaks per day. Clients should understand that caregivers will need to make personal calls during their downtime on an assignment.
• Meals - It is customary that a client provides a caregiver with meals in a live-in situation.  The caregiver can prepare meals, and shop for groceries, but all food/groceries items are typically paid for by the client.
• Days off - While on a live-in assignment, a caregiver will require weekly personal time off.  Companies like Home Instead Senior Care will schedule the fill-in/weekend workers and manage the caregiving schedule of a 24-hour-a-day client.
•  Housekeeping - Caregivers are able to provide light housekeeping services such as dish washing, vacuuming, bed making, as well as meal preparation.    Most professional caregivers do not provide heavy housekeeping, including moving furniture, hand scrubbing a floor, work involving the use of a ladder or maintenance outside the house (mowing lawns, shoveling snow, etc….).  Enlisting the help of a separate weekly or monthly maid service for heavy housekeeping is a good idea.

As with any professional caregiver situation, live-in caregivers can be independent or can be bonded & insured employees of a company.  Although independent caregivers can be a cheaper option, there are a whole host of advantages to using a bonded and insured company-employed caregiver.

For example, our Park Ridge and Chicago office does extensive screening of our workers, including criminal background checks, department of motor vehicle checks, finger printing, drug testing, and work & personal reference verification.  Another advantage of a company employed caregiver is the reassurance of backup care should the caregiver get sick or take vacation time.

Thanks for reading!

Michael Melinger

mmelinger@homeinstead.com

Home Instead Senior Care

Caregivers & Companions, Live-In/Hourly, Meals, Housekeeping, Errands, Personal Care

Skokie, Evanston, Wilmette - 847-673-1250

Niles, Park Ridge, Morton Grove, Des Plaines - 847-518-1400

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