Why Live-In Care Promotes Better Health

Thousands of people in the UK now choose live-in care over the traditional care home facility. It’s clear that older people are seeing the overall health benefits to living at home and how their physical, mental and spiritual health is being supported in the comfort of their own surroundings. But how specifically does live-in care promote overall better health and why is it becoming such a popular option? 

Physical Health
Physical health is of course the main objective for any type of care, but live-in care specifically sees many advantages. With live-in care older people will receive one-to-one care. Many care workers are trained to deal with certain conditions such as dementia, stroke or MS so they understand the exact needs of the ones they are caring for. 

Reducing falls is also a main benefit of having a live-in carer. A lot of falls happen when an older person is disoriented or gets out of bed to use the toilet. Public Health England reported that around half of people aged 80 and over fall at least once a year. Falling causes distress, pain, injury, loss of confidence and loss of independence. Having a live-in carer on hand day and night helps prevent these falls and decreases hospital admissions. 

Mental Health 
These days, we understand how important mental health is to someone’s overall wellbeing. For older people being able to stay in their own home, surrounded by their possessions and memories is critical for them to maintain better mental health. Being in a familiar setting, especially for those suffering with dementia, can bring a lot of stability.  

Having someone there day and night can give older people peace of mind in case of an emergency. Live-in carers can also become a valued companion and help reduce loneliness or feeling isolated. 

Being able to stay in their own home also means older people can keep their beloved pets. Most residential homes do not allow pets, but they can bring a huge amount of comfort and support and taking that away could deeply affect someone’s mental health. A live-in carer can also support older people to be able to keep their pets and help with responsibilities such as feeding and taking them for walks. According to research from June McNicholas, an expert on the dynamic between pets and older pet-owners, found that pets have the potential to improve the physical, emotional, and social wellbeing of older pet-owners, and suggest that preserving pet ownership within older people should be a high priority. 

Spiritual Health
Someone’s spiritual life is an important element to their overall wellbeing. Spiritual wellness acknowledges our search for a deeper meaning of life and can include being a part of a religious affiliation, a sense of spiritualism or even meditation. 

Having a live-in carer means an older person can continue the same spiritual routines they have been accustomed to. Carers are able to take them to religious services and support them by reading to them or making sure they have the space and time to practice meditation or prayer.  

Many older people see benefit from meditation, prayer, affirmations or specific spiritual practices and being able to continue them in their own home is a vital element to maintaining good overall health. 

By supporting an older person’s physical, mental and spiritual health through live-in care we can help maintain a high quality of life and give them the independence and dignity they deserve.