Are There Differences Between 24-Hour Home Care and Live-In Care?

You’ve heard of live-in care. Is it the same as 24-hour home care? They’re not the same. Here’s what you need to know.

Live-in care has caregivers living with your parents. The live-in caregiver works certain hours and has other hours for breaks and personal time. If your parents have a live-in caregiver who works 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., your parents wouldn’t have a caregiver throughout the night.

How Does 24-Hour Home Care Differ?

 24-Hour Home Care Grand Rapids, MI: Live-In Care

A 24-hour home care aide is different. Your parents have several caregivers working in shifts throughout the day and night. There’s always a caregiver awake and ready to help as needed.

You may schedule one caregiver from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., and the next starts at 1 p.m. and goes to 7 p.m. At that point, a new caregiver arrives to cover the shift from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. The final caregiver works from 1 a.m. to 7 a.m.

What Services Can 24-Hour Home Care Aides Provide?

When your parents have 24-hour home care aides, the caregivers help with anything your parents need on a non-medical basis. If your parents need a caregiver to remind them when to take prescription medications or supplements, that’s possible. They may need caregivers to cook meals, which is another popular home care service.

Caregivers can help with cleaning, laundry, personal care, grooming, and transportation. They’re also there for companionship services to ensure your parents don’t feel lonely or isolated.

Suppose your parents both have chronic health conditions. Your mom has dementia and cannot be left alone. She’s only sleeping about four hours a night, and it’s hard on your dad. He’s barely sleeping, and he needs sleep to properly care for himself as he has diabetes.

In that situation, 24-hour caregivers could help your dad by offering reminders to check his blood sugar levels. They can cook meals and snacks throughout the day and night to help him keep his sugar levels stable. He also has caregivers to take over your mom’s care when he’s tired and needs to take a nap or sleep through the night.

Your mom has assistance with everything she needs, too. She has someone to help her with bathing and grooming. She has a caregiver to redirect her if she’s trying to get outside to “go home,” which is common with Alzheimer’s patients. She also has caregivers for meals, snacks, and housekeeping.

When your mom and dad benefit from 24-hour home care services, make sure you arrange services for them. Let them ask any questions they have, ask your own questions, and learn more about pricing as you narrow down services. Call a 24-hour home care expert to get started.

If you or someone you know needs help with 24-Hour Home Care Grand Rapids, MI, contact Gauthier Family Home Care. We provide quality and affordable home care services in our community. Call us at (616) 258-2300 for more information.

Gauthier Family Home Care