Live-in Care - Frequently Asked Questions

Many families across Ireland are currently receiving domiciliary care. However, these visits are not always sufficient enough to meet the care needs of loved ones and further care may be required.  In the past, families in this position had only two options to consider: nursing homes or residential care facilities, both of which meant that their loved ones had to leave the comfort of their own homes and prepare for a different chapter in their lives.  Thankfully, families have another option which is a positive alternative to nursing homes and residential care and has now become a first-choice for many families across Ireland, live-in care.  

What is Live-in Care? 

Live-in care is where a caregiver lives with your relative in their home and provides dedicated 1:1 care to them up to 6 days / 48 hours per week.  The carer assists them with the day to day activities in the comfort of their home while ensuring that they are maintaining their independence.   Live-in care means that your loved one is cared for throughout the day and night.

What Do Live-in Caregivers Do?

Live-in caregivers enhance your lifestyle while maintaining your independence.  They will provide you with personalised and dedicated 1:1 care, and ensure that your care needs are met each day.  

Royal Homecare’s live-in caregivers can assist you with the following: 

• Preparing / Cooking Meals

• Feeding / Eating

• Bathing / Showering

• Continence Care / Toileting

• Dressing / Grooming

• Running Errands (picking up prescriptions, post office collection and deliveries, returning books to the library, shopping for clothing etc.)

• Grocery Shopping

• Light Housework (cleaning common areas, changing bedsheets, laundry, dusting and vacuuming)

• Mobility Exercises

• Medication Prompting / Monitoring

• Transportation (medical appointments, social events etc)

• Companionship

What are the Benefits of Live-in Care? 

 

 

   

• Remaining in the comfort of your own home

• Maintaining independence and retaining lifestyle

• Receiving dedicated, personalised and consistent 1:1 care

• Maintaining hobbies and interests

• Keeping beloved pets

• Staying close to family and friends 

Are the Caregivers Qualified and Experienced?

 

Yes. All Royal Homecare caregivers must have at minimum QQI Level 5 in Care Skills or Care of the Elderly or equivalent.  

They must also have over 1 year of professional caregiving experience.  

Royal Homecare Caregivers must also undergo full vetting and reference checking by us before they can join the agency.  

What Do I Have To Provide a Live-in Carer With?

 

You should provide a welcoming, comfortable, safe and private bedroom for the carer.  The bedroom should have a comfortable bed, storage space for their clothing / personal items and access to WiFi.  Some families even provide a TV for the caregiver however, this is not mandatory.  Preferably, their room should be lockable for safely leaving their personal belongings. 

The carer will be staying in the home rent-free, bill-free and given a food allowance (usually, this is between €40-€60 per week).

How Much Will Live-in Care Cost Me? 

 

For a Royal Homecare live-in caregiver, the cost starts at €426 for 30 hours per week.  

Live-in Caregiver’s Hourly Rate: €12 gross per hour

Overtime rate: €14 gross per hour (Overtime is for over 37.5 hours per week)

For a personalised, no-obligation free quote, please click here.  

You can claim up to 40% tax relief on the costs of hiring a live in caregiver. Click here to find out more

What is the Process for Hiring a Live-in Carer?

1) Fill in our application form

If you are ready to submit an application for you / your loved one, please ensure that you provide as much information as possible. If you need any assistance with filling it out, please contact info@royalhomecare.ie and a member of our team will be more than happy to complete it with you over the phone.

2) Introduction Call

Once we receive your application, we will schedule a call with you to introduce ourselves and go through the application with you to answer any questions that you might have and ensure that we know your expectations.

3) Carer Search & Selection

We will send our carers the relevant information on the position. Once we receive interest from our carers, we will begin shortlisting the most suitable candidates. You will be sent their CV's to review within 3- 5 working days. You can then decide if you would like to interview them within 48 hours (either online or in-person). If you would like assistance with the interview, we can assist.

4) Hiring

Once you have had the interview with the carer(s), you can let us know whether you would like to hire them. We will then prepare and send all relevant parties the contract, which can be signed digitally or by hand. Your carer will then start with you/your relative on that agreed date.

Further Support

Once you have hired the carer(s), the support does not stop there. Our team will keep in regular contact with you and the carer(s) to find out how everything is going. You can call us anytime and we will strive to resolve any issues that you may have.

Would you like assistance completing the application form? Please email info@royalhomecare.ie or call us on 01 485 3001 and a member of our team will be happy to help you.

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