✧ Regional coverage
Live-in Care and Care at Home Across Scotland
Borders to the Highlands and islands, where distance makes daily visiting care unreliable and a carer who lives in simply works better.
- Care within a week Urgent starts often in 24–48 hours
- From £1,200 a week The same rate nationwide, not by postcode
- Care Inspectorate Regulates home care in Scotland
- 74 areas Covered across Scotland
Live-in care from the Borders to the Highlands
Scotland's geography shapes how care works. In Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee, visiting care is available but often stretched; in the Highlands, the islands, the Borders and rural Aberdeenshire, it can be almost impossible to arrange four reliable visits a day. Families searching for live-in care in Scotland, or for a live-in carer in Scotland who can move in and stay, are usually trying to keep a parent safe at home without asking them to move to a care home miles away. With a carer living in, distance stops being the problem.
We arrange live-in carers across the country, including Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Dundee, Inverness, Stirling, Fife and the Highlands.
Free personal care in Scotland
Scotland does things differently from England. Personal care, such as help with washing, dressing, eating and continence, is free for adults assessed as needing it, whatever their income or savings. Assessments are arranged through your relative's Health and Social Care Partnership, which brings together the council and the NHS board; in the Highlands, NHS Highland leads on adult social care. Scotland no longer uses NHS Continuing Healthcare. Care services are regulated by the Care Inspectorate.
Free personal care does not usually cover everything a live-in carer does, such as housework, company and being in the house overnight, so many families combine an assessed package or Self-directed Support with private live-in care. We can talk you through how the two fit together.
Scotland's hospitals and coming home
Scotland's fourteen NHS boards run hospitals from the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow and the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, Ninewells in Dundee, Raigmore in Inverness and Forth Valley Royal in Larbert. For patients from rural areas, the journey home can be long, and delayed discharge is a well-known pressure across the country. A live-in carer arranged in advance means the ward can send your relative home as soon as they are ready.
Home care, visiting care and overnight care in the cities
In Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen, families often start by looking for visiting care or overnight care. Visits work well while someone needs help at set times, but they leave long gaps, and finding a reliable overnight service can be difficult. Once your relative needs support spread through the day, or should not be alone at night, a live-in carer is often simpler and better value than combining several services. It also means one familiar face rather than a changing rota, which matters a great deal for someone living with dementia.
If your relative only needs a short spell of help, for example after an operation, live-in care can be arranged for a few weeks rather than open-ended.
Winter, distance and staying well at home
Dark afternoons, ice and snow can keep older people indoors for weeks, and are exactly when visiting care is most often cancelled. A carer who lives in keeps care going whatever the weather, keeps the house warm and meals regular, and helps your relative stay connected with neighbours, church and community groups.
What live-in care costs in Scotland
Live-in care starts from £1,200 a week, with specialist care for more complex needs from £1,300 and two carers for round-the-clock waking support from £2,600. The price is the same in the city and in the most remote glen. See our pricing, or read about dementia care at home and overnight care.
What you get
What a live-in carer does
Being straight about the boundaries saves everyone a difficult conversation later.
Included in the weekly fee
- Personal care — washing, dressing, continence support
- Medication prompting and administration
- Cooking, meal preparation and special diets
- Light housework, laundry and changing beds
- Shopping, errands and prescription collection
- Getting to appointments and social visits
- Companionship, conversation and daily routine
- Mobility support, transfers and falls prevention
- Pet care — walks, feeding, vet trips
- A named care manager and 24/7 office support
Not included
- Nursing tasks requiring a registered nurse (district nurses continue to visit)
- The carer's food — the household provides everyday meals
- Household bills, rent or council tax on the carer's behalf
- Two-person handling where a hoist requires two carers (that is our Advanced plan)
Weighing the options
Live-in care, visiting care or a care home?
