Are you considering Overnight Care?
Most of our care calls are carried out in the daytime between 7am and 10pm and are usually 30 minutes, one hour, but can be larger blocks to meet the task. However, we do not carry out these care calls during the night. This is for two reasons, firstly over the 14 years we have been in business there has been insufficient demand for short overnight care calls. Secondly because our carers are often lone female workers Independent Living as a responsible employer does not feel it is safe for these calls to be carried out.
However, should you require overnight care we can do blocks of care, our normal shifts are 10pm to 7am which means we stay with you at your house for a full nine hours. This care duration together with the start and finish times can be modified on request.
Why do people need overnight care?
Overnight care is often used for a short period of time, reasons can include: a return from hospital, support after a fall or illness, a terminal illness, cover whilst another member of the household is away or perhaps support due to a temporary loss of confidence. Regular high volumes of overnight care are expensive because as an ethical company we pay our carers at least the minimum wage for nine hours work. Cost is why for many people it is a short-term solution of a few weeks or months. However, not all customers are on a budget or perhaps have their nights paid by Lancashire County Council Social Services which can make it a regular service. However, generally if someone requires continuous 24 hour care or permanent overnights seven days a week many customers and their families consider a care home because it will probably be more cost effective and will have more on-site support in the event of an incident.
Types of Overnight Care – Sleep-In or Waking Watch?
It is common in the home care sector to offer two levels of overnight care. The first and cheaper care option is known as a “sleep-in” where the carer sleeps but can be woken up a maximum of three times to help the client. This could be to help with toileting, prompting medication or anxiety. This overnight care is usually easier to arrange, cheaper and the most popular.
The second type of overnight care is a “waking watch” and is where the carer stays awake all night carrying out tasks. This could be because someone is terminally ill, has severe dementia or requires constant monitoring. This care is more expensive because it is more demanding, is harder to arrange, attracts fewer carers and means the carer cannot work the following daytime due to a lack of sleep which creates scheduling problems and can impact other customers.
Should you or your family be considering overnight care in the form of a sleep-in or waking watch why not call us for advice in office hours on 01257 696 050.
