✧ Live-in care in East Lothian, South East Scotland
Live-in Care Across East Lothian
Live-in care in East Lothian brings one carer to live with your relative, in Musselburgh, Tranent, Prestonpans, Haddington, North Berwick, Dunbar, Port Seton, Gullane or East Linton. We arrange care across East Lothian, alongside free personal care in Scotland.
- 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 Musselburgh to Dunbar
East Lothian runs along the Firth of Forth east of Edinburgh, from the old fishing and mining towns near the city to the golf links, beaches and farmland around North Berwick and Dunbar, with the Lammermuir Hills to the south. Families searching for home care in East Lothian are supporting parents in Musselburgh, Wallyford and Whitecraig, in Prestonpans, Cockenzie and Port Seton, in Tranent and Ormiston, in Haddington and East Linton, and in Longniddry, Aberlady, Gullane, North Berwick and Dunbar. A carer who lives in lets your relative stay in the home they know.
We also arrange care in Edinburgh, Midlothian, Berwickshire, Galashiels, Livingston and Scottish Borders.
The Royal Infirmary and the community hospital in Haddington
Emergency and specialist care for East Lothian is at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, run by NHS Lothian, while East Lothian Community Hospital in Haddington provides inpatient beds for older people, rehabilitation and clinics. A live-in carer in East Lothian arranged before discharge means your relative can come home as soon as they are medically fit.
Free personal care in East Lothian
In Scotland, personal care is free for adults assessed as needing it, whatever their income. In East Lothian, assessments are carried out through the East Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership, which joins East Lothian Council, based in Haddington, and NHS Lothian. Care services are regulated by the Care Inspectorate.
The Bass Rock, the links and John Muir's coast
The view of the Bass Rock from North Berwick, the beaches at Gullane and Yellowcraig, the John Muir Country Park at Dunbar and the racecourse at Musselburgh are favourite outings. Many older people here worked in the pits and power station around Prestonpans and Cockenzie, fished, or farmed the Lothian fields. A carer can help your relative keep getting to church, the golf club or family. You choose your carer from matched profiles before anything is agreed.
Care homes locally
Care homes in East Lothian, and the alternative
Our care-home directory lists 18 registered care homes in East Lothian. 10 provide nursing care and 15 support people living with dementia.
If a move into one of these homes is on the table, it is worth comparing it with live-in care: one carer living in your relative’s own home in East Lothian, looking after only them. See what live-in care costs, or ask us to check carer availability in East Lothian.
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 →
What a live-in carer does day to day, what is not included, and the three steps to arranging it: how live-in care works →
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 people who would be caring for your family
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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Refiloe
Live-in carer
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Patience
Live-in carer
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Monica
Live-in carer
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Gladys
Live-in carer
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Brenda
Live-in carer
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Vistorine
Live-in carer
Our services
Our live-in care services
Nearby
Areas we cover near East Lothian
Free callback
Speak to someone about live-in care
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 about live-in care here
Local answers on paying for care, nearby areas and care homes.
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 questionsWho helps pay for care in East Lothian?
Often, yes. Your local council's social work department can carry out a free needs assessment. In Scotland, personal care is free for adults assessed as needing it, whatever their income, and the council may contribute further depending on savings. Attendance Allowance, paid to people over State Pension age who need help with personal care, is not means-tested and can be put towards care.
How many care homes are there in East Lothian?
Our care-home directory lists 18 registered care homes in East Lothian. If you are weighing up a care home, live-in care is the alternative that keeps your relative at home with one carer supporting only them, and we can explain how the two compare on cost.