Introduction
Hourly (or visiting) care, in the context of domiciliary care, refers to care which is provided on an hourly, visiting basis, where a professional carer visits the service user’s home to provide support with daily tasks, often for a specified number of hours in a day.
This in contrast to live-in care as it is not around the clock, and its timeframe is limited, conversely, to a few (to several) specified hours of the day; most importantly, the professional carer does not live in the home of the service user, but instead visits the service user, typically on a regular basis.
This article aims to explore what hourly (or visiting) care is, its benefits and in which cases hourly/visiting care is most appropriate.
What is Hourly (Visiting) Care?
In essence, hourly care is a flexible option, which can be personalised and tailored to the individual needs of the service user, encompassing the frequency and duration of hourly care itself, to the specific tasks which service users request help with. Hourly care focuses on providing in-home support, in order that service users receive care in a familiar environment in the comfort of their own home.
At Tidal Living, the number of hours of care that a service user receives in hourly care is tailored to their circumstances and preferences/needs; this can range from a few hours per week, to multiple visits by care workers within a day timeframe.
In hourly care, our trained professional carers provide you with support with daily tasks such as personal care, including housekeeping/household chores, meal preparation and medication prompting/reminders, in addition to companionship.
Benefits of Hourly (Visiting) Care
Hourly care provides a number of benefits, or advantages, including maintenance of service user independence, promoting their wellbeing, the opportunity for care to be personalised, or tailored, better to service users’ needs and, importantly, respite for family members and close friends, who often act as unpaid carers for service users, allowing them to maintain their own lives outside of looking after a dependent family member/friend.
As hourly care entails professional carers (hourly carers) visiting the service user’s home, this facilitates in-home care delivery which allows for service users to receive care and support in familiar surroundings in the comfort of their own home. This is not only reassuring, but allows the service user to continue routines or lifestyle activities they would otherwise find harder (or impossible to) continue in a residential setting.
Thus, hourly care facilitates service users to maintain their daily routines, engaging in the activities they usually engaged in prior to care and thereby maintaining their independence.
The care worker(s) who visit the service user can also provide companionship to the service user, as well as supporting them to engage in social events and other opportunities for social interaction (for example, by helping them to visit a fair or go to the local coffee shop), thereby providing service users with support to pursue social engagements and remain connected with their wider communities.
This fosters, ultimately, service users’ mental and emotional wellbeing, as hourly carers can support service users to enjoy their favourite activities, including social engagements, in turn contributing to a more engaging, fulfilling life.
Finally, hourly care can provide respite for family or friends who act as caregivers for vulnerable adults; hourly care provides them with a break from looking after them, as hourly carers will look after them instead, reducing their burden and stress as a result. As hourly carers are professionally trained, this can also provide family and friends with peace of mind that the person they are caring for is being looked after by experienced, trained carers.
When is Hourly Care Most Beneficial?
Generally, hourly care is most beneficial when individuals require assistance with specific tasks at certain times of the day, but can independently manage most other tasks otherwise.
Hourly care is also ideal for service users who require immediate, short-term support, for example after hospital discharge, when a family carer is taking a vacation or other form of break, or after the onset of an illness, new injury or other acute health issue.
For individuals who require part-time care and support for specific needs, hourly in-home care is cost effective compared to residential care, as care is provided in the service user’s own home and does not incur extra residential costs.
As discussed, hourly care can provide respite for family members, or friends, who are primary caregivers for vulnerable adults, offering them a break from their caregiving responsibilities in addition to peace of mind that they are being looked after by professional carers.
