After hospital
Live in care after hospital: coming home with enough support
A discharge can look tidy on the ward and fragile by supper time. A live in carer is how many people come back to their own bed, and stay there.
- Doctor led live in care
- Initial assessment carried out by a doctor
- CQC registered for personal care
- Family run, with our own private GP clinic in Palmers Green
Support in the first weeks at home
After a fall, an operation, a stroke or an infection, the first weeks at home are when things go wrong: a missed medicine, a second fall on the way to the bathroom, not enough to eat. A live in carer covers that period with personal care, meals, help moving about, collecting medicines from the pharmacy and noticing when something is not right.
Because a doctor carries out our initial assessment, the discharge summary and medicine list are read by someone who understands them. The care plan can reflect what the hospital has asked for, and we know what to escalate and to whom. We do not provide nursing, so district nurses, therapists and the GP remain responsible for clinical care, and we work alongside them.
What needs to be in place before the person comes home
The practical questions matter more than the paperwork.
- A bedroom the person can use safely, and a bed they can get in and out of
- A bedroom for the carer
- Any equipment the hospital has recommended, such as a commode or a frame
- A medicines list that matches what left the ward
- Food in the house on the day of return
- A family member who can be called
How quickly care can start after discharge
Often within days, depending on the person's needs and the availability of a suitable carer. Discharge dates move; we will keep in step with the ward and tell you what we can do rather than promise a date we cannot keep. If the home cannot yet hold the person safely, we tell you plainly. Sending someone home to an empty house is how people bounce back to hospital.
From ward to home
Speak to our care team
Call or request a callback. A manager will ask about the person, the home and what has become difficult, and tell you whether live in care is likely to suit. There is no obligation.
Doctor led assessment at home
A doctor from our team visits to assess health, medicines, mobility, memory, nights and daily routine. The assessment becomes the care plan. It also tells us what kind of carer this household needs.
Your carer is matched and care begins
We choose a carer for this household, not the next name on a list. You are introduced before the start date, and the care plan is reviewed once the carer has settled in.
Questions families ask about live in care
Can someone come home from hospital with a live in carer?
Often, yes, if the home is suitable and the needs sit within personal care. We liaise with the discharge team where we can. We cannot take on nursing that the ward still needs to arrange.
Can live in care be short term while someone recovers?
Yes. Some families arrange live in care for a few weeks after discharge and then review. Others find that the person's needs mean ongoing care is the right answer. The care plan is reviewed as recovery progresses.
Does a live in carer work through the night?
No. A live in carer is in the home overnight and can help if someone wakes, but they need proper sleep and are not awake on duty for 24 hours. If a person needs frequent help through the night, we will say so at assessment and discuss waking night cover or a second carer.
Is this a nursing service?
No. Clinique Alpa is registered with the CQC for personal care. Nursing tasks sit outside our scope. Where a district nurse, GP or specialist team is involved, we work alongside them.
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.