You have noticed your loved one’s recent decline, whether sudden or progressive. Things are getting a little more dire than before. You’ve had home care before – just a few hours a week- but it is clearly insufficient now. You wonder whether it’s time for round-the-clock care?
Here’s what families need to know.
Understanding What 24/7 Care Offers
24/7 care means a caregiver is present in the home at all times, day and night, rather than dropping in for a few hours. It typically covers:
- **Personal care**: bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, and mobility assistance
- **Safety supervision**: preventing falls, wandering, or accidents, especially overnight
- **Medication reminders**: making sure medications are taken correctly and on schedule
- **Meal preparation** and help with eating
- **Light housekeeping** and laundry
- **Companionship**: conversation, activities, and emotional support
- **Coordination**: communicating with family and, when needed, medical providers
24/7 care is usually delivered either by a rotating team of caregivers working shifts, or by live-in caregivers who reside in the home. It is not the same as skilled nursing care, though caregivers can work alongside home health nurses when medical needs are present.
Deciding When It Is Time to Move a Loved One From Part-Time Help to 24/7 Care
Part-time help — a few hours a day or a few days a week — works well when a loved one is mostly independent but needs support with specific tasks, like errands, medication reminders, meal preparation, light housekeeping, or a few hours of companionship.
Here are the signs to watch for to decide if it is time to move to 24/7 care. Some are physical, and others are cognitive. Your loved one could be experiencing one or more of these.
✅ **Nighttime risk**: wandering, confusion, or falls after dark
✅ **Frequent falls or medical emergencies**
✅ **Declining safety awareness**: leaving the stove on, wandering outside, getting lost
✅ **Progressive cognitive decline**, such as advancing Alzheimer’s or dementia, where supervision needs no longer fit into a part-time window
✅ **Inability to be left alone safely**, even briefly
If you find yourself consistently worrying about “what happens between family member and caregiver visits“, and you have been trying to make these gaps as short as possible, it could be a sign that part-time help is no longer enough.
Finding the Right 24/7 Care for Your Loved One
There are two common paths: either hiring an independent caregiver directly or working with a licensed home care agency.
Deciding Between an Agency or an Independent Caregiver
- Independent caregivers can cost less, but the family is responsible for finding, vetting, and training them, and the family becomes the employer — responsible for payroll taxes, liability insurance, background checks, and scheduling backup coverage. The family will need to hire several caregivers to cover for the extensive care needed (overtime pay is real). And if a caregiver calls in sick or quits, the family is on the hook for finding a replacement…immediately.
- Agencies handle recruiting, screening, background checks, training, supervision, payroll, and backup staffing. Agencies are also responsible for having continuity of care and ensuring that care is continually offered at all times. There is a cost to cover these legal and administrative burdens, but families may find it well worth the peace of mind.
Deciding on the Number of Caregivers for Continuous Care
For true 24/7 coverage, most families need a rotation of 4 to 6 caregivers to cover day, evening, and overnight shifts. This gives caregivers the opportunity to work sustainable hours, allowing for higher-quality and uninterrupted care over time. An agency would take care of finding your caregivers; alternatively, families can hire (vet and train) caregivers and juggle schedules for continuous care.
Choosing An Agency
If you decide to go for an agency, ask these questions of all agencies you’ll interview.
- What is the caregiver vetting process (background checks, references, competency testing, etc.)
- How do they match caregivers to clients’ personalities and needs?
- What is the backup coverage policy if a caregiver is sick or unavailable
- How do they communicate with families?
- What are the reviews and references from current or past clients?
- What type of supervision is offered? (Does a nurse or care manager check in regularly?)
- State license number and how long they’ve operated in your area
- The cost for care
Remember that the cost of care may be commensurate with its quality. While you may not have to choose the agency that charges the most, remember the adage “you get what you pay for”.
Tracking the Quality of Work of Caregivers
This may be easier with agencies than with independent caregivers.
Reputable agencies build in several levels of accountability that you can check when choosing the right agency for your needs:
- Plan of Care with clearly documented tasks for each visit
- Quality of communication, both via a family portal as well as timely email/calls on important issues from the agency
- Application that tracks the visit, checklist of tasks accomplished during it; general visit notes, as well as exact times of arrival and departure (aka Electronic visit verification (EVV) and that is accessible to the family
- Regular quality assurance supervisory visits from a case manager or nurse
- Swift resolution of issues that arise.
How Much Does It Cost?
Costs can vary based on cognitive care needs and medical complexity, but around-the-clock care comes with a hefty price tag. Agencies should be able to explain to families the type of care they offer, the quality of caregivers, and the certainty of coverage they offer. Always request a free consultation before making a decision.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Are the Benefits of 24/7 House Care Services?
There are many advantages to 24/7 care. First, it provides unparalleled oversight. Having eyes on your loved ones at all times is needed in some circumstances, and 24/7 care provides that level of care.
What Qualifications Should Caregivers Have for 24/7 Home Care?
24/7 caregivers should provide a higher level of care and be of a higher caliber than other caregivers. How does it translate into qualifications? 24/7 caregivers should offer a mix of soft and hard skills. Of course, compassion tops the list. But our agency looks for a very specific set of skills. Attentiveness and the ability to understand the needs of the care recipient. Communication skills: ability to “read the room” and respond to the personality of the client with conversations that match the client’s mood and experience. We also look for caregivers who are proactive in their care and can anticipate problems before they arise and escalate these to our team and family for a prompt resolution.
Will Medicare Pay for 24-Hour Home Care?
Sadly, Medicare does not cover 24-hour home care. In truth, Medicare covers home care only in rare exceptions. One of the most notable exceptions is the Medicare GUIDE program, which offers free 76 hours of respite care for people with dementia. See more information here.
What Does a 24-Hour Caregiver Do?
Caregivers for 24/7 will often attend to personal care needs, such as bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, mobility assistance, and assistance with eating. They will invariably be on high alert for safety, whether it is preventing falls, wandering, or accidents, at any time of the day or night. Very often, they will ensure that medications are taken at the correct times. Through individualized companionship, they will ensure the well-being of the person, whether the person is on hospice care or not, and will provide the needed emotional support.
They may also help with meal preparation and/or light housekeeping and will enter detailed notes about their visits for transparency and communication.
Start Receiving 24/7 Home Care in Murray, UT
If you’re noticing the signs that part-time help is no longer enough, you don’t have to navigate this decision alone. Assisting Hands of Greater Murray can offer support for you and your loved ones. Reach out to a member of our caring team to talk through your loved one’s needs and learn whether 24/7 home care is the right next step for your family. You can start by following these simple steps:
Other Services Offered with Assisting Hands Home Care
The team at Assisting Hands Home Care is happy to offer support in a variety of ways, in addition to support for caregivers and their loved ones with in-home care. We provide a full range of compassionate, professional in-home care services, including long-term care insurance advocacy, Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care, aging in place, Parkinson’s Home Care, Stroke Recovery Home Care, and Orthopedic Home Care Services. We also provide Personal Care & Grooming, Meal Preparation, Light Housekeeping, and Grocery Shopping & Errands.
For families navigating life transitions, we offer Transitional Care, Hospice Support Services, and Coordination of Care services. We also proudly serve Veterans through our Veterans Aid & Assistance program, and offer Companionship and Fall Prevention services. Whatever your family’s needs look like, Assisting Hands is here to help. Explore our full list of services or contact us today for more helpful information!
