In our day-to-day work, we speak to so many people — GPs, district nurses, social workers, care coordinators — and more often than not, our conversations end with the same line: “If you need anything, just give us a call.”
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In live-in care, we as carers are often the one constant in a person’s life, which means we are usually the first to notice when something feels wrong. This is why safeguarding in adult social care is such a crucial part of our role. It is our duty of care to support every individual’s fundamental right to live safely, free from fear, harm, or neglect. Whether you are a carer, family member, neighbour, or member of the wider community, safeguarding is a shared responsibility.
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Working in social care means not only treating people with compassion and dignity but also understanding the legal framework that underpins everything we do. Every carer should know the law behind care — the legislation that protects both the individual receiving care and the person providing it.
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I have been re-reading Anna Arstein-Kerslake’s book, Restoring Voice to People with Cognitive Disabilities. And it has made me reflect on the adults I care for as a live-in carer. Many of the individuals live with cognitive disabilities such as dementia or the after-effects of a stroke. Although their situations may not precisely align with the examples in the book, the central principle still applies. We must see each person as a whole individual, not as a diagnosis or condition.
I’ve entered a strange stage of life where I find myself constantly reflecting on ageing—and realising that time moves unforgivingly fast. I notice how easily we rush through our days without paying attention to the little things, which often mean more than anything else. I see how strong, capable people eventually reach a point where they become dependent on us—the carers.
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You know what really gets me? When people talk about getting older, they always throw around numbers – like turning 70 or 80 is some deadline where everything falls apart. But working in live-in care has completely changed how I see all this.
Continue reading “Ageing Isn’t Just About Age—It’s About Ability, Dignity, and Voice”Sharing is caringYou know what’s weird? I’ve probably talked more about incontinence problems, memory hiccups, feeling lonely, and what people want when they’re dying than most of my friends ever will. That’s just part of the job when you’re living in someone’s home, helping them through their later years.
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As a live-in carer, I often encounter situations where our well-meaning actions can unintentionally take away independence rather than support it. To counter this, I recently created a Benable list of independent living aids that, in my experience, encourage independence and give individuals back a sense of control over their lives.
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When the rest of the country is switching off, lighting barbecues, or heading to the coast for a long weekend, live-in carers are often still very much on. Bank holidays, while a welcome break for many, can look very different when you’re working in someone’s home — especially when that home is also your workplace. That’s the reality of bank holidays and live-in care: while others celebrate, our work continues.
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When you live and work in someone’s home, the ability to “switch off” can be very challenging. Taking breaks in live-in care is not always straightforward — the person you’re looking after may find endless reasons why they need you right this minute. Sometimes it’s not even them, but an unusual sound in the house that makes you double-check all is well.
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