Live-in care at home, with a nurse keeping watch
A certified home health aide lives in the home and helps through the day, so you or your family member can stay at home instead of moving. A nurse visits every two weeks, and our Medical Director reviews the care plan.
Who live-in care fits
People who need help through most of the day, or who shouldn’t be alone overnight, and whose nights are mostly quiet. If someone needs help several times a night or needs to be watched overnight, we’ll suggest two aides on 12-hour shifts instead.
What a live-in aide does
- Bathing, dressing and help in the bathroom
- Meals and snacks, and keeping an eye on how much someone eats and drinks
- Getting in and out of bed and moving around the house safely
- Medication reminders
- Laundry and light housekeeping
- Errands, appointments and company
Who comes to the house
Every aide is a Certified Home Health Aide, certified by the New Jersey Board of Nursing, and CPR trained. Before anyone works with a Nexstep client, we run a criminal background check, check their driving record, and call their references. Nexstep is insured and bonded.
A nurse keeps watch
Before live-in care starts, a nurse meets the person who will receive care at home, reviews medications and health history, and writes the care plan the aide follows.
- A nurse visit every two weeks to check on the person receiving care and the aide
- Care plan updates when health needs change
- Medical Director review of every care plan
- A call to the family when something changes
If nursing care is needed too, such as wound care or injections, our nurses can add visits. See nursing and aides.
What to expect
- A call with our clinical staffWe talk through daily routines, nights and the help that’s needed, and tell you honestly whether live-in care fits.
- A nurse assessment at homeThe nurse meets the person who will receive care, reviews medications and health history, and looks at the home: where the aide will sleep, the stairs, the bathroom.
- A written care planA registered nurse writes the plan the aide follows, and our Medical Director reviews it.
- Matching the aideWe match a certified home health aide to the person’s needs. A relief aide who works from the same plan covers days off.
- A nurse visit every two weeksThe nurse checks on the person receiving care and on the aide, and updates the plan when something changes.
A live-in aide needs a private place to sleep and real rest overnight, so live-in care works best when nights are mostly quiet. If someone needs help several times a night or needs to be watched overnight, two aides on 12-hour shifts is the safer choice, and we’ll tell you that up front.
Live-in care or a move to assisted living?
Both can work. Live-in care gives one-on-one help in a familiar home. Assisted living offers a community and staff on site around the clock. The right choice depends on the person’s health, the home itself and what matters most to them.
After the nurse assessment, you get a written care plan and our recommendations, including whether staying home makes sense. More answers are in our FAQs.
Paying for live-in care
Live-in care is private pay, and the cost depends on the help needed. We’ll go over it on the first call. If there’s a long-term care insurance policy, we file the claim and handle the recertifications that keep it paying.
“Their aides are professional, kind, and matched perfectly to my dad’s needs.”
Andrew B., Glen Rock, NJ
Talk with our clinical staff about live-in care
Calls are answered by our clinical staff. We’ll walk through it with you and set up the home assessment if it’s a fit.