Live in care
Live in care in your own home
A professional carer lives with you and supports you one to one: personal care, meals, medication, household tasks and company. A doctor from our team carries out the assessment before care begins.
- Doctor led. A doctor carries out your initial assessment
- CQC registered for personal care
- A small family run team, with a manager you can name
- Live in care across England. Turkish spoken
What live in care is
A live in carer moves into a spare room in the person's home and supports them through the day. Unlike hourly visits, the same person is there for the whole day, learns how the household works, and can respond to what is actually happening rather than what was scheduled. At night the carer sleeps in the house and can help if needed.
For many families it is the alternative to a care home. The person keeps their home, their routine and their independence, and receives more individual attention than a shared setting can offer.
What a live in carer helps with
The exact support is agreed at assessment and written into the care plan. Typically it includes:
- Personal care: washing, bathing, dressing, continence care and skin care, given with dignity and at the person's pace
- Meals: shopping, cooking the food the person likes, and help with eating and drinking where needed
- Medication: reminders, prompting and giving medicines as set out in the care plan, with each dose recorded
- Mobility: help moving around the home, on stairs, in and out of bed and chairs, and using equipment safely
- Household: laundry, cleaning, bins, post and keeping the home safe and comfortable
- Getting out: accompanying the person to appointments, the shops, church or mosque, clubs and friends
- Companionship: conversation, hobbies, walks, and the ordinary company of someone in the house
- Keeping in touch: noticing changes, and keeping the family and the management team informed
What a live in carer does not do
Carers provide personal care, not nursing. They do not give clinical procedures, manage syringe drivers, change catheters, dress wounds or carry out other clinical procedures. Those remain with district nurses, the GP and specialist teams, and we work alongside them. Carers are not expected to do heavy DIY, gardening beyond light tasks, or to care for other members of the household who are not part of the care plan.
Days, nights and rest
A live in carer works through the day and takes a daily break, usually of two hours, which is agreed with you and covered by family or arranged separately if the person cannot be left. At night the carer sleeps in their own room and is there if the person calls out or needs occasional help.
If someone needs frequent help through the night, one carer cannot safely provide that as well as a full day. We will say so at assessment and discuss waking night cover or a second carer.
Continuity: the same faces
Live in carers work in blocks and then take planned time off. Most people we care for have a main carer and a second carer they know who covers those breaks, so the person is not meeting strangers. Changes are planned with you in advance, and if a carer is ill we arrange cover and a manager calls you as soon as we know.
Live in care for particular situations
- Parkinson'sMedication timing, slow mornings and mobility that changes through the day. A specialism of this service.
- DementiaA consistent carer and a familiar routine in familiar rooms.
- After hospitalEnough support at home for the first weeks after discharge.
- RespiteShort term live in care while a family carer rests.
- CouplesTwo people, one home, one household of support.
- CostsFrom £1,650 per week. What changes the fee and how families fund it.
How live in care is arranged
Talk to us
A free 15 to 20 minute conversation with a manager, by telephone or video, about the person, the home and what has become difficult. We will tell you whether live in care is likely to suit, roughly what it costs, and whether we can provide it. There is no obligation, and no doctor travel at this stage.
Doctor led assessment
Once you are ready to go ahead, a doctor from our team assesses the person, by video where clinically appropriate or at home, and we write the care plan with you. The assessment is charged separately. If you start a long term live in care package, the fee is credited against the first month.
Meet your carer
We introduce the carer we have matched to the person and the household. Care begins on an agreed date, with a manager available throughout.
Questions about live in care
Does the carer actually live in the house?
Yes. The carer needs a private bedroom, use of a bathroom and somewhere to keep their things. They eat with the household and share the kitchen and living areas, while respecting that it is your home.
Does a live in carer stay awake all night?
No. A live in carer works through the day, takes a daily break, and sleeps in the home at night. They are there if the person calls out or needs help occasionally. If someone needs frequent help through the night, we will say so at assessment and talk about waking night cover or a second carer.
Can a carer help with medication?
Yes, within personal care. Carers support medication as set out in the care plan, which can include reminders, prompting and administering from a prepared pack. Carers do not decide or change medicines, or carry out nursing procedures.
How do you match a carer to my parent?
We match on care needs and experience first, then on personality, communication style, language, routines, interests and the way the household runs, including pets. You meet the carer before care begins, and if it is not right we will change it.
Will it always be the same carer?
The aim is a small, consistent team. Live in carers work in blocks and then take planned time off, so most people we care for have a main carer and a second carer they know for those breaks. Changes are planned with you in advance.
What happens if the carer is ill?
We arrange cover. You will not be left without support, and a manager will call you as soon as we know.
What room does a live in carer need?
A private bedroom with a bed and somewhere to store clothes, use of a bathroom, and access to the kitchen. Wi-Fi is appreciated. The household provides the carer's food.
How much does live in care cost?
Live in care with Clinique Alpa starts from £1,650 per week for one person, subject to assessment and level of need. The fee rises with the level of support, broken nights, care for a couple, and complex or specialist needs. We give you a written quote after the assessment.
Talk to Clinique Alpa
Speak to a manager about live in care
Call 020 8882 8088 or 07777 594448. You will speak to a manager, not a call centre. We will talk through the situation, tell you whether live in care is likely to be right, and explain what an assessment involves.
Live in care from Clinique Alpa is provided by Alpa Care Ltd, registered with the Care Quality Commission for personal care, provider ID 1-9691685023.