Home > Live-in care > How live-in care works

How live-in care works

A live-in carer lives with you in your own home, enabling you or your loved one to stay in the place you know best for as long as humanly possible. Here at ENA, we specialise in providing carers who can live with our clients for long periods of time. Our carers typically reside with clients from 8 to 12 weeks at a time, to provide a greater level of continuity and support.

Live-in care is considered the best alternative to a home as it provides one-to-one, individualised, around-the-clock care with better health outcomes for those living with physical or mental conditions. Remaining in your own home with the comfort and familiarity of your surroundings eliminates the stress and upheaval associated with moving into a care home. This is particularly relevant to those living with conditions such as dementia and Parkinson’s.

What does a live-in carer do?

Live-in carers are trained to adapt to the individual care needs of their client, but there are a number of tasks which the majority of carers will take on. These include everyday personal care, such as helping their client get dressed and washed and monitoring their diet. They are also generally responsible for their client’s basic healthcare needs. Beyond this, carers provide their clients with valuable companionship and ensure that they have a positive quality of life by organising outings and visits from family and friends as appropriate.

The role of a live-in carer can also entail more complex care responsibilities. Some carers will have received advanced training which allows them to manage particular conditions and administer everyday medical support for clients with more serious conditions such as spinal injuries, dementia and terminal illnesses.

What is included in live-in care?

Depending on the requirements of each individual client, a live-in carer may:

Plan and prepare healthy meals
Help with washing and getting dressed
Carry out personal care and grooming tasks eg. trimming nails or shaving
Take care of housework such as cleaning and laundry
Assist with travel, whether to medical appointments, to visit family and friends, or for shopping and leisure activities
Monitor and administer medication
Take care of wounds like bed sores
Stay in close contact with GPs, district nurses, physiotherapists and other relevant

healthcare professionals and inform them of progress and developments

Provide assistance with mobility around the house
Maintain catheters, colostomy bags, tracheostomies etc
Help with pain management
Provide companionship and support with wellbeing

Transitioning to live-in care

The transition to a higher level of care can always present challenges. While live-in care can be a less daunting alternative to moving into a residential care home, some people may still feel understandably hesitant about having a new person come to live in their home. That’s why it’s so crucial that you are matched with a well trained, compassionate carer who you feel comfortable around and who you can trust.

At ENA, our process for transitioning to live-in care is tried and tested to make sure that everything goes as smoothly as possible.

Our process

Get started in six simple steps.

Step one

Call ENA and speak to one of our friendly care advisors.

Step two

Receive your personalised, no-obligation quotation.

Step three

Book a free care assessment with one of our friendly care advisors. This can either be completed at home or in hospital, if discharging. One of our advisors will visit in person to ask for key information to help build a care plan around your needs, and also complete a home safety check over a nice cup of tea.

Step four

Sign your client onboarding paperwork, including contract and consent form. Pay your deposit and agree a start date for care.

Step five

ENA provides you with profiles of suitably-skilled and experienced carers who they feel could best care for you or your loved one. You can then talk to them in more depth over the phone or Zoom in order to make an informed decision.

Step six

Care commences, with ongoing reviews to ensure you’re happy with our services.

Care assessment and care planning

At ENA, we have a team of experienced industry professionals ready to help you and your family every step of the way. The process starts with a friendly discussion with one of our care advisors, who will listen to your ideas and provide any information you require.

We will then organise a no-obligation assessment of your needs – considering not only your care and support requirements, but also your choices, routines and preferences, to help you live your life the way you always have with the right level of support.

Our care advisor will take the time to really listen to you, in order to create and develop a care plan that suits you. This plan will then guide our live-in carer and other healthcare professionals to provide the care and support you need, as and when you need it.

What do I need to provide my carer with?

We ask that carers have access to their own room for breaks and to sleep, as well as internet access so they are able to complete the necessary paperwork required to manage your care safely. The carer will cook your daily meals and eat with you, if you wish.

Carers will require a three hour break in any 24-hour period, which many clients find is usually best taken when they are resting in the afternoon. If required, some clients will have family visits to cover the break, or we can organise for an hourly carer to cover this too. Alternatively, we can discuss alternative break arrangements when building the care plan to fit around your needs.

Find out more

Read our FAQ section to find out more about ENA’s live-in care service.

What some of our clients have said about our care

“I wanted to write and express my thanks for the fantastic support he received from all the carers. I know that just a few months before his death, he told a friend on the phone how happy he was to live in his own home with his own things around him and such nice people to look after him. On a personal note I’d also like to thank manager Sonia, whose advice and support was immensely valuable to me throughout Dad and Mum’s last years.”

— Ms S, Hertfordshire

“Excellent! Beyond description. Finding such quality care is a nightmare for an elderly person. But I’m here and to my delight, I have found one who in my words employs only Earth Angels. Bravo! Thank you for your kindness, integrity, and compassion. THE BEST of the bunch for sure. Step one…get some.”

— Mr R Q, Hertfordshire

Talk to us about your care needs 01707 333 700

To talk about your care needs, contact one of our friendly team members or email