Live in care is a culturally sensitive alternative to care homes for South Asians living in London. The population of London is aging and that is the same within South Asian communities that live there (Cambridge University Press).
Tradition places value on family-based elder care and that can be a challenge for modern urban lifestyles. Our purpose at Jothno Care is to provide live-in care that is a respectful and culturally sensitive alternative to care homes.
Understanding live-in care
Live in care is when a professional carer lives in the elderly person’s home, providing round-the-clock support with daily tasks, personal care and companionship. It can ease the burden of loneliness when an elderly person lives alone.
Carers provide assistance with everyday living. This can include help with getting up, getting dressed, washing and bathing, laundry, light housework, cooking, eating or feeding, going to the toilet and dealing with incontinence issues.
The benefit of live-in care over a care home is that the elderly person can remain in a familiar environment, keep to their usual routine and receive personal attention. Moving to a care home can be disconcerting for elders and can provide a disconnect from family, friends and neighbours.
More importantly, care homes are set up to provide community benefits and the routine is often set in a particular pattern. Staying at home reduces anxiety and confusion.
Why South Asian families sometimes hesitate to use external care
There is a cultural stigma attached to using external care providers within the South Asian community in London. It is seen as the family’s role to care for elders. The perception of doing our duty can lead relatives to feel shame and fear of community judgement if they do not provide care at home.
This is not always practical in modern London life. Households are smaller, many who live in the city have demanding careers and have less time available to help with hands-on care. The reality is that times have changed.
There are also some language and cultural barriers to accessing mainstream care services, unless they are specifically designed to care for South Asians.
How live-in care helps South Asian elders
Live in care helps South Asian elders and their families. The carers become a ‘family’ and they are used to the individual needs of the elderly person they look after. Care plans can be tailored to specific routines and personal preferences, just like a family adjusts to suit its members.
“Finding a care provider who treats your loved ones like their own family is rare, but that’s exactly what we found with Jotho Care and Support. Their personalised approach to care has made a world of difference to my mother’s quality of life. The carers are not only highly skilled but also incredibly compassionate. Knowing she is in such capable and caring hands gives our family immense peace of mind. Thank you, Jotho, for being more than just a care agency; you are part of our family now.” – Mohammed M
Live-in carers provide one-to-one care that is personalised in a way that one-to-many care cannot be. This is particularly useful when there is cultural and religious sensitivity around diet, language and festivals.
Jothno Care & Support can match carers with users who speak South Asian languages (Arabic, Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi, Bengali, Gujarati, etc) and similar religions.
The comfort of being able to stay in their own home, with their familiar furniture and objects is beneficial to the elderly. They have often lived in the same home for many years and they have friends in the local community. It makes it easier for friends and family to visit elders in their own home.
Elders who live at home can access the community and take part in local religious and cultural activities. They can continue to attend services at their local mosque, mandir or gurdwara and continue to follow the practices.
Maintaining this connection to home helps them to stay independent for as long as possible and live-in care allows them to remain autonomous and make decisions about their daily life, with support when they need it.
Live-in care is particularly cost effective if an elderly couple lives together. In any case, elders don’t need to sell the family home to arrange for live in care to get the help they need to continue to live independently.
Live-in care provides a way to support – not replace – the family’s efforts. It ensures that elders receive the best care without guilt. We work with families to meet the needs of elderly relatives and we include them in discussions about care requirements, communicating with the family around any areas of concern.
Our professional carers are trained to handle complex needs including dementia, mobility issues and safely assisting with personal care. We have an ongoing training program to ensure our carers are up to date and competent.
Families sometimes worry about having a live-in carer moving into the family home. We are experts in arranging a smooth transition and care can be arranged quite quickly. We will communicate with the family all the practical arrangements that are required.
Always choose a live-in care agency that is culturally aware, and discuss any preferences for language, food, religious observance and daily routines with them.
Live-in care for the elderly
We provide live-in care for the elderly across London and our care team is diverse. This allows us to match carers with families so that they are a comfortable fit. If you have any specific requirements, talk to the care team at our head office and ask if we can help with your particular needs.
Live-in care provides a culturally sensitive alternative for South Asian elders living in London. It helps them to remain in their family home, among their family surroundings, which reduces confusion and anxiety.
This means they can stay connected to their local communities, activity groups, and continue to worship at the same place. This helps them to maintain their independence for as long as possible.
Live-in care supports the family’s care, so that there is no need to feel guilty about busy modern life or ashamed about accessing professional care. Professional carers are the most qualified to provide safe support in the home, especially when there are complex needs.
Our care teams see themselves as a partnership with the family. They often become an integral part of the family over time, as they care for elderly people in their homes.