What is overnight care?
What does overnight care involve?
Overnight care is when a carer stays with you during the night to support your care needs.
Overnight care is specifically for those that have additional needs overnight, require 24-hour care or become more anxious during the early hours by themselves. This level of care supports people to continue their usual day-to-day activities throughout both the day and the night. Typical tasks that our carers assisted with include personal care, administering medication, helping you to and from the toilet and ensuring you have a safe night’s sleep.
Care during the night is suitable for anyone in need of extra support overnight – whether they have a spinal injury and need help turning safely in bed, or if they have dementia and regularly wake throughout the night.
Overnight care can be delivered in one of three ways:
Sleeping night
When a carer sleeps in your home through the night but is on hand if you need support
Waking night
When a carer stays awake for the night and provides specialist care whenever you need
Sitting service
When a carer stays awake and covers for a regular carer who gives you care full time
Why choose overnight care?
Overnight care is a stable support option for those with unpredictable care needs.
Care may be required at any time, day or night, which is why it’s important to consider your overnight support if you’re living with a long-term health condition or have complex care needs.
Things can seem more difficult at night and it’s a time when we typically turn things over in our minds, dwelling on what’s happened and what will happen in the future. Sleep-in care, also known as overnight care, provides assistance before bed and upon waking, helping with tasks like dressing, taking medication, and preparing breakfast. This service is ideal for those who need reassurance during the night or struggle with being alone. Sleep-in care provides proactive support for those with changing needs.
You may wish to consider overnight care for:
A complex condition
If you’re living with a medical condition and have complex needs, an overnight carer can help you manage your symptoms and pain levels
Age-related frailty
All of our carers are expertly trained in moving and handling so can provide secure mobility support throughout the night
Extra companionship
You’ll have someone there to keep you company and provide you not just with physical assistance, but also emotional support
Added security
Being alone overnight can naturally be a security worry, so having a carer stay with you gives both you and your family peace of mind
What's the difference between a waking night and a sleeping night?
A waking night is when a carer stays awake for the entire night to assist you, whereas a sleeping night carer will sleep in your home for the night but still be on hand should you need support.
Waking nights tend to be arranged for those who have more complex needs, such as advanced dementia, clinical nursing care, recovery after an operation or those receiving palliative care.
With waking nights, your carer will stay awake for the whole night so that they're able to constantly monitor your condition and provide proactive support at all times.
Proactive housekeeping
A friendly, trustworthy companion
Ideal if you don’t have a spare bed
Sleeping nights are slightly different than waking nights, as your carer will sleep in your home in a separate room rather than stay awake for the entire night.
Starting from just 30 minutes per week
Personalised support when you need it
Reassurance for your loved ones
What to expect from overnight care
You can personalise your overnight care, but typically it follows a consistent pattern.
For waking nights or sitting care, your overnight carer will generally arrive in the evening at around 9pm and stay for approximately 10 hours; but a specific time will be agreed beforehand with you and your local care manager. There may be a slight overlap with another carer if you receive care throughout the day or if a Helping Hands carer is taking over from your regular caregiver whilst they take a break. They will then be there until the morning, again at a prearranged time with your local care manager, which will all be discussed and confirmed at your initial meeting.
Help you get ready for bed
An overnight carer will arrive in time to help you get ready for bed – including helping you get changed and brush your teeth
Assist with evening medication
If you have certain medications you need to take before bed, your carer can help you organise and administer these
Support you into bed
All of our carers receive expert training in mobility support, so can safely and securely help you get into bed and get comfortable
Available through the night
Your carer is through the night to help move you around in bed, assist you to the loo, and provide any other assistance you need
Help you get up and dressed
At a time of your choosing, your carer will help you get out of bed, bathe, toilet, and get dressed – fully ready for the day ahead!
Prepare breakfast
Your carer can even prepare your favourite breakfast for you, and tidy away once you’ve finished
Amazing carers, delivering great care
Whether you have care for waking nights or sleeping nights, all of our carers are chosen for their professionalism, empathy and compassion – which is why we pride ourselves on having some of the best carers in the industry. All of our carers receive in-house training from our instructors, covering modules such as safeguarding, personal care, dementia, first aid and medication.
Our customers love our carers because they are:
Kind and compassionate
At Helping Hands, we have a rigorous recruitment process which means we only hire kind, empathetic carers who share our person-centred family values
Directly employed by us
We directly employ all of our carers, so we take full responsibility for managing their workload, maintaining their wellbeing and paying them
Expertly trained and fully vetted
Any carer who supports someone with complex care needs will also receive additional training from our regional nurse team
How to arrange overnight care
We make it as simple and stress-free as possible to arrange care, so that we can focus on what really matters: your care needs. Speak to our team today to begin your journey.
Speak to our team
Call our team of experts to talk through your options and any questions you may have
Free home care assessment
Your local Helping Hands manager will visit you to discuss your care requirements
Find your carer
We’ll help to match you with a carer who meets your preferences and has the right skills
Fully regulated by the CQC / CIW
At Helping Hands, our overnight care service is fully managed and regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
From your very first phone call to our friendly team, every aspect of your home care service is independently monitored and regulated by the CQC and Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW).
Why is being a regulated company important?
What does regulation mean?
Our service is regularly monitored, inspected and regulated by an independent body
Why do we choose to be regulated?
You have peace of mind that your care is approved by social care’s regulating body
How does regulation affect my care?
Our regulation means that we’ll provide you with high quality care, no matter what