During your training to become a live-in carer you may have heard about the ‘Care Plan.’ Even though it will have been discussed several times, you could still have some questions about it.

A Care Plan is intended to address the needs of a person, to provide a safe routine and suggest healthy lifestyles for them that fit their beliefs and personal preferences.

Care Plans are used in several places as well as in the homes of your clients. The Care Plan is a legal document between a client and the agency who undertake to care for them (i.e. using a live-in carer).

Whoever draws up the Care Plan is responsible for the care they have agreed on. They are also responsible for record keeping and a code of conduct. This is the reason why your agency goes into such detail about sticking to the Care Plan with your client.

Although there are several different types of Care Plan which are used across the UK, all of them have three main goals.

• To make sure that the client receives the same level of care from every carer.
• To make sure that the care given is recorded
• To support the client in identifying, managing and handling their problems.

So, who prepares the Care Plan?

It is not up to you to draw up a Care Plan for your client. By the time you arrive at your placement a Care Plan should already be in place.

The Care Plan is an agreement between your agency and your client. Wherever possible the Care Plan is prepared with a client, not for a client.

Points which are taken into account focus on essential care such as nutrition, hygiene, sleeping, mobility and oral care. The Plan should also include sections on fall prevention, communication and psychological needs.  

If you are not working with an agency then you may find that the Care Plan has been drawn up by the next of kin and the District Nurse, both of whom have the best interests of the client in mind.

Where does the carer fit in?

It is your job when you arrive at your placement that you take time to read the Care Plan and adhere to it.

If you find that things have changed and the original Care Plan no longer works, such as in the case of a client becoming less mobile, then you need to report this to your agency as soon as possible so the Care Plan can be altered.

Often the only time the agency knows that things have changed is when the carer tells them. Unfortunately, often carers may not update their agency, thus leaving the outdated Care Plan in place.

How fluid is the Care Plan?

Some agencies review the Care plan every 90 days while others review it twice a year or when they are informed that it needs updating.

The reality is that the Care Plan is a constantly evolving document which you as the live-in carer should update to the best of your ability.

This means that when you notice that something has changed, you should contact your agency or whoever has drawn up the Care Plan for them to adjust it.

 To sum up

While it is not up to you as live-in carer to draw up the Care Plan, it is up to you as first point of contact to keep your agency or the family up to date on changes which should be made.

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