This article takes an in-depth look at the model of live-in care, and the process and nuances of getting live in-care correctly set up and operational in home for yourself or your loved one. We are experts who have been serving the Dallas and Ft. Worth areas with live-in care for 16 years.
The live-in care model allows your loved-one to receive care in the comfort of their own home and in familiar surroundings in a 24/7 approach. An experienced and compassionate live-in caregiver is critical to success and can make a huge difference in maintaining your loved-one’s dignity and quality of life during a challenging time in their life.
The following is intended to serve as directional guidance. Please contact us to discuss your specific situation and we will be happy to provide personalized guidance.
When is Live-In Care Model Needed?
A few scenarios where the live-in care model is beneficial are outlined below. The need for 24/7 live-in care is very important to keep patients safe, and of equal importance, to support their spouses and family members. Progressive conditions outlined below require timely intervention with live-in care to diminish critical hospitalization risks like falls, etc.
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- Moderate to advanced stages of Alzheimer’s – symptoms of this include disorientation, mood/ behavioural changes, paranoia, difficulty eating, sleeping, and walking.
- Moderate to advanced stages of Parkinson’s – symptoms of this include rigidity in limbs, potential involuntary movements, difficulty eating, speaking, walking, and high fall risk
- Moderate to Advanced stages of Dementia – symptoms of this include Motor skill deterioration, hallucinations, delusions, verbal outbursts, and sleep disturbance
- Limited Mobility and high fall risk – patients with conditions like advanced Parkinson’s, paralysis, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, dementia, Alzheimer’s, and stroke will usually have limited and restrictive mobility and need 24/7 supervision to keep them safe, avoid any readmission triggers.
- Orthopaedic Procedures –
- Recovery from Joint replacement or spine-related surgery, procedures to treat osteoporosis or osteoarthritis, etc.
- Cancer patients – Patients currently undergoing treatment for cancer, or with advanced stage cancer requiring 24/7 care and support even during relapse stages. Also, their considerations for diet and medications and the combination of both typically require a lot of specialized knowledge and experience to help them stay safe despite reduced immunity and physical strength.
Live-In Care Model – Outlined
The live-in care model consists of having a caregiver available in your home for 24/7 care. The caregiver lives in your home and helps the client with all key aspects of their daily care, living, and activities. The duration for each stay (or shift) can range from 3 to 7 days. We typically plan for a team of 2 complementary and similarly skilled caregivers tag-teaming with each other to provide 24/7 care. One potential scenario is to have the first caregiver staying for 3 days and the second caregiver staying on shift for the following 4 days. Another scenario is 7 on – 7 off where one caregiver stays for 7 days, and the second caregiver takes over for the next 7 days.
Live-in care provides a reliability and quality of care that is unmatched. The one-on-one attention to a client provided by a live-in caregiver can lead to a superior quality of life, and improved clinical outcomes for your loved one when compared to an assisted living model or even a daily, hourly (averaging 4-8 hours) home care model.
Live-in caregivers deliver several benefits including:
- Personal care
- Physical support
- Mobility aid
- Arranging and accompanying patients on special transportation
- Assisted feeding
- Meal preparation specific to the patients’ dietary needs
- Mental and emotional well-being
- Companionship
The Right Live-in Caregiver
Live-in caregivers are highly capable and specialized individuals. We believe they require a different set of skills, stamina, and success criteria than hourly caregivers. A good comparison to help understand the difference better is to compare experienced basketball players to experienced baseball players – both are extremely capable but have a unique skill set.
The best live in caregivers have a balanced combination of endurance, empathy, experience, and expertise to be successful in this line of work. They typically work in teams of 2-3 individuals. Each caregiver works a continuous shift of 72 hours up to 96 hours and is relieved by their team member. This ensures care with NO gaps in coverage, and continuity in the quality of care with the same 2-3 caregivers who are thoroughly familiar with the patient’s case.
Due to their specialized level of care, live-in caregivers are expert individuals with a breadth of experience in multiple medical conditions, and lengthy tenure in the caregiving field. Live-in caregivers are exclusively committed to their roles and maintain a high-level of stamina in caring for their patients. Their priority is to ensure that the patient’s needs are being met promptly and proactively.
At Care Mountain, our 10+ years of hiring, and placing live-in caregivers across DFW has led us to create a rigorous and detailed framework we use to screen all potential candidates.
- Hiring only candidates with previous live-in care experience
- Conducting thorough background checks, both state and national
- Go beyond basic reference checks to speak with previous clients and families for feedback
- Criteria for a successful candidate focuses on the caregiver’s personality, punctuality, leadership skills, communication, and ability to work well in a dynamic, team-based environment where quick decision making and previous knowledge counts.
- Every caregiver must appear for an in- person practical interview where they demonstrate necessary skills like lifting hospital beds, operating a Hoyer Lift, physical strength, and endurance to help patients with limited mobility, or advanced Parkinson’s etc.
Central Operations in Live-in Care
The Care Mountain administrative office team diligently works to place each caregiver on a team with like-minded and similarly skilled individuals. This operations function is integral to our goal of providing quality live-in care and critical to smooth functioning of a 24/7 care model with NO gaps in coverage. Every client is matched with expert and personalized caregivers who are experienced in their specific field and work together effectively. It’s important to note that hourly caregivers are never placed on a live-in care team and vice versa. All caregivers are hired specially for each type of care, specific conditions, and work only in specialized teams.
Alternatives for Live-in Care in DFW
The expansion of the Metroplex, combined with both an influx of new residents and aging existing residents makes the DFW home care market diverse and spread across a large area. The evolving DFW healthcare industry has seen the addition of multiple Assisted Living Facilities across the Metroplex. While Assisted Living Facility’s quality and staffing ratios vary (between 1 caregiver to 10-15 clients), Care Mountain works hand in hand with many of these facilities to provide additional 1-1 care to residents in these facilities when appropriate.
At Care Mountain, our live-in caregiving model has been successful for more than a decade now due to its 1:1 client: caregiver ratio and the strong degree of personalization we deliver and sustain. Our low caregiver turnover rate of only 4% is a direct result of a well-planned environment and understanding the needs of clients throughout DFW. Caregivers are knowledgeable and prepped to meet their client’s expectations. In turn, they are supported by the back-end team at Care Mountain.
2022-03-15 04:15:16
Live-in Home Care in DFW – The Process and Nuances to a Successful Experience
Gagan Bhalla is the Executive Director of Care Mountain Home Health Care. For over 20 years, Care Mountain has offered dedicated expertise in senior in-home care in the Dallas Fort Worth area. Managing eight locations across Texas, Gagan has committed his life to enhancing the well-being of seniors and their families needing home health care. Through insightful articles and blogs, he shares his wealth of knowledge, empowering families to make informed decisions about home care. Trust Gagan’s experience to guide you on the path to compassionate and professional senior care.