What is Waking Night Care?
Overnight care is a special type of care service that provides people with professional support throughout the night. This type of support reverses the typical daytime home care model and focuses on delivering assistance in case of any physical or emotional challenges during the night.
Access to overnight home care enables people with complex needs to keep their own tenancy and stay in their familiar surroundings. Instead of going through the stressful process of moving to a residential home, a waking night carer can meet your night-time care requirements while you stay close to your loved ones. Overnight home care providers can help people with complex needs live independently and integrate into the local community.
Furthermore, family members can opt for a night-sitting service involving a trained carer supporting a vulnerable individual while the usual caregiver takes a break from their night-time care duties. This type of assistance can include various tasks, such as supporting the individual in case of nightly bathroom breaks or waking up disoriented.
Waking Night Care at Home
If your household doesn’t have a separate bedroom or you prefer that a carer doesn’t move in, waking night care at home may be a suitable option for you. Trained waking night home clinicians arrive at your home at night to deliver the care services you need, including expert assistance and monitoring.
A clinician’s night shift lasts for at least eight hours. Therefore, your overnight care provider will be awake and alert during the night in case you need them for any reason. Apart from meeting your needs throughout the night, clinicians can also help you with domestic duties in the late evenings and early mornings (such as getting out of bed and medication administration).
Waking Night Live-in Care
Waking night live-in care means having an overnight carer stay in your home 24 hours a day, seven days a week, although the amount of time is flexible based on individual needs. This type of service reverses the usual live-in care model – instead of providing care during the day, the care worker focuses on supporting the individual overnight. The live-in carer is trained to handle any medical emergency and provide emotional support in case of night-time anxiety or confusion.
Overnight carers in live-in support services are here to meet the person’s care needs during the night and help with other demanding times for domiciliary care. The carer can also help the person with various issues in the morning and the evening. Waking night live-in carers provide reliable and bespoke support in bettering the person’s sleep quality.
Difference Between Waking Night Care and Sleeping Night Care
Waking night care entirely focuses on the person’s well-being throughout the night. In this type of service, the carer stays awake to meet any needs that the individual might have during the night.
Sleeping night care, on the other hand, involves a carer that provides night-time care when the individual is in need and requires support during the night. The carer is able to sleep and attend to the individual if and when they need support.
Who Needs Waking Night Care?
An overnight care package is the best option for individuals with particular health conditions that cause them to wake up during the night.
For instance, a waking night carer can help with the following:
- Change sleeping positions
- Going to the toilet
- Administering medication
- Provide emotional support in the case of night-time anxiety and confusion
- Domestic duties, such as cleaning or doing the laundry
If you have milder care requirements and only need the support worker to be there in case you need assistance, it is advisable to opt for a sleeping night service package. This way, the carer would require a separate room to sleep in and would provide rapid response for any assistance requests.
Furthermore, if you are recovering from an injury, the care team can adapt their night-time care plan in accordance with your current needs.
Overnight care is the best choice in the following circumstances:
- Conditions related to sleep deprivation (such as narcolepsy or sleep apnea)
- Dementia, stroke, and other health issues that cause night-time disorientation and confusion
- Bladder issues, poor kidney function, and other disorders requiring continence care
- Mobility issues
- Increased risk of falls and injuries
Why Waking Night Care at Home is Better
Transferring to a residential home can be a daunting event, especially when it comes to an older adult with a progressive medical condition. While residential homes offer overnight care for multiple residents, waking night home carers focus on individual clients and deliver these services in a person-centred manner.
Whether you opt for home care or live-in care, care at your own home allows you to keep your tenancy and stay close to your loved ones. An at-home night carer will work closely with your primary caregivers to assess your care needs and deliver regular assistance according to your specific preferences.
Unlike residential care, night-time care at home is an intimate form of expert support that requires respect for the person’s privacy, dignity, and personal boundaries. Overnight home carers can approach every person with the utmost dedication, prioritising their independence and social integration within the local community.
Benefits of Waking Night Care
Overnight care has various benefits for young people with neurodevelopmental differences and older individuals with progressive medical conditions. Professional assistance throughout the night provides a sense of security for you and your whole family.
For instance, an overnight carer staying by your side reduces the likelihood of falls, injuries, and wandering in case of night-time confusion.
Below are listed the most important benefits of waking night assistance at home:
- Assistance with mobility issues (help with getting in and out of your bed)
- Continence care
- Administering medication
- Rapid response to any medical emergency
- One-to-one personal care during the night
- Promoting independence at your own home
- Restoring your and your family’s peace of mind
Importance of Waking Night Care
The presence of a trained carer on hand to offer assistance makes it easier for people with complex needs to relax and get a quality night’s rest. Improved sleep quality leads to better physical and mental health, decreasing the risk of depression, high blood pressure, and stroke.
A good night’s sleep improves a person’s mood during the day and allows them to lead a fulfilling social life. Furthermore, an experienced waking night carer’s alertness can prevent various incidents during the night, such as night wandering and falls.
Waking Night Care and Companionship
Individuals with sleeping issues and decreased confidence at night can significantly benefit from the companionship of a dedicated care worker. Many medical conditions cause amplified anxiety at night, so the on-hand support of a trained professional can be a lifesaver.
Overnight care services can give the whole family a sense of safety and reassurance, especially if your loved one struggles with dementia or another cognitive condition.
Waking Night Care with Unique Community Services
At Unique Community Services, we provide high-standard waking night care for individuals with complex needs of all ages.
We recognise the importance of a good night’s sleep, and our nurse-led clinicians provide compassionate and proactive support to the people we serve. Our clinicians can help with sleep deprivation and medication administration and provide raid response to any concerns.
We create tailored support plans for each individual, prioritising a person’s unique needs. Creating a comfortable and respectful environment for you and your whole family in your own home is of the utmost priority for our care team. We aim to provide quality waking night care with dignity and respect for your personal boundaries.
Unique Community Services provides CQC-regulated waking night support for individuals with complex care needs in Bristol and Manchester.
Contact us, and we will tailor a personalised care plan according to your specific needs.
