What is a Night Carer?
Two main types of overnight care services are sleeping night care and waking night care. A sleeping night carer is similar to a live-in carer and spends the night in the individual’s household, ready to tend to their needs in case of an emergency. Unlike sleeping night carers, waking night care providers stay awake and actively offer medical support throughout the night.
Sleeping night care services are a good option for people with complex care needs who require someone to accompany them during the night. Although sleeping night carers do not stay awake throughout the entire night, they can assist individuals in case of an emergency. This type of home care increases the person’s confidence and independence. Furthermore, it offers peace of mind to their whole family.
However, if your loved one has a history of night-time incidents (such as wandering and falls) related to dementia or other medical challenges, they may need professional support from overnight care. This type of overnight care service provides people with constant care and assistance during the night. Additionally, sitting service care is especially beneficial for individuals who need complex support and care throughout the night-time. Sitting service care provides people with professional assistance, including medication administration and shifting positions during the night.
The Role of a Night Carer
An overnight carer is here to encourage independence and bring a sense of reassurance to the family. With an overnight caregiver team by your loved one’s side, you can tend to your own needs while a professional is there to provide companionship and support.
The night-time duties of a professional carer include various areas of support. Below are listed some of the main responsibilities of overnight caregivers.
Providing Personal Care and Support
Overnight carers are trained to provide dignified personal care services to people with complex care needs. They are here to help with hygiene-related tasks (brushing teeth, showering, toileting, shaving) as well as various household tasks (such as meal preparation, doing the laundry, and cleaning). An overnight carer can also help with other delicate forms of medical assistance like stoma care.
Promoting Restful Sleep and Comfort
Healthcare professionals recognise the importance of a good night’s sleep for a person’s physical and emotional well-being. Overnight carers are here to promote restful sleep and comfort by providing compassionate, person-centred support.
Emotional Support and Companionship
Sleep disturbances can lead to emotional challenges in individuals with complex care needs. Overnight care workers are here to provide companionship and emotional support. Having a dedicated expert to talk to can be a comforting experience for individuals who wake up during the night. For many family members, overnight care can help them fix broken sleep patterns and improve their well-being.
Monitoring Vital Signs
Monitoring vital signs is a fundamental part of providing overnight home care. Overnight care workers are trained to monitor blood pressure, pulse, heart rate, and body temperature. Clinicians in this sector are always ready to give first aid and collaborate with medical specialists in emergency conditions.
Safety and Security Measures
For some people with complex care needs, waking up at night can often result in various accidents, such as falls, trips, and related injuries. Overnight care aims to maximise safety through various security measures, such as leaving an unobstructed path from the bedroom to the bathroom and providing support. Carers in this sector are trained to provide mobility support and help people fulfil their night-time needs safely.
What is Overnight Care?
Overnight care focuses on delivering professional support in a person’s own home during the night. Getting a quality night’s sleep is a challenging goal for many people with complex support needs. Overnight care services provide people with the support they need and reassure relatives that their loved one has a safe, peaceful night with an expert team by their side. Care during the night usually comes in two forms: sleeping night care and waking night care.
Overnight care services involve a carer living in your home and staying on hand to deliver night-time assistance in case of an emergency. Although the carer sleeps during the night, they are here to comfort you and provide you with reassurance that an expert is there to meet your needs. Your sleeping night carer can also support you with whatever tasks you struggle with throughout the day.
On the other hand, waking night care services involve a compassionate carer working a full night shift to support people with sleep disturbances due to various complex care needs. This type of carer stays awake during the night to monitor your well-being, respond adequately to any health changes that may arise, and provide you with emotional companionship.
Who is in Need of a Night Carer?
Overnight care is the perfect choice for individuals with specific needs during the night and sleep disturbances linked to various health challenges. Overnight care services can be beneficial for older individuals, children, and adults. Depending on the severity of the individual’s symptoms, they may need short-term or long-term care services at home.
People with the following challenges may be in need of an overnight care provider:
- Dementia
- Cancer
- Parkinson’s disease
- Epilepsy
- Learning disabilities
- Mobility challenges
- Recent surgery
Overnight Care with Unique Community Services
At Unique Community Services, we aim to transform the approach to overnight care and home support services. Our overnight care team promotes human rights by prioritising privacy, dignity, and personal boundaries, and we recognise the importance of discretion as a vital element of delivering personal care. We provide compassionate overnight care services, and our support is tailored to each person we serve.
We deliver high-standard, CQC-regulated sleeping night care and waking night care services for people of all ages across the UK, with offices in Leeds and Manchester.
Contact us now, and we will outline a personalised care plan catering to your specific needs.
Night Carer Jobs at Unique Community Services
If you are an impact-driven clinician striving to create a better world for individuals with complex care needs, Unique Community Services is the right place for you. We offer a cooperative work environment that acknowledges and rewards our clinician’s efforts.
Join the Unique Community Services Family and bring safety and peace into the lives of people with complex care needs.
