Cost of night carers Somerset

[Ruth Mckenzie]

We have started to need to bring in night carers for our mum, but there seems to be a huge discrepancy in the charges.
we need care from 22.00-08.00 and mum is only up 2 or 3 times for the bathroom.
Our understanding is that the upper amount for microcarers at night is around £150? But some are asking much more then that.
Could anyone advise us. We are keen to do the right thing by our carers, but want to be fair to all.

 

[Collywobbles]

We have started to need to bring in night carers for our mum, but there seems to be a huge discrepancy in the charges.
we need care from 22.00-08.00 and mum is only up 2 or 3 times for the bathroom.
Our understanding is that the upper amount for microcarers at night is around £150? But some are asking much more then that.
Could anyone advise us. We are keen to do the right thing by our carers, but want to be fair to all.

This sounds what’s termed “waking care”, where carers will stay awake all night, rather than just waiting to be woken up if your Mum stirs, which might be dangerous if they miss it. As such, it’s considerably more expensive than daytime care.

I’ve not heard of microcare before.

 

[Rayreadynow]

Care Home rates are approx £1200-1400 per week so maybe you need to do a comparison? But the rates I have seen are between £12-£20 per hour for between 9-12 hour shifts. Is it absolutely necessary at the moment?

 

[SAP]

I guess it depends if you need carers to be awake all night or to be on call and wake up as required. I think most agency will allow for up to two disruptions a night after that it’s night waking care ( I.e carer stays awake all through the night) and this is considerably more expensive.

 

[Ruth Mckenzie]

This sounds what’s termed “waking care”, where carers will stay awake all night, rather than just waiting to be woken up if your Mum stirs, which might be dangerous if they miss it. As such, it’s considerably more expensive than daytime care.

I’ve not heard of microcare before.

Thank you all for replying. I may have got the terms wrong (beginners) Mum is not awake all night, but gets up to the loo (next to her room) 2 or 3 times a night. Micro care is specific to Somerset I think. Mum is supported in her home by 3 short/long visits a day - then night care. We introduced night care because mum had an event when she became very ill during the night and was extremely confused and anxious, paramedics were called. Night carers use a baby alarm and a mat that alarms, so they do not need to stay awake all night.

 

[Ruth Mckenzie]

Mum wishes to stay in her own home and we are doing all we can to fulfil this promise

 

[albo]

For what it's worth I have a list of prices for my area, Home care is £23.07 an hour,then it also has a figure for a waking night service which is £19.88 then a sleeping night service at £10.34 .You're doing a good job trying to help your mum a lot of people are looked after at home like my mother is but she only has 4 day visits as I'm her full time carer too so I'm there at night.Mum pays for all of her care and those rates are the LA rates as they are the people that originally arranged the care so it's a bit cheaper than if we paid the care company directly.

 

[canary]

I have a list of prices for my area, Home care is £23.07 an hour,then it also has a figure for a waking night service which is £19.88 then a sleeping night service at £10.34 .

Thats odd. I have a list of prices in my area and the night price is a fair bit more than the day

 

[JennieAnn]

Hi, Dad lives in Somerset and we have looked at the Micro Providers in the past. As I understand it they are self employed rather than through a Care provider company. I expect their skills, qualifications, experience will reflect some of what they charge as well as market forces, and the anti-social hours. The cost of someone with an expectation of one nightly wake up is less then a 2-3, etc,. This is the same should we request this through our care provider. This doesn't help you much though, sorry.

 

[Violet Jane]

In my experience, waking night care is not much less expensive than live-in care. Live-in carers aren't expected to get up more than twice a night.

It sounds as if your mother is on the boundary between 'sleeping' night care and waking night care. Ask each agency or carer exactly what service she will be providing and, if it's sleeping night care, how many times she will get up and whether there are any other conditions attached to the care e.g. bedtime, how long the disruptions can last.