Continuous Support for Those Who Need It Most

For some individuals, a short daily visit is simply not enough. Whether due to a complex health condition, a period of recovery, advanced age, or high dependency needs, some people require a more sustained and substantial level of care throughout the day. Extended care is designed precisely for those situations.

At Proud to Care, our extended care service provides longer, more comprehensive visits or continuous daytime support for individuals whose needs go beyond what standard hourly care can offer. It is a step up in commitment, but not in complexity. We make the process straightforward, the transition smooth, and the care itself exactly what it should be: consistent, professional, and deeply personal.

What Is Extended Care?

Extended care refers to care visits or packages that go beyond the typical 30 to 60 minute visit associated with standard domiciliary care. This might mean a carer spending several hours at a time in the home, providing support across a range of tasks throughout a morning or afternoon. It might mean full daytime coverage from early morning through to the evening. Or it might mean a combination of extended visits and overnight support that together provide near-continuous care without the need for a full-time live-in arrangement.

Extended care sits between standard visiting care and live-in care on the spectrum of support available. It is often the right choice for individuals whose needs are significant but who do not yet require, or do not wish to have, someone living in the home full time.

What Our Extended Care Includes

Extended care packages are built entirely around the individual, but typically encompass a wide range of support across the day, including:

• Full assistance with the morning routine, including personal care, dressing, and breakfast

• Medication management and administration throughout the day

• Meal preparation for lunch and evening meals

• Mobility assistance and support with moving safely around the home

• Companionship and engagement throughout extended visits

• Light household tasks to maintain a clean and comfortable environment

• Support with activities, hobbies, or gentle exercise

• Monitoring of health and wellbeing with regular communication to family members

• Assistance preparing for bed and settling for the evening

• Accompanying individuals to appointments or social activities

Because extended care involves longer periods of time in the home, our carers are able to build a much deeper understanding of the individual they are supporting. Routines become familiar, preferences are well understood, and the relationship that develops between carer and client tends to be particularly strong.

Who Is Extended Care For?

Extended care is particularly well suited to individuals whose needs are complex, multiple, or time-intensive enough that shorter visits leave significant gaps in support. It is commonly arranged for:

Older adults with high dependency needs who require assistance across most areas of daily living but wish to remain at home rather than moving into residential care. Individuals living with advanced dementia who benefit from extended periods of consistent, calm, familiar presence throughout the day. People recovering from a serious illness, major surgery, or a significant health event who need intensive support during a period of rehabilitation. Those with progressive neurological conditions whose care requirements have increased to a point where standard visiting care is no longer sufficient. Individuals who live alone and whose family has significant concerns about their safety and wellbeing during unsupported periods of the day.

In many cases, extended care is arranged as a stepping stone, either as a temporary measure during recovery, or as an intermediate level of support before a move to live-in care. In other cases, it becomes the long-term solution that allows someone to remain at home indefinitely.

The Difference Extended Time Makes

One of the most consistent pieces of feedback we receive from families who have moved from standard visiting care to extended care is how much difference the additional time makes, not just practically, but emotionally.

When a carer has three hours in a home rather than one, there is space for things that short visits simply do not allow. A proper unhurried breakfast. Time to sit and talk. A gentle walk in the garden. A favourite television programme watched together. These things matter enormously to quality of life, and they are only possible when care is not constantly racing against the clock.

For individuals who experience anxiety, confusion, or distress when left alone, extended care also provides a meaningful reduction in those unsupported periods that can be so difficult. The reassurance of knowing that a familiar, trusted carer will be present for a substantial part of the day makes a genuine difference to both the individual and their family.

Flexible Arrangements to Suit Your Situation

We understand that every family's circumstances are different, and that care needs do not always fit neatly into standard packages. Our extended care service is designed to be flexible. We work with you to build an arrangement that covers the hours and tasks that matter most, fits within your budget where possible, and can be adjusted as needs change over time.

Extended care can be arranged on a daily basis, on selected days of the week, or across the full seven days depending on what is required. We can also combine extended daytime care with separate overnight support or morning and evening call visits to create a comprehensive package that provides cover throughout the full day.

Continuity at the Heart of What We Do

With extended care more than any other service, continuity of carer is essential. Spending several hours a day with someone is an intimate experience, and the quality of that time depends enormously on the relationship between the carer and the individual they are supporting.

We work hard to ensure that individuals receiving extended care see the same carers consistently. Where cover is necessary, we introduce cover carers in advance wherever possible and ensure they are fully briefed on the individual's preferences, routines, and needs before they begin.

Getting Started

If you think extended care might be the right option for you or someone you love, the first step is simply to have a conversation with our team. We will listen carefully to your situation, help you understand the options available, and carry out a thorough home assessment before any care begins.

There is no obligation and no pressure. Just a straightforward, honest discussion about what would make the biggest difference to your loved one's daily life and how we can help make that happen.