Emergency live-in care: what actually happens when you call
When a crisis means care is needed now, not next month, here's exactly what happens from the moment you call us to a carer arriving at the door.
If you've landed here, there's a decent chance something has just happened — a fall, a hospital discharge date that's arrived faster than expected, a family carer who's suddenly unwell themselves and can't cope another day. In that situation, the last thing you need is a vague explanation of how live-in care works in general. So here's specifically what happens when you call us in an emergency.
The first call
We'll ask what's happened, what support is needed, and how soon. That's genuinely most of it — we're not working through a long sales process while someone's in crisis. If your loved one is currently in hospital, it helps to have the discharge date and any details the ward or discharge team have given you, but if you don't have that to hand yet, we can still get started and fill in the details as they become clear.
Matching a carer, fast
Because we already have a pool of vetted, DBS-checked carers rather than starting a search from nothing, matching can happen quickly — we're looking for the closest available fit to what's needed, rather than the perfect long-term match on day one. In many cases we can have a carer in place within 24 to 48 hours of that first call. If the situation allows for even a short phone or video introduction between the carer and family before they arrive, we'll try to arrange it, but in a genuine emergency, the priority is getting proper support in place quickly and safely.
What the carer does on arrival
The carer arrives ready to start straight away — personal care, medication prompts, meals, keeping an eye on safety, whatever the immediate need is. Your care manager stays involved in the background over the following days, checking the arrangement is actually working and adjusting the care plan as things settle and become clearer. An emergency start doesn't mean a rushed or incomplete one; it just means the usual planning happens alongside the care, rather than entirely before it.
If you're coordinating with a hospital
We regularly work directly with discharge teams, ward staff, and social workers to line up a start date with a hospital discharge, rather than leaving a family to manage that coordination alone on top of everything else. If a hospital team is involved, feel free to have them call us directly — it often speeds things up.
What it costs to move quickly
There's no separate "emergency fee" for moving fast — you'd pay the same weekly rate as any of our standard plans, based on the level of care needed rather than how quickly it started. Given how disorienting an emergency situation already is, we think that's one thing that shouldn't come with an extra surprise attached.
Free callback
Prefer we call you?
Leave your number and a care manager will call you back — usually within an hour, and always free.
- No obligation. A conversation, not a sales call — and never a call centre.
- A real care manager. Someone who arranges care every day, who can answer properly.
- Just two details. Your name and number — we don’t need an email address.
Or call us now on 0800 368 8558 Lines open 8am–10pm, seven days a week
Common questions
Questions families ask us most
The things people search for before they call us — answered plainly.
Not seeing your question?
Our care managers answer these every day. A no-obligation call takes about ten minutes.
0800 368 8558Lines open 8am–10pm, seven days a week See all questionsHow fast can a carer actually be in place?
Often within 24 to 48 hours of your first call, depending on the level of care needed and where you're based. Call as soon as you know a start date is coming, even if some details are still unclear.
Does emergency live-in care cost more than a planned arrangement?
No. You pay the same weekly rate as any of our standard plans, based on the level of care needed rather than how quickly the arrangement started.
Can you coordinate directly with a hospital discharge team?
Yes, we do this regularly. Have the ward or discharge team call us directly if that's easier — it often helps line up the carer's start date with the actual discharge date.
Next steps