A live-in aide provides round the clock nursing care to seniors in their own home. These professionals typically work in shifts of 8-12 hours.
Live-in aides are an invaluable asset to elderly individuals who would otherwise need to leave their homes for assisted living or nursing homes. It’s essential that housing providers have a thorough understanding of this type of care and know how to qualify them appropriately in their communities.
Qualifications
A live-in aide is an individual who lives with a disabled or elderly tenant to provide support. These may be family members, neighbors, friends, healthcare workers who are paid by the tenant and pass a criminal background check.
In some affordable housing communities, tenants may have the option of having more than one live-in aide if their need is verified by their physician or health care provider. A written letter certifying the tenant’s disability and need for such assistance should then be submitted to the property owner.
The court disagreed with the FHEO’s interpretation of HUD regulations that exclude spouses from serving as live-in aides, holding that if spouses meet certain requirements (HUD Handbook 4350.3, par. 3-6.E.3, section 3.a), then there is no exclusionary clause for them.
Responsibilities
A live-in aide is a type of home health aide who lives with the patient to provide assistance. They have been trained in many tasks such as housekeeping, dressing and personal hygiene.
One of their duties is communicating with family and healthcare providers about a client’s needs. They may also be requested to help out with transportation or other activities.
Live-in aides typically work full time and devote more than 40 hours a week to caring for their patients, which includes preparing meals and administering medication.
Live-in aides must possess a valid license or permit and may need additional training or certifications, such as CPR and basic life support. As with other home health care duties, the best part of working as a live-in aide is the opportunity to build an ongoing relationship with clients while gaining valuable experience and reducing overhead expenses.
Duties
Live-in aids provide senior clients with assistance with the activities of daily living (ADLs). This may include light meal preparation, housekeeping tasks, errands running around town, transportation needs and accompanying the client to appointments.
In addition to these duties, live-in aides also help their clients maintain a positive mood and foster social interaction. This allows them to form a relationship with the client and become their companion and friend.
Furthermore, they are trained to detect and monitor specific health conditions and report them to a nurse on staff. This gives families peace of mind that their loved ones are receiving proper protection and attention.
However, it’s essential to be aware that spouses may not qualify as live-in aides under HUD regulations and the Fair Housing Act. This isn’t a blanket rule; rather, each property should be evaluated individually to decide if allowing another family member (other than their spouse) to reside in an unit as a live-in aide would be appropriate.
Compensation
A live-in aide typically provides a range of services, such as personal care, bathing and grooming, exercise, meal preparation, laundry services, cleaning services, shopping trips and errands. The amount of compensation received depends on the client’s requirements and caregiver’s geographical location.
In some instances, a live-in aide’s income will not be deducted from the tenant’s household earnings. For instance, this may apply to housing vouchers or affordable housing assistance such as HUD apartments, Section 8 public housing or rural rental assistance programs.
Before an owner can approve a live-in aide as an accommodation under fair housing law, they must first verify that the tenant has a disability-related need for one. This verification should be in writing on official letterhead dated within 120 days of the tenant’s request and include certification from either a doctor or psychiatrist stating why such assistance is essential to maintaining their care and well being.