This is a question that many new live-in carers may ask, and it is a very valid one so let’s look at the ideal time frame for a live-in carer to be with the same client.

Is there an ideal time?

The answer to this is that yes, there is an ideal time for you to be with the same client before it is time to move on.

The time frame differs from carer to carer and what may work for your friend may simply not work for you. Each carer is different and has a different threshold. Neither is right or wrong, this is important to remember.

When you first start out in your live-in care career you will probably be eager to both see other clients and other places. You may gladly go from one end of the country to the other where the agency decides to send you. This is a good idea as you will soon have a variety of experience which can only stand you in good stead for other clients.

After travelling to and from many different clients in a variety of places, you may well find that you look forward to staying in one place with one client for a longer length of time. This is perfectly normal as travelling can be very tiring. The longer you are a live-in carer the less inclined you may be to schlep your bags up and down the country.

So, how long should you stay with the same client?

Most live-in carers can easily manage to stay with the most problematic of clients for three or four weeks. Lucky for those carers with clients that they get on with as staying for longer times does not pose an issue. You may find that you are comfortable staying up to six weeks and sometimes longer.

The question to ask is when it is best to leave. The best time is when you start to feel run down, extra tired or irritable with your client. You may after a long time find that you are more prone to tears and become irked by things which never seemed to bother you. The family seem to be making too many demands on you and you start to resent their interference.

It is time to look for another placement or take a break if you can, when you know that you are not doing your job as best you can. This happens through no fault of your own, it happens because your body is telling you that it needs to rest or should move away from a situation.

Of course, with the Corona Virus, things are very different, and many live-in carers are asked to stay longer simply to prevent another carer spreading germs picked up when travelling. This is a time when you should sit yourself down and realistically evaluate your position.

Even with a client who exhausts your patience, and family who may not appear to like you, you may be wiser staying where you are to keep yourself and your client in good health.

Moving away to another placement requires that you travel, often through large cities and on trains. This may place you at great risk to become ill yourself.

To sum up

Sometimes it is better to stay were you are for an extra period and until you can safely travel elsewhere, than to risk your own health and move into a hotel or bed and breakfast.

Remember that if you get ill, you will not be able to work for a good amount of time. Sometimes better the devil you know, than to go looking for extra trouble.

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