We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Education

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What Does a Live-In Caretaker Do?

By Ray Hawk
Updated: May 17, 2024
Views: 4,787
Share

A live-in caretaker is someone who lives in the same home as a person who has special assistance needs for daily living, such as the disabled, elderly, or people recovering from debilitating injuries and illnesses. While most live-in caretakers share the home of the individual for whom they care, they may also reside in care facilities that otherwise have limited staff for taking care of individual needs. Home caregivers perform tasks like housekeeping duties, cooking, and assisting their clients with mobility requirements such as assisting them out of beds and wheelchairs or into the seat of vehicles so they can go shopping and perform other routine tasks. The job of a home caretaker can often be confused with a property caretaker, but the latter instead cares for the needs of a building and its residents, including duties like maintenance, landscaping, and basic repairs of plumbing and other mechanical systems.

The live-in caretaker career can be a demanding one, as the individual is often thought of as a personal care aid whose role becomes that of an advisory and socializing one to that of the client, as well as being responsible for household duties. This is because the live-in caretaker often represents the on-site presence of both their employer and any government agencies that perform oversight of vulnerable populations. This can mean that a live-in caretaker has unofficial duties, such as educating his or her client on what constitutes healthy meals and a safe home environment. These unofficial roles for the live-in caretaker may involve becoming an advocate for changes in the home that the client is uncomfortable making. Due to the complex interpersonal roles that a live-in caretaker must fill, the job is often best-suited to individuals who are naturally compassionate, patient, and who find it easy to make friends with their clients and act as their advocates in interaction with authorities and the employer.

Other duties that may be required of a live-in caretaker include communicating with the client's family on his or her behalf and performing basic health care and hygiene for the client, which can involve monitoring vital signs and making sure that medication is taken at the appropriate time. The caretaker may also assist in completing correspondence for the client and helping him or her with a budget as requested, and may be a source of transportation to doctor's appointments or social gatherings. Interaction with the client's family may also involve training them in proper care procedures, as the live-in caretaker may only be serving in a transitional role until the family can take over complete care for the client.

Live-in caretakers typically work full-time in the home and arrange their schedule so that they sleep at the same general time as the client. The caregiver does not become a permanent resident of the home, however, and only takes with him or her the basic clothing and personal items needed to perform day-to-day duties. He or she is then given time off each week that goes beyond the full-time schedule, and is replaced by fill-in caregivers during that time. While the job of a live-in caretaker can be challenging, if the relationship is a positive one between caregiver and client, it can also be personally rewarding and fulfilling.

Share
WiseGeek is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.

Editors' Picks

Discussion Comments
Share
https://www.wisegeek.net/what-does-a-live-in-caretaker-do.htm
Copy this link
WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.