Live-in care asks two people to share a house, often for years. Skills matter, but so does whether they can be comfortable in the same room at eight in the morning. This page explains how the match is made, what we ask you about, and what happens at the introduction.
A care manager visits at home, at no cost and with no obligation, and spends an hour or so with your relative and whoever else wants to be there. Part of that is practical: mobility, medication, continence, sleep, appetite, memory, risk around the home.
The other part is about the person. What they did for a living. Whether the house is quiet or full of people. Whether they like the radio on. Pets, faith, food they will not eat, whether they would rather have someone chatty or someone who reads quietly in the corner. Those notes decide the match as much as the clinical ones do.
Daily routine and how much support each part of it needs
Medication, appointments and who the GP and district nurse team are
We shortlist from carers who are available for the rotation and who have experience relevant to the situation, for example dementia, Parkinson's or supporting someone after a stroke. All our carers are DBS checked, employed by us rather than self employed, and trained before placement.
Then we narrow on fit: energy level, driving, cooking, whether they are comfortable with a dog, whether they speak a shared first language, whether they have supported a similar household before. We would rather wait a few days for the right person than send the first available one.
The introduction
You meet the proposed carer before anything is agreed, at home, with tea, and with no expectation to decide on the spot. Your relative should be part of that conversation even if their memory is poor, because the reaction in the room tells you a great deal.
If either side is unsure we propose someone else. Nobody is expected to accept a carer to be polite, and it is far easier to say no at this stage than to unpick a placement later.
An introduction at home before commitment
The person being cared for is present and involved
No pressure to accept the first carer proposed
The first fortnight
The care manager checks in during the first week and again at the end of the first month, and you can ring at any point in between. Small adjustments are normal early on: mealtimes, how much help is offered with washing, how much the carer does versus how much your relative wants to keep doing themselves.
That last point is the one families often miss. A good match is not the carer who does the most, it is the carer who does the right amount and leaves your relative their independence.
Frequently asked questions
Can we ask for a female carer?
Yes. Preferences on gender are common, particularly for personal care, and we treat them as part of the requirement rather than as a special request.
What if my mother says she does not want anyone in the house?
That is the usual starting point rather than a barrier. A short trial, or a few hourly visits first, often does more to change her mind than any amount of persuading. Our guide to talking to a parent about care goes into this properly.
Does the carer need to speak fluent English?
All our carers communicate clearly in English. Where a family's first language is not English we will look for a shared language too, and often can.
Can the carer manage my father's dog?
Usually, and it is worth asking about early. Pets are one of the strongest reasons people want to stay at home, and we match with that in mind.
How long does matching take?
Often a few days, sometimes a couple of weeks for an unusual set of requirements. Where care is needed sooner, for example after a hospital discharge, we can start with hourly cover while the right live-in carer is found.
Do we get any say after the placement starts?
Yes. The care plan is reviewed with you, and if something is not working you tell your care manager and it changes. You are not locked into how it was set up on day one.
