Au pairs for the elderly? Live in care, the new elderly care solution?

Live in carers for the elderly, although still only catering for a tiny proportion of the older population are now becoming an increasingly mainstream choice.

But the choice between finding a care home for relatives unable to manage on their own and leaving them to struggle on in their home could become a thing of the past amid surging demand for live-in “companion carers”.

Once a virtually unheard-of option, a small network of companies providing full-time live-in carers, say they are experiencing a rise in demand in the wake of waves of scandals about standards in care homes and traditional homecare agencies as well as headlines over soaring fees. According to the Live-in Care Hub, a network of 14 small and medium sized companies offering live-in care set up two years ago to promote the sector at present only around 10,000 families currently make use of it although all have reported growing interest. By comparison, around 290,000 older people in England and Wales live in care homes, according to the last census.

To read more about why live in carers are becoming more sought after – click here.