- What is overnight care?
Overnight care is when a carer spends the night in your home, usually covering the hours between 10pm and 8am . It can be either 'sleeping night' or 'waking night' care.
- What's the difference between waking night and sleeping night care?
Waking night carers work throughout the night. In addition to helping you with any needs you may have during the night, such as bathroom assistance, reassurance and pain management, the carer can carry out everyday tasks such as cleaning in the home while you sleep.
Sleeping night carers sleep while you sleep. Their presence is mostly to reassure you that someone is there if needs be. One or two calls may be made throughout the night, however if more calls are anticipated, a waking night carer would be a better option. Please be aware that some carers may charge an additional fee for more disturbance than was previously agreed. Make sure to discuss this with your carer of choice.
- What does an overnight carer do?
A sleeping night carer’s presence is mostly for reassurance and peace of mind. On their one or two calls per night, they are able to support you in the following ways:
- Assistance with trips to the bathroom or continence care
- Preventing falls and accidents at home
- Help with dressings and pain relief
- Prompting to take prescribed medicines
A waking night carer will carry out all of the above responsibilities and more, as they will be working throughout the night. Some extra duties may include:
- General domestic duties, including laundry, light cleaning and admin tasks
- Help with cooking and meal preparation
- Any specialist care, according to your needs
- How much does overnight care cost?
Carers are self-employed and set their own rates on our platform. The cost of care is often determined by the level of care required. These rates can vary according to the carer’s location, experience and qualifications. The average hourly care rate charged on Curam is £16 per hour, with rates starting at £13 an hour. Carer rates include our fee of 12.5% + VAT.
- How do I pay the carer for overnight care?
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 2 working days after the end of the shift minus our fee.
Off-platform and cash payments are not accepted and are liable to a recruitment fee of £2000. Please see our terms and conditions for more information, specifically point 9.3.
- How do I choose an overnight carer?
To arrange overnight care on the Curam platform, you can filter by care type, condition experience, languages spoken and more in your search for a carer. If you see a particular carer that fits your criteria, send them a message asking their availability and outlining your care requirements.
Alternatively, you can tell us your care requirements and carers that fit those needs will apply to your Curam account. We recommend that you call or meet your carer of choice before contracting with them. Click here for some advice on interviewing a carer.
- Do overnight carers sleep?
Yes, if you hire a 'sleeping night' carer they will sleep at your house for a minimum of eight hours. This can be helpful when you need the presence of a trusted carer in your home while you are sleeping, yet only anticipate occasional support (one or two visits).
Alternatively, waking night care is suitable if you need more regular assistance with medication and personal care alongside other duties. This comprehensive option offers consistency in your care throughout the night.
