15 years exp
828+hrs worked
20+ years exp
120hrs worked
20 years exp
1848hrs worked
2 years exp
63+hrs worked
10 years exp
383hrs worked
20 years exp
1848hrs worked
5 years exp
286hrs worked
Caring for someone overnight requires patience, attention to detail, and a compassionate approach. Here are some tips to help you provide effective overnight care:
Ensure a Safe Environment
Comfortable Sleeping Arrangements
Medication Management
Communication
Personal Care
Monitor Health
Establish a Routine
Emergency Preparedness
Stay Attentive
Encourage Independence
Promote Hydration
Documentation
Remember, communication and empathy are key. Discuss the plan with the elderly person, and consider their preferences and needs. Adjust your approach based on their comfort level and any specific medical or personal requirements they may have. If you're unsure about certain aspects of their care, consult with healthcare professionals for guidance.
As opposed to live-in carers that are available both day and night, overnight carers are generally scheduled to be in your home between the hours of 10pm and 8am. The schedule and duties of an overnight carer will depend on your needs and can be discussed with your individual carer.
Night care assistants can provide a variety of services to suit your needs. Their regular duties, tasks and responsibilities will depend on whether they’re hired to provide sleeping night or waking night care.
A sleeping night carer’s presence is mostly for reassurance and peace of mind. They will sleep in your home while you do, but are available to make one or two calls per night for the following:
A waking night carer will carry out those responsibilities as well as extra duties including:
The choice between providing overnight care for an elderly person at home versus placing them in a care home depends on various factors, and what may be considered "better" can differ based on individual circumstances and preferences. Here are some reasons why some people may prefer overnight care at home:
Familiar Environment
Preservation of Independence
Personalised Care
Family and Social Connections
Reduced Stress and Anxiety
Flexibility and Adaptability
One-on-One Attention
Cost Considerations
However, it's important to note that providing care at home may not be feasible or practical in all situations. Factors such as the level of care required, the caregiver's availability and capacity, and the safety of the home environment need to be carefully assessed. Additionally, care homes may offer specialised medical care, 24-hour supervision, and a structured environment that can be essential for certain individuals with complex health needs.
Ultimately, the decision between home care and care homes should be based on the specific needs, preferences, and circumstances of the elderly person and their family, and it may be helpful to consult with healthcare professionals to make an informed decision.
Sleeping night carers sleep while you sleep. Their presence is mostly to reassure you that someone is there if you need them. If you only need assistance once or twice per night, sleeping night carers will be available to help you as required.
If you anticipate only occasional support in the night but value the presence of a trusted carer in your home until morning, sleeping night care may be right for you. If you need more regular assistance, a waking night carer may be better suited to your schedule.
Waking night carers work throughout the night. In addition to helping you with any needs you may have during the night including bathroom assistance, reassurance and pain management, these carers can help with everyday tasks such as cleaning in the home while you sleep.
If you wake often, or need regular assistance with medication and personal care, waking night care can provide consistency in your care throughout the night.
Personalise your search to find experienced carers near you
Or
Post your express CuramPlan to find carers that fit your immediate care needs
Video/audio call your chosen carer on CuramMeet or message them via the app.
Hire your insured and vetted carer via Curam.
Our self-employed carers set their own rates on the Curam platform. The cost of overnight care is often determined by the level of care required, and there are different rates for sleeping and waking shifts. These rates can vary according to the carer’s experience and qualifications.
The average hourly overnight care rate charged on Curam is £16.30 per hour, with rates starting at £13 an hour. Rates vary depending on where you live in the UK.
Invoices are also subject to the Curam client fee of 10% and VAT. However, this client fee may be lower or waived for our business partners or those receiving local authority or NHS funding for their care. Please email client@curamcare.com to learn more about your costs with Curam.
Clients on the Curam platform pay on average 22% less than the current suggested UK Home Care Association hourly rate of £25.95
You can pay for overnight care privately, with assistance from the NHS or local authority, or from some combination of those sources.
Most people who pursue overnight care will pay for it privately. However, you may be able to get funding to help pay for your care. There are three steps that you can follow to ensure that you receive all the money to which you are entitled:
Check your eligibility for benefits with a benefits calculator
1Check your eligibility for NHS continuing healthcare funding
2Apply for local authority funding
3If you still have difficulty funding your own care after checking the above services, you may consider other options such as equity release.
According to the NHS, you might be eligible for local council support towards the cost of your social care if you have less than £23,250 in savings (called the upper capital limit, or UCL). From October 2023 this will rise to £100,000 in savings.