The three choices most families are deciding between.
| Feature | Live-in care | Visiting care | Care home |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stays in their own home | Yes | Yes | No |
| Support through the night | Yes | Rarely | Yes |
| The same carer each day | Yes | Rota of staff | Rota of staff |
| Keeps pets and belongings | Yes | Yes | Usually not |
| Couples stay together | Yes | Yes | Often separated |
| Typical cost | £1,200 a week | Varies with hours | Varies by home |
Visiting care and care home costs vary widely by area and provider, so we don’t quote figures we can’t stand behind. See our pricing in full →
How it works
How arranging live-in care works
Three steps, and the first one is just a conversation.
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1
Tell us what you need
A friendly, no-obligation call to understand the situation, explain how the care works and give you an estimated weekly cost.
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2
Choose your carer
We send profiles of available carers matched to your needs. You can speak to them on a video call before deciding.
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3
Care begins at home
Your carer moves in and support starts, with a named care manager checking in regularly to make sure it's working.
Funding & regulation
Paying for care in Scotland
Home care is regulated and funded differently in each nation, so the route is not the same everywhere. Here is how it works where you live.
Read our full funding guide →Who regulates care here
Home care in Scotland is regulated by the Care Inspectorate. They inspect and register home care services to make sure standards are met.
Where funding comes from
Apply through your local council's social work department. Scotland provides free personal and nursing care to those who are assessed as needing it, regardless of income — a different system from means-tested funding in England.
How we fit in
Live-in Care Direct is an introductory agency. We introduce self-employed carers to families rather than employing them, so you contract directly with your carer and keep the choice of who provides your care.
Our carers
The carers who could support you in Scotland
Our carers are spread across the UK, supported by regional care managers. Every one is interviewed in person, enhanced DBS checked and reference-checked before they are ever introduced to a family — and you choose who moves in.
- Interviewed face to face, never hired on paperwork alone
- Enhanced DBS checked, with references verified
- You meet and approve your carer before they start
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Vistorine
Live-in carer
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Monica
Live-in carer
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Refiloe
Live-in carer
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Gladys
Live-in carer
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Patience
Live-in carer
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Brenda
Live-in carer
Coverage
Towns and cities we cover in Scotland
We arrange live-in care in 74 areas across Scotland.
Glasgow and the West
Ayrshire, Dumfries and Galloway
Central Scotland and Fife
The Scottish Borders
Tayside and Perthshire
Aberdeen and the North East
Edinburgh and the Lothians
The Highlands and Argyll
Our services
Care services available in Scotland
Free callback
Speak to someone about care in Scotland
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
Live-in care in Scotland
Local answers on timing, regulation and funding.
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 questionsIs live-in care free in Scotland?
Not entirely. Personal care is free for adults assessed as needing it, whatever their income, but a live-in carer also provides company, housework and someone in the house overnight, which free personal care does not normally cover. Many families combine an assessed package with private live-in care.
Do you arrange live-in carers in the Highlands and islands?
Yes. Live-in care suits remote areas better than visiting care, because the carer lives in the home rather than driving between calls. We cover the Highlands, Argyll, Moray and other rural areas, and can talk through travel for island addresses when you call.
Who assesses care needs in Scotland?
Your relative's local Health and Social Care Partnership arranges the assessment, bringing together the council and the NHS board. In the Highlands, NHS Highland is the lead agency for adult social care. Ask your relative's GP or the council's social work department to start the process.
Can Self-directed Support be used for live-in care?
Self-directed Support gives people choice over how their assessed care is arranged, including direct payments. Whether it can go towards a live-in arrangement depends on the assessment and the partnership, so ask your social worker, and we can explain how our introductory model works.
Who regulates live-in care in Scotland?
Care services in Scotland are regulated by the Care Inspectorate. Live-in Care Direct is an introductory agency: we introduce self-employed carers rather than employing them, so you choose your carer and agree the arrangement with them directly, with our support throughout.
How quickly can a live-in carer start in Glasgow or Edinburgh?
Most placements in the cities start within a week of the first call, and in urgent cases, such as a hospital discharge, we can often introduce a carer within 24 to 48 hours. Rural addresses may take a little longer to match.
How many care homes are there in Scotland?
Our care-home directory lists 763 registered care homes in Scotland, each with its own page. Care homes here are registered with the Care Inspectorate. Live-in care is the alternative for anyone who would rather stay in their own home: one carer moves in, and couples can stay together.