Many couples hope to grow old together, but as our frailty increases and health declines, this can seem an increasingly impossible wish.
This is especially true when one person’s health starts to decline significantly, and the other person is left trying to care for them. Often, the only solution may seem to be for the person who needs additional care to move out of the home and into a care facility where they can get the support they need. But this needn’t be the case as it is possible to remain together with live-in care for couples.
Below, we explore the benefits of getting care together and share the different options for couple care, including bespoke couple home care and how it could help ensure that you and your loved one receive the necessary care you both need.
What is couple care?
Couple care allows you to continue living with your partner while receiving the care and support you need. It can be provided in some care home settings, but couple care at home, where you and your loved one receive support in the home you love, is becoming the preferred option for many.
The type of care available for couples will depend on both your needs, but usually, it can be arranged so that even if one of you has more complex needs, you both receive the support you need to live well. This can range from help with day-to-day tasks like washing, dressing and toileting to assistance with taking medications.
Another benefit of couple care is that if one of you is still active, you can take time out to continue doing the activities you love, knowing that your partner will be cared for while you are out.
What are the benefits of couples receiving care together?
When considering whether individual or couple care is the best option for you and your loved one, it’s important to consider the benefits of receiving care together.
Some of the benefits of couple care include:
Positive impact on emotional well-being
Having to separate from a loved one can be incredibly tough emotionally, especially for couples who have lived together for most of their lives. Staying together and receiving care as a couple reduces this emotional upheaval and ensures that you can continue positively impacting each other’s emotional well-being.
More quality time spent together
Couple care not only enables you to stay together for longer but also allows you to enjoy more quality time together. With many day-to-day chores or tasks taken care of, it frees you both up to relax and enjoy spending time together. You may even rediscover forgotten hobbies you both enjoy or find a passion for new hobbies.
Relieve pressure
Often, one person in the couple will require more help than another. This can mean that before seeking support as a couple, one of you has been carrying the weight of caring for your loved one. Couple care can relieve this pressure, ensuring that your partner receives the support they need to live well and you can relax and spend more time with them rather than caring for them.
It can also be reassuring for the person requiring more care as they may prefer more personal care tasks to be carried out by a carer to retain a sense of dignity and independence.
Enable independence
Although couple care aims to enable you both to stay together, one benefit of this type of care is that it can ensure you can both also retain your independence. For those who have been caring for a loved one, this might mean being able to retake up a hobby or class you previously enjoyed, knowing that full care will be provided in your absence.
It also gives the person needing additional care a chance to spend time with others and retain independence.
What options are available for couple care
When it comes to couple care, there are a few different options available, and which suits you both best will depend on your circumstances and preferences:
Couple care in a care home
Many people believe that moving into a care home means having to separate, but many care homes can provide support for couples. However, the level of ‘togetherness’ available will vary depending on your chosen care home.
Some care homes may be able to offer you two separate rooms, but this may mean only really enjoying time together in communal settings. However, some care homes now offer shared accommodation for couples, enabling you to reside together.
Receiving couple care in a care home can offer several benefits, including:
- Staff are always on hand should support be needed
- Meals and tasks like laundry are taken care of for you
- Often different clubs, activities and social events are offered
- Structured routines
Couple care at home
Although some care homes can provide care for couples, some people prefer to receive care in the familiar surroundings of their home. Couple home care enables this by providing support for both you and your loved one at home.
Couple care at home can usually be incredibly flexible and tailored around your bespoke needs as a couple. This could be through live-in care, where a carer moves into your home with you and provides round-the-clock support, or through visiting care, where they simply pop in as and when needed a few times per day or week.
The benefits of receiving couple care at home include:
- Care can be tailored to your bespoke needs
- Carers provide care solely to you and your partner
- You can continue living in the home you love
- You can get help with the tasks you need from medication management to household chores
- You can continue to follow your schedule with meals and activities planned around your preferences
- You can have visitors around as and when you like
- Better value for money than couple care in a care home
Couple care from Trinity Homecare
If you’re looking for dedicated home care for you and your partner, then consider Trinity Homecare. For the past 25 years, we have provided the highest standards of care in the comfort of people’s own homes.
We understand how important it is for many older people to be able to stay together as a couple, which is why our couple care at home can be completely tailored to meet both your needs. Even if one of you has complex live-in care needs, we are confident our fully trained carers can provide the support needed to ensure you both live well.
Home care you can trust
Trinity Homecare is a fully managed care agency with an ‘Outstanding’ CQC rating, placing Trinity amongst the top 4% of all nationwide care companies in England. With this in mind, you can rest assured that your loved one will receive the highest standard of care and specialist support.
If you have any questions about arranging care, simply get in touch with our helpful and knowledgeable care team.
Arranging nationwide home care with Trinity is straightforward.
Simply follow these five steps:
- Call our care team
- Undergo a free, no-obligation consultation to discuss your care needs and arrange a care assessment
- After the assessment, a plan of care is created
- A well-suited carer is found and placed
- Care can be adapted at any time
