What a carer can help with
Carers introduced by LCH Care help with personal care, medication prompts, meals, housework, getting about, errands, appointments, company and nights. You and your carer agree the duties at the start.
Help with daily life
Personal care
Washing, bathing, dressing, grooming and continence care, given with dignity.
Medication
Prompting medication at the right times and helping as agreed in your care arrangement.
Meals and nutrition
Planning and preparing meals, making sure there is enough to drink, and help with eating.
Housekeeping and laundry
Keeping the home clean and tidy, washing, ironing and changing beds.
Moving about safely
Help getting up, moving around the home and in and out of bed, reducing the risk of falls, and using equipment the carer is trained to use.
Shopping and errands
Food shopping, collecting prescriptions, the post office and the bank.
Appointments and outings
Going to the GP, hospital or dentist together, and getting out to the shops, a café or a club.
Nights
Being there through the night, sleeping or awake, depending on the help needed.
A day of care: visits or live-in
With hourly visits
- A 2-hour morning visit: getting up, washing, dressing, breakfast and medication prompts
- A 2-hour afternoon visit: shopping or an appointment, then an early dinner
- Family or friends cover the rest of the day and night
With live-in care
- Help through the morning, meals and housework
- Outings, visitors or hobbies in the afternoon, after the carer's break
- Dinner, getting ready for bed, and someone in the home overnight
How duties are agreed
With LCH Care, the carer is self-employed and the care arrangement is between you and your carer. You agree the duties and routine at the start, and change them together as needs change. LCH Care introduces the carer; we don't manage or supervise the care they give.
Be clear about everything that is needed, including nights, so we introduce carers who are right for the job. If your relative needs help several times a night, one live-in carer can't safely cover both days and nights, so two carers or waking-night cover may be needed.
What carers don't do
- Clinical tasks such as injections, wound care or managing a catheter, which need a suitably trained person
- Tasks they are not trained or confident to do safely
- Anything outside what you have agreed together
If a carer is asked to do something they are unsure about, they will speak to you and to LCH Care first.
Write the duties down
Before care starts, agree and write down:
- The tasks for each visit or each day
- Medication your relative takes, and what prompting is needed
- Food preferences, allergies and any special diet
- What your relative likes to do for themselves
- Who to contact, and when, if something changes
This makes the start smooth and helps if another carer covers.
Questions
Can a carer give medication?
Carers can prompt medication and help as agreed in your care arrangement. Injections and complex clinical tasks need a suitably trained person.
Can a carer do housework?
Yes. Housekeeping and laundry are common parts of care, agreed with your carer.
Can a carer drive my relative to appointments?
Carers can go to appointments with your relative. Agree how you will travel, and any travel arrangements, directly with your carer before care starts.
Who decides what the carer does?
You and your carer agree the duties and routine at the start. LCH Care introduces the carer but does not manage the care.
Can a carer look after pets?
Many carers are happy to help with pets, such as feeding or a short walk. Agree it with your carer, and tell us about pets when you enquire.
Can a carer cook for a special diet?
Yes. Tell us about the diet, allergies and preferences, and agree meals with your carer.
Can a carer stay overnight?
Yes. Overnight care can be a sleeping night or a waking night, and live-in carers sleep in the home.