Exactly how much your council will pay depends on what care you need and how much you can afford to pay.
The first step is for your council to do an assessment to check how much help you need. This is called a needs assessment. The needs assessment is free and anyone can ask for one. Find out more about getting a needs assessment.
Some people with long-term complex health needs qualify for free social care arranged and funded solely by the NHS. This is known as NHS continuing healthcare.
To be eligible for NHS continuing healthcare, you must be assessed by a multidisciplinary team of healthcare professionals. The team will look at all your care needs and relate them to:
Your eligibility for NHS continuing healthcare depends on your assessed needs, and not on any particular diagnosis or condition. If your needs change then your eligibility for NHS continuing healthcare may change.
With Curam, you pay for overnight care though a secure payment system on our app or website. Your carer of choice will create a service agreement and shift invoice, which will automatically be sent to your Curam account for your approval.
Once you have approved these, you will be taken to the payment portal. Your payment is held securely until the shift is completed and is then released to the carer two working days after the end of the shift, minus the Curam fee. Shift invoices typically cover one to two weeks of care at a time, but specific payment frequency can be agreed with your carer.
Off-platform and cash payments are not accepted. These are liable to a fee of £2,000. Please see our terms and conditions for more information, specifically point 9.3.
We know that hiring a carer is an emotionally charged decision, so we’ve done everything we can to make it as safe, seamless and stress-free as possible.
Choice is at the heart of Curam. By connecting carers and those who need care, we enable people to take control of their lives.
We’ve made it possible to hire a carer within a matter of hours. With Curam you can search, interview, message, hire and pay approved and vetted carers throughout the UK.
We are building a care community that allows each of us to live an independent life.
Curam is a community of experts. Every carer on Curam’s platform has been interviewed and fully vetted by our recruitment team. They have had a DBS check, are legally entitled to work in the UK and any qualifications mentioned on their profile are backed up with certificates.
Curam does things differently. Unlike care agencies, we make sure the choice of care is in your hands. You can interview carers personally before hiring them and have a final say on what their responsibilities will be in your home.
Our carers are self-employed. Their Curam fee covers the cost of their insurance, easy-to-use service agreements and a hassle-free payment system. This means that the client pays less than they would with an agency, and the carer in turn receives a higher wage.
Overnight care with Curam respects independence. It is tailored to each individual while allowing them to sleep in the comfort of their own home. Receiving care at home can be a safer and more cost-effective alternative to a care home.
To arrange overnight care on the Curam platform, create an account . If you provide us with your postcode, your care requirements, your gender preference for carers and more detail as needed, carers that fit your demonstrated needs will then apply to your Curam account.
We recommend that you call or meet your carer of choice before contracting with them. Read our advice on interviewing a potential carer.
Alternatively, you can use our search tool to find a carer that suits your needs. You can filter by care type, condition, experience, languages spoken and more in your search. If you see a particular carer that fits your criteria, send them a message outlining your care needs and checking their availability.
All carers can be tried on a trial basis and any specific arrangement can be changed or cancelled with a minimum notice of 48 hours.
Please note that Curam does not provide managed care. It’s critical to our mission that both the client and the carer have choice and control over their care relationship.
A night care assistant can offer a variety of services, including the following:
Waking night carers can also complete household tasks while you sleep, like light cleaning and meal preparation.
If you hire a sleeping night carer, they will expect to sleep in your home during the night for a minimum of eight hours. This can be helpful when you prefer the presence of a trusted carer in your home while you sleep and only anticipate occasional support.
Waking night carers do not sleep in your home. They provide regular assistance with medication and personal care alongside other duties, like basic housework. They can provide consistency in your care throughout the night.
Choosing an overnight care assistant is simple and straightforward with Curam. Use our search tool to filter by care type, condition, experience, languages spoken and more. You can contact our experienced carers directly to find a match that suits your needs.
Full choice over who provides care
Get a carers for your care needs
You can join for free, no tie-in contracts.
Hours of high quality
care delivered
Experienced &
vetted carers
people hired
carers successfully
Average experience
of a Curam carer
Average number
of applications
Average response
time from carers
What Is Alcohol-Induced Dementia?
23 Apr 2024
12 views
5 mins read
Dosette Boxes And Pill Organisers
13 Mar 2024
160 views
5 mins read
How To Make Your Care Budget Go Further
14 Jul 2020
2644 views
5 mins read
Finding and managing your carer is much easier on our Curam client app. Lots of new features including digital health care plans and family sharing apps coming very soon.
