How Live More works with day arrangements
Shared Lives day arrangements give people living with dementia the chance to share time, interests and everyday life with a Shared Lives carer – at the carer’s home and out in the community.
It’s flexible and shaped around the shared interests of each person, who’s matched with a Shared Lives carer, who also enjoys those things. As part of Live More, Shared Lives Plus is exploring how a few hours or days a week can help people living with dementia to stay active, connected and involved in the people, places and things that matter to them.
What are Shared Lives day arrangements?
The Shared Lives carer’s home is the base
Out and about aswell as the home
How is it arranged?
What are Shared Lives day arrangements?
At the heart of Shared Lives is a relationship between a person and their Shared Lives carer.
The carer welcomes someone into their home and life for the day, a visit, or long-term. Together, they spend time doing things at home to share a meal or a cup of tea, do everyday activities, and go out and about creating connections and belonging. People are matched based on personalities and shared interests, so it’s about being relaxed around each other.
Day arrangements are where people spend time with a Shared Lives carer just during the day (not for overnight breaks, or live in support). The carer’s home is an important part of Shared Lives, and often in day arrangements people spend time visiting local places, exercising, taking part in activities, meeting friends, attending appointments or pursuing interests that are important to them.
The Shared Lives carer's home is the base
Shared Lives is based on sharing home and life, forming unique supportive relationships, rather than simply delivering tasks or activities. A key part of arrangements is that the Shared Lives carer’s home is a meaningful and regular base for the arrangement.
Time in a Shared Lives carer’s home can give people the opportunity to be part of everyday routines, enjoy a familiar and comfortable environment to start or return to relax or rest during the day, and develop a relationship with someone who gets to know them well.
There isn’t a set number of hours that someone must spend in the home. A day might include lots of time out and about, particularly as part of Live More – where the aim is to keep people connected to their interests, and where they have their own homes already.
What matters is that the carer’s home is genuinely part of the support. And because Shared Lives carers are willing to invite people to their home, as part of a supportive relationship, it signals that they want to form a genuine relationship – and that totally changes the way someone is a carer. It requires Shared Lives carers to be particular kinds of people – ones that are ‘open books’, welcoming and practical, it’s not about performing a role. This is an important part of what makes Shared Lives different from other types of community or outreach support. You can also read more about what makes Shared Lives different to befriending.
Out and about as well as the home
Shared Lives day arrangements involve a wide range of activities and experiences in the community. People can spend time doing things that are meaningful to them, with a Shared Lives carer, whether that’s visiting a favourite café, going for a walk, gardening, baking, swimming, shopping, walking, doing DIY, visiting cafés or simply sharing conversation.
For people living with dementia, this can provide an opportunity to maintain familiar routines, interests and connections while having the reassurance of a trusted relationship and a familiar home base.
Live More’s evaluation showed that a few hours of Shared Lives support each week helped reinforce each person’s identity, confidence and interests. Families said they “saw the spark” of the person they remembered and described Shared Lives carers as trusted allies and experts who often felt like a friend, particularly at a time when people might be reluctant to reach out for help.
How is it arranged?
Shared Lives day support is arranged through a local Shared Lives scheme.
The scheme matches the person with a suitable Shared Lives carer and provides ongoing support and oversight. The arrangement is agreed and supported through the Shared Lives scheme.
Find out more about Live More
About the programme
Live More evaluation report
Stories and news from Live More
Start Live More in your area
