As you consider whether or not you would like to work as a live-in aide, it’s helpful to understand the legal definition. A live-in aide is anyone who lives with or near one or more elderly persons, or an individual with disabilities. The live-in aide is determined to be essential to the care and well-being of the elderly or disabled person but is not obligated to financially support their client.
When a family has the need of around-the-clock care for their loved one, they have the option of choosing a 24-hour home care schedule or a live-in aide to ensure there will be somebody there throughout the day and night. Both options are effective alternatives to assisted living as they allow the client to stay home. While a 24-hour home care schedule using an hourly aide offers the client someone who cares for them throughout the entire 24-hour period, a live-in caregiver may live in the house for 24 hours but has 12 hours a day when they’re not expected to be working.
There are two ways to work as a live-in caregiver. In the first case, you live with your client but maintain another residence. In this instance, you often work with another caregiver and switch off spending nights in the client’s home. This type of live-in care is most appropriate for those who have higher care needs and maybe expected to wake up their caregiver during the night.
In the second case, a live-in aide does not maintain a separate residence and is usually the sole caregiver for the client 24 hours a day. A live-in aide will be provided with a comfortable place to sleep, towels, linens and blankets. They are expected to bring their own clothes and toiletries and whatever personal items they like to keep with them if they will be living with the client.
As a live-in aide, you are not expected to work 24 hours each day. In these cases, your presence is often required as a safety valve for a client who may be able to care for themselves but requires someone in the home to prevent accidents and help with light housekeeping duties. As your presence is required for safety reasons, a 24-hour live-in aide would need to arrange for coverage when they leave the home, signing paperwork that the client has agreed to this.
As an hourly aide for an elderly or disabled person, your duties would be nearly identical to that of a live-in aide, including, but not limited to:
- Assisting the client with bathing, dressing and grooming
- Light housekeeping
- Running errands, including shopping for food
- Meal planning and preparation
- Monitoring the client’s condition
- Performing light physical and occupational therapy home programs
- Laundry services
- Maintaining a safe and secure environment
As you consider which position is right for you, it’s important to assess the advantages and disadvantages of working as a live-in aide. If your goal is to further your education and go on to be a certified nursing assistant or a nurse, working as a live-in aide gives you the opportunity to experience the job firsthand, reduce your overhead expenses and work with the family to find someone to cover the time you’re away in class. One of the biggest advantages for the family is having a live-in aide reduces the number of caregivers working with their loved one. This provides consistency and gives both the live-in aide and the client a chance to build a relationship.
Ready to Explore Your Options?
When you work with Anodyne, we help you find the best placement to meet your needs and the needs of our clients. Contact us today, and we’ll help you decide if working as a live-in aide is an option you would like to pursue.
