✧ Regional coverage
Live-in Carers Across the South West
Cotswolds to Cornwall, including the rural corners where visiting agencies struggle to staff four calls a day reliably.
- Care within a week Urgent starts often in 24–48 hours
- From £1,200 a week The same rate nationwide, not by postcode
- Care Quality Commission (CQC) Regulates home care in England
- 79 areas Covered across the South West
Live-in care from Bristol to Cornwall
The South West has the oldest population of any English region, and some of its most rural and remote communities. Families searching for live-in care in the South West are supporting parents in Bristol, Bath, Exeter and Plymouth, in retirement towns along the coast from Bournemouth to Torbay, and in villages across Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, Wiltshire and the Cotswolds. In many of those villages, visiting agencies cannot staff four calls a day. A carer who lives in the home solves that.
See our county pages for live-in care in Devon, Cornwall, Dorset, Somerset, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire.
Retirement, distance and families far away
Many people moved to the South West to retire, so their children may live in London, the Midlands or abroad. When a parent's health changes, the family is often a long way off. A live-in carer gives daily company and practical help, notices changes early, and can keep you updated in whatever way suits you, from a short message each evening to a weekly video call. Couples who retired here together can stay together in the home they chose, with one carer supporting both.
Councils in the South West
Adult social care is run by a mix of county and unitary councils: Cornwall Council; Devon County Council, with Plymouth and Torbay separate; Somerset Council, with Bath and North East Somerset and North Somerset separate; Dorset Council and BCP Council; Wiltshire Council and Swindon; Gloucestershire County Council and South Gloucestershire; and Bristol City Council. Each offers a free needs assessment and may contribute depending on savings.
Hospitals and long journeys home
Main hospitals include Southmead and the Bristol Royal Infirmary, the Royal United in Bath, the Royal Devon in Exeter, Derriford in Plymouth, Torbay, the Royal Cornwall in Truro, North Devon District in Barnstaple, Musgrove Park in Taunton, Yeovil, Dorset County, the Royal Bournemouth, Salisbury, the Great Western in Swindon and Gloucestershire Royal. From west Cornwall or north Devon, the journey home can take hours. A live-in carer arranged in advance means your relative arrives to support rather than an empty house.
Bristol, Bath and the Cotswolds
In the north of the region, families in Bristol, Bath, Weston-super-Mare, Cheltenham, Gloucester and the Cotswold villages face a different mix: busy cities where care agencies are stretched, and rural areas where they barely reach. Many homes are older properties with steep stairs, and some are listed, which can slow down adaptations. A live-in carer supports your relative safely while changes are made, and helps them keep up the routines that matter: church, the shops, a walk, friends. For couples, one carer can support both. If your relative is living with dementia or Parkinson's, tell us, and we will match carers with the right experience.
24-hour live-in care in Devon, Cornwall and beyond
Families often ask for 24-hour live-in care. One carer is in the house day and night and can help if your relative wakes occasionally, but needs a daily break and proper sleep. If your relative needs someone awake all night, two carers working in turn is the safer arrangement. Standard live-in care starts from £1,200 a week, specialist care from £1,300 and two carers from £2,600, with no premium for rural or coastal homes. See pricing and 24/7 care at home.
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 England
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 England is regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). They inspect and register home care services to make sure standards are met.
Where funding comes from
Apply through your local authority's adult social care team. Means-tested local authority funding and NHS Continuing Healthcare are both available depending on assessed need.
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 the South West
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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Patience
Live-in carer
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Gladys
Live-in carer
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Brenda
Live-in carer
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Refiloe
Live-in carer
Coverage
Towns and cities we cover in the South West
We arrange live-in care in 79 areas across the South West.
Devon
Somerset
Cornwall
Dorset
Bristol and around
Wiltshire
Gloucestershire
Our services
Care services available in the South West
Free callback
Speak to someone about care in the South West
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 the South West
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 questionsDo you provide live-in care in Devon?
Yes. We arrange live-in carers across Devon, from Exeter, Exmouth and Plymouth to Torbay, Barnstaple, Tavistock and the villages of Dartmoor and Exmoor. The price is the same for rural and town addresses, and most placements start within a week.
Can we get 24-hour live-in care in the South West?
Yes. A single live-in carer is present day and night and can manage occasional night waking, but needs a two-hour daily break and a night's sleep. Where someone needs support awake all night, we arrange two carers working in turn, from £2,600 a week.
Do you cover remote parts of Cornwall?
Yes. Cornwall is exactly where live-in care works best, because the carer lives in rather than driving between scattered visits. We cover west Cornwall, the Roseland, Bodmin Moor and the north coast, and can match carers who drive.
Which council handles care in Somerset or Dorset?
Somerset Council has run adult social care across most of the county since 2023, with Bath and North East Somerset and North Somerset separate. In Dorset, it is Dorset Council, or BCP Council for Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.
Is live-in care cheaper than a care home in the South West?
For one person it is often comparable to a good local care home; for a couple it is usually much cheaper, because one carer supports both for a single fee. Most families choose it because nobody has to move, and the care is one-to-one.
How do you choose a carer for someone in the South West?
We match on needs, personality and practical factors, such as whether a driver is needed for a rural home. You see profiles, speak to candidates by video call and choose. As an introductory agency, we stay involved for support and cover throughout.
How many care homes are there in the South West?
Our care-home directory lists 1,871 registered care homes in the South West, each with its own page, and 1,515 of them are rated Good or Outstanding by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Together they have around 52,600 beds. 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.