What Is Emergency Live-In Care?

The typical process a person needs to take to arrange live-in care for themselves or someone they know is a somewhat involved process involving several different groups.

It often incorporates a needs assessment, medical and social care professionals, who look at a person’s circumstances, how they can meet their own needs and other important, relevant information before identifying the types of care that would be most suitable.

In some cases, however, such as after a medical emergency or tragedy, a live-in carer needs to start sooner than would be typical through a needs assessment and without the prior arrangements that would be typical for respite care.

These circumstances can include an injury or fall that causes immediate effects, the recurrence of a previous debilitating illness or a typical carer such as a family member having an urgent situation to attend to.

Emergency home care can also be arranged in cases where people spend a short time in hospital to ensure that they can be discharged as soon as they are ready and return to their home with the support they need.

The primary change seen with emergency home care compared to the usual live-in carer approach is time; emergency care will expedite the typical process, with a support plan being developed based on care needs before suitable carers arrive.

Outside of this establishment process, the fundamental care is the same between emergency care and other forms of live-in care, including the ability to have specialised care in one’s own home, flexibility and the potential for 24-hour care or night care.

These arrangements are typically undertaken for as long as they are needed whilst the person recovers, and near the end of that period, a needs assessment is typically undertaken to discuss and make arrangements for the next stage of care and ensure there is continuity throughout the process.