In the light of the recent troubles in the world, namely the Corona Virus, this is a question that a live-in carer may well ask.
Ideally if our clients are admitted to hospital, they get well and come home quickly. Unfortunately, some need to stay in hospital for longer periods of time. Several may also be transferred to Hospices or Care Homes.
As a live-in carer it can be confusing about how often you should visit your client when they are in hospital.
So, how often should you visit?
This largely depends on the condition that your client is in and the reason they were admitted. You should talk to the family or next-of-kin to hear their views about keeping you working (remember that someone is paying you) when you are not actually doing the job they hired you to do.
It is possible that when your client is admitted to hospital the family release the carer from her duties and you are asked to leave the house. This is a valid point on their behalf. Why should they pay someone to stay in the house, and eat for free?
The opposite side of this is that while their loved one is in hospital you are available to be there and keep them updated on the condition. You are also staying in the house so that it is occupied and there is less chance of it being burgled while you are there.
Visiting depends on where the hospital is and how you get there. If the hospital is local and you can reach it quickly, then they may ask you to visit twice a day to encourage eating and simply keep your client entertained. Hospitals can be very lonely places and having a familiar face will be a great comfort to your client.
If the hospital is any distance away, it is unreasonable to expect the carer to travel there and back more than once a day. Unless there is a car available at your client, you will probably be paying travel expenses out of your own pocket. Expecting you to visit and travel more than once a day is unrealistic.
With the increase of so many people who are potential germ spreaders, it is also a valid point that you avoid public transport as much as you can. You may be healthy, but your client is not, and you can easily pass any germs on to them, with bad results.
Hospitals are themselves great places of infection and germs are easily spread. Avoiding them as much as possible gives you a better chance of staying healthy.
To sum up
It is unwise to put yourself at risk of infection because you have been told to visit your client more than once a day. It is also unwise to use public transport to visit as this will increase the risk.
If talking to the family or next-of-kin does not bring a satisfactory result, namely that you take a taxi and visit only once a day, or even every other day, then you should take this up with your agency and ask to be removed. No one is worth becoming ill for, not even your favourite client.
The bottom line here is that if you are not healthy, you will not be able to work, and this is not a situation you need to find yourself in.
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