Live-in Care Questions
About our Carers
Where do your carers come from?
The self-employed carers we work with come from the UK and abroad, united by a shared passion for delivering exceptional, personalised live-in care.
How do you recruit your carers?
Any self-employed carer that wants to work with HCL must go through a meticulous selection process. Candidates are chosen based on specific skills, experience, and reliability. We undertake a comprehensive vetting process that includes verifying identities, checking references, conducting interviews, and performing Enhanced DBS checks.
We know that personality matters and that is why we assess a carer’s interests and lifestyle preferences to ensure we match them with the right client. Questions about cooking abilities, driving skills, assignment length preferences, and location preferences are all part of our comprehensive assessment.
What training do the carers have?
The carers we work with undergo an in-depth interview and before being introduced to their clients by HCL. All the carers we work with are trained in safeguarding of vulnerable adults, moving and handling, plus basic life support, either by our in-house training programme, or through an accredited external provider. Many have a broader range of skills and experience in specialisms such as dementia or physical disability support. This training shows how carers can meet the expectations of their clients, while delivering an efficient, flexible service, considering individual requirements and preferences.
Can the Carers Cook?
The care you receive from the carer will be tailored to your holistic needs, so if you need a carer who can cook, we will ensure that you are matched with a carer who has experience of cooking.
All our carers can cook nutritious, balanced meals. Carers will be more than happy to cook dishes tailored to your preferences, however if they are unfamiliar to them, they may require a recipe!
Setting up live-in care
How does Live-in Care Work?
- Speak with one of our friendly and helpful Client Service Advisors. Their role is to explore your situation to better understand what service might be right and offer solutions and support.
- Once you have registered with us, your dedicated Care Relationship Executive will be in contact to introduce themselves and to get a better understanding of what you are looking for. They will then begin to look for a suitably matched carer to start on your chosen start date.
- The chosen live-in carer will move into the individual’s home and typically reside there for the agreed length of time, where the carer will have their own designated space within the home to ensure privacy and comfort when off-duty. We endeavour to build a rotation of two to four carers to return on a regular basis to ensure continuity in the care being delivered.
- The carer will carry out the tasks outlined in the client profile. This can include personal care, prompting of medication, companionship, mobility support, meal preparation, light housekeeping, and any other identified needs. The carer provides individualised attention and assistance, focusing on the well-being and comfort of the individual.
- Regular phone calls will be made to the client, their representatives, and the carers. We will keep the client’s profile up to date to ensure that the level of care remains appropriate and that we continue to match the best suited carers.
How soon can you start?
Providing all paperwork is completed in time, we can have a carer in place in as little as 24 hours.
How long will the registration take?
The Registration process can take up to 45 minutes depending on the nature of the care needs. The registration meeting can take place on the telephone with one of our friendly Client Services Advisors.
Will I have a choice of carer?
You will have a say in choosing your live-in carer. Our meticulous selection process aims to effectively match you with a carer well-suited to your needs and preferences. After finalising our choice, one of our Client Relationship Executives will call you to introduce the carer and arrange for the carer to call you to introduce themselves. If you are satisfied with our selection, we will schedule the carer’s arrival based on your preferred date. Should you wish to explore other options, we are more than happy to restart the matching process.
Can I see a carer profile?
Once we have selected a carer we think is suitable to you, your needs and situation, we will send you their profile. We take great care in matching the right carer for you, so it is best to wait until we have a carer who matches, but who is also available to start when you choose.
What facilities does the live-in carer need?
Your carer must be given their own bedroom and somewhere to keep their clothes and belongings. Clients sometimes provide a television and an armchair in the carer’s room, and this is appreciated, but we accept that it is not always possible.
Sufficient food should be provided for three healthy meals a day, for both client and carer. You should discuss both your dietary requirements and preferred mealtimes, and those of the carer. If your carer has special dietary requirements, we suggest that they purchase any “special” provisions before the assignment. You will need to agree this with them. Clients quite often want to be involved in decisions about the preparation and serving of meals, whilst others like the carer to take over – it’s best to make this position clear at the beginning of each assignment. Our carers can prepare meals for the client(s) they are looking after; should additional family members, or guests, wish to have food prepared then this needs to be agreed with the carer in advance.
Our live-in care
How long will my carer stay?
The length of time the carer stays will depend on if the carer has any holiday booked, or if they are coming from another placement. Most carers tend to work for two to three weeks before taking a break of about two to three weeks. When a carer is taking a break, we will match you with an alternative carer.
Can the carer go on holiday with the client?
Yes, your carer can accompany your loved one or relative on holiday. Any associated costs for travel, insurance, and food will need to be covered.
Will the carer help with my shopping, cleaning and take me out to appointments?
Yes. The carers we work with are dedicated to enabling you to maintain the lifestyle you cherish within the comfort of your own home. This encompasses household tasks, light tidying, meal preparation, running errands, and accompanying you on outings – our live-in carers are even available to assist you during vacations. Additionally, your designated carer can provide transportation to your appointments using your personal vehicle. It is your responsibility to ensure they have an appropriate license and insurance in place.
Will the carer drive?
Whilst we endeavour to meet your requirements for a carer, we cannot guarantee to introduce you to a carer who can drive. If we do manage to match you with a carer who can drive, any vehicle which is required to be driven by the carer must be appropriately maintained and insured. Before permitting such use, you agree to inspect the carers driving licence to ensure that they are permitted to drive the vehicle.
Will the carer walk the dog?
Yes, your carer can walk your dog and feed your pets. As long as we know this is a requirement, we will ensure that you are matched with a carer who is happy to do this. Some carers are allergic to animals so we must know if pet care is required.
Will the carer help a client with their medication?
HCL is an introductory service and is not regulated by The Care Quality Commission (CQC), so therefore the carer is not able to administer any medication. However, they can prompt and assist the individual to manage their medication.
What happens with the carer's food?
All arrangements regarding additional expenses should be made between the carer and you, the client.
What happens if the person receiving care gets up at night?
It is not uncommon for a carer to be woken during the night to deliver care and, if this happens, the carer will duly support as needed. They will, however, charge a fee for this. The suggested fees are outlined in the pricing schedule and may vary depending on the number of times the carer is woken during the night.
If regular waking occurs, we can introduce the client to an additional carer if required and update the client’s profile. This enables us to take understand the increase in the level of care needed when we are asked to provide the next introduction. Alternatively, the client and the carer may amend their arrangements to cover the additional care and update us so that we can keep the client’s profile up to date for future introductions.
What happens when the carers have a break?
You should agree time off arrangements with your carer(s). We suggest a daily two-hour break to be taken away from the client’s premises. However, the reality of the situation may be very different. There may well be an hour or two each day for carers to have time to themselves, but it may not always be possible to leave the client’s home. Sometimes, more complicated arrangements must be put in place – perhaps a friend or relative has already agreed a regular time to take over or a relief carer is supplied by a local care agency. Again, the key is to be as flexible as possible. Whatever arrangement is made, it is best to discuss and agree this before the carer arrives.
What if I do not like the carer?
We exercise diligence in choosing a carer tailored to your specific requirements. However, should you feel the need for a different carer, we will promptly initiate the process of finding a replacement. Open communication is key, so kindly share your feedback with your Client Relationship Executive. This allows us to explore potential solutions and ensure a more effective match going forward.
What happens if the person receiving care passes away?
If the person receiving care passes away, the carer will be there to support you and the family through the difficult time. Some families choose to keep the carer in place to help organise things and make arrangements; others prefer for the carer to leave. It really is up to you. We charge for the 7 days following the day of the death, or from the day the carer leaves the property.