While live-in care can be very rewarding, there are many instances where the carer can easily develop mental health issues.
Not every mental health issue means that we need to see a therapist, although some do. Often mental health issues simply start to affect our everyday lives and performances, making the job of live-in care more difficult than it already is.
Looking after a client can leave one feeling stressed, overwhelmed and absolutely drained. Often one may feel guilty or even angry because of taking care of a client while their own family is without them.
Let’s look at some things that can lead to mental health issues
Is there an age barrier or limit to live-in care? No, the truth is that there is no age limit for a live-in carer, as long as you are fit and healthy enough to do the job. In fact, it is often thought that a mature carer brings a lot more to the table because they are more experienced in life and have been around the block a time or two.
Another advantage of a mature carer is that they may have many more things in common with their client than a younger person will. An older carer may have knowledge of films the client likes to watch, foods they enjoy eating, books they have read because the carer has often enjoyed them as well.
With more than half the population in the UK expected to be 50 years and older by 2030, the DWP is urging people to retain, retrain and recruit older workers, and not write them off because they have reached a certain age.
These days many older people are healthier than previous generations and are able to work later in life, even taking up new careers.
The DWP says that they urge all businesses to reassess the value of older workers. ‘Nobody should write off hiring someone due to their age and it’s unacceptable that some older people are overlooked for roles they would suit completely.’
If you have started to work as a live-in carer through an agency then you will have been given training before allowing you to accept a placement. Bearing in mind that every agency is answerable to the CQC, it is very unlikely that you will be sent to a placement where you will not cope.
That being said, this can and possibly will happen every so often so the onus should be on the carer to find out as much about the placement as possible, and be realistic about whether they can cope or not.
While there are no legal requirements dictating specific qualifications for live-in carers (yes, you read this correctly) obtaining the relevant training is highly recommended and ultimately will be beneficial for the carer.
There are certainly specialist care positions that do require specific training and experience while many others offer any necessary training in house.
Ultimately it lies with the carer as to whether they feel sufficiently experienced for the placement or not.
This is possibly the most common reason for live-in carers to feel mentally stressed out. The simple answer is that in a vast number of placements they truly are undervalued and unappreciated.
This is an appalling point to consider but the reason for it is more complex. The answer is because caring of all types falls into the category of domestic. It is widely accepted that the women in the house take care of the elderly and ill.
In years gone by people who did not have families to take care of them would be placed in institutions, which were often run by nuns or ex domestic maids. Governors would appoint women who had fallen on hard times to take care of others. Basically, they were no more than women seeking to earn their own bed and board.
These days it truly seems as if people want to cash in on the lowly status and keep the care industry on low pay and underappreciation.
In truth, often a care worker without the title of ‘nurse’ is seen as an extension of a domestic.
Little wonder then, that live-in carers feel underappreciated!
This goes hand in hand with being underappreciated. It is often assumed that the live-in carer will work through their break, rather than have a well deserved rest. A carer will frequently be asked to cook huge meals for family as well as their client. They may even be expected to clean up after family and take care of laundry. ‘While you are doing mum’s, would you mind adding ours?’
Yes, this does happen, and unfortunately it happens often. Often enough to exhaust an already overworked carer to the point where they are ready to give up the career of caring.
Often the focus seems to be on the negative aspects of live-in care, even though so many carers find their placements positive and rewarding.
Unfortunately it is all too easy to slip into seeing the negative side of a situation, rather than the positive.
Studies have shown that helping others goes a long way towards being beneficial to health as receiving support. In other words care-giving can make carers feel good about themselves. It can give meaning and purpose to their lives.
Because often the physical side of caring is not addressed, live-in carers may suffer from side effects such as back and knee strains, high blood pressure and stress related issues, along with many other conditions relating to the difficulty in maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Even in the easiest placement there will still be a certain amount of physically demanding situations. Washing, dressing and moving a client around the house can all bring aches and strains to already tired backs and knees.
Additionally remote placements mean that the carer is unable to see a GP if and when they need to. This means that staying healthy and fit are vitally important to mental as well as physical well being.
In order to keep mental health issues at bay, carers should try to stay connected with like minded people. Staying with those who do not appreciate one without any respite is a sure fire way to become stressed and possibly ill.
There are several carer forums where one can meet other people who will likely be in a similar situation and who offer advice and even support when needed.
Additionally, staying connected to a close friend and family member who listens and does not judge is a huge bonus for any live-in carer. It is very easy to become out of touch with those who are close to us because they are far away, but it can be done, and certainly should be a priority.
If you are being taken advantage of, you may want to discuss things sooner rather than later. When with an agency, you should speak to your support team and explain how you feel. Often the agency is unaware of things that transpire in a placement, particularly if other carers do not speak up.
While some carers may not do this for fear of finding themselves out of a placement, it is unfair to let things continue if they are overwhelming and affecting your mental health.
With private placements, speaking to family or clients may resolve a situation that they may be unaware is happening. Either way, it should clear the air and give the carer a chance to set their own boundaries. Often, things simply become a habit, because that's the way they have always been done and no one has stepped up to set things straight.
Mental health is vitally important if a live-in carer is to do their job well, because it can and possibly will affect every other aspect of their life. It certainly has the potential to harm any relationship which can be built between carer and client. For this reason it is vital that any mental health issues are addressed before they become problematic.
If after addressing the issues causing this stress and anxiety, and finding no relief or satisfaction, then perhaps it is time to move on to another placement. No carer should ever feel obligated to stay in a placement where they are treated badly and taken advantage of.
Tags:
© 2025 EJOBBOARD LTD. All Rights Reserved.