Overnight care ensures people are safe and supported at home during the night, whenever they need it.
In this blog, we’ll provide an explanation of what overnight care is, what overnight carers do and why it is an excellent option to have in place to ensure both safety and comfort.
An overview of overnight care
First of all, it’s important to understand exactly what overnight care is and what it includes.
A simple definition of overnight care
Overnight care is a type of care that is provided during the night (typically between the hours of 10pm and 7am), whether a person is awake or sleeping. It is often used by older adults, people with complex needs or those recovering from illness.
When is overnight care needed?
Overnight care is designed for individuals who are vulnerable, have medical or personal care needs that must be attended to during the night or those who cannot be safely left alone while sleeping.
It is often required by those with dementia (to help manage night-time confusion, wandering or distress) or for those with complex care needs (for ventilation or oxygen monitoring or the administration of medication).
Having overnight care in place supports not only the individual requiring the care but also their family, ensuring peace of mind and allowing families to enjoy a better night’s sleep.
What does a waking night carer do?
Now that we understand what overnight care is, let’s look into what a waking night carer does.
Here at Hamill Homecare, we provide waking night care, where your carer remains awake and alert throughout the night to provide active support whenever needed.
The duties carried out by a waking night carer include repositioning (to prevent pressure sores from forming), personal care assistance (such as toileting or medication), general night-time support (should someone be in distress or need someone to talk to or even those at risk of falling) and it also provides immediate support, should an emergency arise.
This type of care is best for individuals who need regular attention or who can be unpredictable overnight.
What to expect from a professional overnight caregiver?
Next, we’ll explore what you should expect from an overnight caregiver.
Skills & qualities of a great overnight carer
Reliability, attentiveness, clear communication and empathy are all important skills and qualities your overnight carer should possess. This is because an overnight caregiver is on hand to provide reassurance and support whenever an individual needs it, and so these skills are essential.
Excellent clinical understanding is also required, especially when working with someone with complex care needs.
Here at Hamill Homecare, all our carers are fully vetted and highly qualified, and we have a consistent track record of excellence with the Care Inspectorate. This helps to highlight our commitment to treating every individual in our care with compassion, dignity and respect.
Practical tasks carried out during the night
As mentioned above, overnight carers are alert and ready to respond to their client’s needs as and when they arise.
These include help with toileting, turning someone to reposition them, monitoring health or breathing, providing emotional support for those who are confused or distressed, administering medication and helping with early morning routines.
Key benefits of overnight care at home
Here, we’ll examine why overnight care provided in your or a loved one’s home can be essential.
Comfort & security through the night
Having overnight care in place is reassuring for those requiring care, as they will automatically feel more relaxed knowing that someone is on hand should they need them, allowing them to rest easier.
As a consequence of this peace of mind, it helps to reduce nighttime anxiety and disruptions to sleep.
Peace of mind for families
Following on from the above, knowing that your loved one is being well taken care of through the night allows families to take an all-important rest and sleep more soundly knowing that their loved one is in safe hands.
Avoiding hospital admissions
Thanks to how diligent overnight carers are in observing an individual and their health, they can detect any changes early on, helping to address problems before they potentially become bigger issues.
As a result, this helps to prevent unnecessary visits to A&E and the subsequent long waiting times and distress that come from being in an unfamiliar environment, particularly hospitals.
Is overnight care right for you or a loved one?
You’re probably reading this blog because you, or your loved one, is considering overnight care.
Everyone is unique, but below we’ll highlight some of the signs that it might be time to consider overnight care.
Signs to look out for
Experiencing frequent waking through the night, confusion upon waking and mobility issues resulting in falls are often indicators that overnight care is required. Those with palliative needs also require care around the clock, and therefore, overnight care is recommended.
Another indication that the time is right for overnight care is when family or friends are struggling to provide the care required at all hours.
These are all signs that it’s probably a good idea to investigate overnight care.
Personalised support for evolving needs
Overnight care can be flexible. At Hamill Homecare, we offer regular overnight care, but equally, we can also offer overnight care when required at certain times. Should someone’s condition change, meaning they require more regular overnight care, this can easily be arranged.
Choosing the right overnight carers for your needs
Finding the right overnight home care provider for you or a loved one can be challenging, and it’s important you make the choice that’s right for the individual in question.
What to look for in an overnight caregiver
You are looking for a carer who displays the skills and qualities mentioned earlier in this blog. In addition, you want to ensure your carer has all the required qualifications and has experience working with those with similar needs.
Why choose Hamill Homecare for overnight care?
At Hamill Homecare, as a family-run care provider, we prioritise the relationship between our carers and the people we support. We match the people we care for with a small team, helping to forge close relationships, resulting in more personalised care.
Your overnight carer will be a member of your regular care team, meaning you or your loved one will be familiar with the individual and feel comfortable having them in their home during the night.
We believe that care should never be rushed, and overnight care is no exception. Our fully trained carers are available throughout the night to ensure all care needs are met, ensuring you or your loved one feels safe, comfortable and cared for, in their own home.
Conclusion
Providing people with compassionate care over the course of the night is vital for so many. It extends the time an individual is able to remain in their home, surrounded by their possessions, in a surrounding they are happy and comfortable in and, the importance of this cannot be overstated.
It not only provides the individual with safety, comfort and peace of mind through the night, but this extends to their family and loved ones, who carry a great psychological burden when their family member is in need of care.
If you have any specific questions about what we do at Hamill Homecare, or you are seeking a carer for a loved one, please contact our team today, and we’d be happy to have a chat with you to see how we can help.