A live-in carer lives in your loved one’s spare room. That might sound like it’s stating the obvious but it is an important point as it means that your loved one and live-in carer need to be able to get along as they will be spending a lot of time together.

Shared interests

Live-in carers provide companionship as well as care. Live-in care agencies have in-depth matchmaking processes which pick out the carers from their list who are most likely to have similar interests and passions to your loved one.

A study by the Live-in Care Hub found the top-ten things carers and their clients like to talk about are:

1.    The elderly person’s personal memories

2.    Family

3.    The Royal Family

4.    The weather

5.    Travel

6.    Food and drink

7.    Classic musicals or musical films such as The Sound of Music

8.    Politics

9.    Entertainers from the 1940s and 1950s

10.  TV series Dad’s Army

Medical needs

The other main criteria for matching carers to clients is to ensure that the client’s care and medical needs are met. If your relative is suffering from dementia then a carer with specialist training in supporting dementia sufferers will be required. Carers can also specialise is Parkinson’s, stroke recovery, diabetes management, spinal injuries care and other conditions that need particular expertise.

Different carers bring different outlooks

In order to provide a high-quality of 24/7 care live-in carers operate on a rota system with two or three carers working for the same client. The exact rota will depend on the needs of the client.

This means there is not one, but two or three different people to be matched to your relative – and it means that your relative has a chance to make not one but two or three new friends. Many clients find it refreshing to have someone interested in the same things that they are, and to be able to discuss different things with different carers.

Sometimes elderly people find new hobbies by having an interest kindled by their carers. Knitting may be too difficult for arthritic fingers, but a comment by one of their carers might give them a new hobby rock painting – even taking the rocks to the local park to be hidden with the support of their new friend.

Not every relationship works

Even with the most diligent matchmaking process sometimes two people just don’t get along whatever happens. Perhaps they’re just a littletoosimilar and rub each other up the wrong way. Who knows! If it does turn out that your loved one isn’t getting on with one of their carers then do let your agency know. They will be able to arrange a replacement who, hopefully, will get on with your relative a little bit better. Carers want their clients to be happy and cheerful so they understand if a placement simply isn’t working out the way it should.