Guide
24/7 Home Care Services: A Complete Guide to Care at Home
When someone you love needs support day and night, 24/7 home care services can provide reassurance while helping them stay safe, comfortable and independent in their own home.
At Premier Community, care is built around the person. Depending on their needs, support can include personal care, companionship, meal preparation, medication help, mobility support, overnight care or dedicated live-in care.
For many families looking for elderly home care, the goal is simple: give the right level of support and let their loved one stay in the familiar home they know and love.
Some families also compare home health care with non medical home care services before they choose the right support.
What are 24/7 home care services?
24/7 home care means care and support are available throughout the day and night, based on the person’s needs.
Several ways can arrange this. Some people benefit from regular visiting home care during the day, while others need overnight care or the round-the-clock support of a live-in carer.
The right setup depends on the person’s circumstances, routines and level of independence.
24/7 care at home may suit someone who:
- Needs help with personal care or daily routines
- Needs support during the night
- Has mobility problems or needs help moving safely around the home
- Needs regular companionship and reassurance
- Lives with dementia or Parkinson’s
- Is recovering after a hospital stay
- Needs extra support while a family carer takes a break
- Would rather stay at home than move into residential care
The key point is that care should be tailored rather than based only on the number of hours someone needs.
Home care and live-in care: what’s the difference?
Home care and live-in care both support people in their own homes, but the way support is delivered is different.
Visiting home care provides planned visits through the day. A care worker can visit at agreed times to help with personal care, medication, meals, companionship, household tasks and other everyday needs.
Overnight care gives extra support at night. At Premier Community, our Night Owl service runs overnight, giving reassurance and support while you or your loved one sleeps.
Live-in care provides a dedicated carer who lives in the person’s home and offers tailored one-to-one support day and night. It can be an alternative to moving into a care home for people who want to stay in familiar surroundings.
A person may start with visiting care and later need more support as their circumstances change. Their needs may also reduce over time, and the care plan can be reviewed.
What types of home care are available?
Not everyone needs the same support. A good home care plan looks at what help is needed, when it is needed and how that support can build independence.
These are non medical home care services that can make day-to-day life easier while keeping the person in control.
Personal care at home
Personal care supports people with private and important daily routines that may have become harder.
This can include:
- Washing and bathing
- Showering
- Dressing and undressing
- Grooming
- Toileting and continence support
- Medication help
- Moving and handling
- Support with mobility
Personal care should always be given with dignity, respect and care. Whenever possible, the aim is to help people do things for themselves rather than take over.
Home help and domestic support
Sometimes a little practical help around the home can make a big difference.
Home help can include tasks such as:
- Preparing meals and drinks
- Laundry
- Washing dishes
- Light household chores
- Shopping and everyday errands
- Helping keep a comfortable home environment
This kind of support can help someone keep their routine and continue living on their own at home.
Companionship care
Care is not only about practical tasks.
Companion care can provide conversation, social contact and reassurance for someone who lives alone. A care worker may spend time chatting, enjoying hobbies, going with someone on an outing or simply being a familiar and friendly face.
Companionship can also give family members reassurance when they cannot be there as often as they would like.
Overnight care
Some people are fine during the day but need extra support at night.
Overnight care may suit someone who:
- Needs help getting to the bathroom
- Becomes unsettled or confused during the night
- Needs reassurance
- Needs help with their night-time routine
- Has recently returned home from hospital
- Needs extra supervision because of their care needs
Premier Community offers Night Owl service from 10pm to 7am for regular or respite care.
Hospital-to-home care
Returning home after a hospital stay can be hard, especially if someone is less mobile or needs extra help with daily tasks.
Hospital-to-home care can give practical support during recovery and help someone settle back into their normal routine at home.
Support can include personal care, meals, mobility and everyday household tasks, depending on the person’s individual care plan.
Condition-led care
Some people need extra support because of a specific health condition or complex care need.
Premier Community provides condition-led care for people living with a range of conditions and needs, including support with stomas, PEG feeding, Parkinson’s and sensory impairment.
The type of support available depends on the person’s circumstances and the care plan put in place.
When might someone need 24/7 care at home?
There is no one point when someone automatically needs 24/7 care. They should base the decision on their individual needs, safety, and ability to manage everyday life.
Around-the-clock support may be worth considering when:
- Someone is struggling to manage safely on their own
- Family members are providing more and more care
- Night-time support is becoming necessary
- Personal care needs have increased
- Mobility has become harder
- Someone is living with dementia or another condition that needs more support
- A person has returned home after hospital treatment
- A family carer needs regular respite
- Staying at home is important to the person receiving care
For some people, visiting care provides everything they need. For others, overnight or live-in care may be a better level of support.
How do you choose the right home care service?
Choosing home care can feel overwhelming, especially if you are arranging care for a parent or another loved one.
If you are searching for home care services near me, it helps to focus on quality, not just distance.
Start by thinking about what support is actually needed rather than only looking for a set number of care hours.
Ask yourself:
- What tasks are becoming hard?
- Consider personal care, meals, medication, mobility, household tasks and companionship.
- When is support needed?
- Is help needed in the morning, around mealtimes, in the evening or overnight?
- How independent is the person?
- The right care should support independence rather than needlessly taking it away.
- Could their needs change?
- Think about whether they are recovering from an illness or hospital stay, or whether their support needs are slowly increasing.
- Would visiting care or live-in care be a better fit?
- Regular visits may be enough for some people, while others may benefit from the steady presence of a live-in carer.
- What does the care provider offer?
- Look at the provider’s experience, regulated services, care planning, communication and approach to tailored care.
How do I arrange home care?
Arranging home care does not have to be difficult.
At Premier Community, we begin by discussing your situation and the support you or your loved one requires. A free home care assessment can then be arranged with a CQC Registered Manager to help create a tailored care plan.
The process usually involves:
1. Speak to the team
Tell us what is happening and what kind of support you think may be needed.
2. Complete a care assessment
We’ll take the time to understand the person’s needs, routines, preferences and circumstances.
3. Create a tailored care plan
The care plan is built around the person and the support they need.
4. Begin care
Once everything is arranged, our care team can provide the agreed support in the person’s own home.
If you need care urgently, Premier Community also provides emergency home care, aiming to put support in place within as little as 24 hours where possible and where services are available.
Is live-in care an alternative to a care home?
For some people, live-in care can be an alternative to residential care.
Rather than moving into a care home, the person stays in their own home with a dedicated live-in carer providing personal one-to-one support.
This can help someone continue enjoying:
- Their own home and belongings
- Familiar routines
- Their local community
- Time with family and friends
- Their preferred meals and daily routines
- Greater consistency and one-to-one support
Live-in care is a good fit for people who need a higher level of support but want to stay in familiar surroundings.
Why choose Premier Community for care at home?
Premier Community has been providing care in the community for more than 30 years, with services designed to help people stay independent and comfortable in their own homes.
Our senior care services include:
- Visiting home care
- Personal care
- Home help
- Companionship care
- Overnight care
- Hospital-to-home care
- Emergency care
- Condition-led care
- Live-in care
Our approach is centred around the person, with care plans shaped around their needs, routines and preferences.
The same standards also matter for home care services jobs, where training and supervision help staff deliver safe care.
We know that arranging care for yourself or someone you love can be a big decision. Our friendly team is here to answer your questions, talk through your options and help you understand what type of care may be suitable.
Speak to our friendly team today to discuss your home care options.
