✧ Live-in care in Devon
Live-in Care Across Devon
Live-in care in Devon brings one carer to live with your relative, whether in Exeter, a market town or a village on Dartmoor or the coast. We arrange home care across the county, from £1,200 a week, with carers you choose.
- 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 across Devon, towns and countryside
Devon is one of England's most rural counties, and that shapes how care works here. Visiting carers can spend much of their day driving between remote villages, which makes regular visits hard to arrange in places on Dartmoor, Exmoor or along the north and south coasts. Live-in care avoids that problem entirely: the carer lives in the home, so a farmhouse near Okehampton gets exactly the same support as a flat in Exeter or Torquay.
We arrange live-in care throughout the county, including Exeter, Exmouth, Barnstaple, Bideford, Tiverton, Newton Abbot, Totnes, Tavistock, Sidmouth and Ilfracombe, as well as Plymouth and Torbay.
Devon's hospitals and discharge
Hospital care is spread across the county. The Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust runs the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital and North Devon District Hospital in Barnstaple; Torbay Hospital in Torquay serves south Devon; and Derriford Hospital in Plymouth serves the west of the county. Because rural discharges can be delayed while a care package is found, having a live-in carer in Devon ready can make a real difference to how quickly someone gets home.
Three councils for social care
Adult social care in most of the county is run by Devon County Council. Plymouth and Torbay are separate unitary authorities, so addresses there are covered by Plymouth City Council and Torbay Council instead. Each offers a free needs assessment and may contribute to the cost of care depending on savings, and NHS Continuing Healthcare is assessed separately where needs are mainly health-related.
Staying part of village life
In small communities, staying at home often means staying connected: the village shop, the church, neighbours who look in. A move to a care home in a bigger town can break those ties. Live-in care keeps them, which is why so many families searching for home care in Devon end up choosing it.
Care homes locally
Care homes in Devon, and the alternative
Our care-home directory lists 459 registered care homes in Devon, with 11,986 beds between them. Of the 410 with a current Care Quality Commission rating, 32 rated Outstanding, 324 rated Good, 51 require improvement and 3 rated Inadequate. 97 provide nursing care and 247 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 Devon, looking after only them. See what live-in care costs, or ask us to check carer availability in Devon.
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 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 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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Monica
Live-in carer
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Gladys
Live-in carer
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Vistorine
Live-in carer
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Brenda
Live-in carer
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Refiloe
Live-in carer
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Patience
Live-in carer
Our services
Our live-in care services
Nearby
Areas we cover near Devon
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 Devon?
Often, yes. Your local council's adult social care team can carry out a free needs assessment and, depending on savings, may contribute to the cost. Where needs are mainly health-related, NHS Continuing Healthcare can pay in full. 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 Devon?
Our care-home directory lists 459 registered care homes in Devon, with 11,986 beds between them. Of those with a current Care Quality Commission rating, 32 rated Outstanding, 324 rated Good, 51 rated Requires improvement and 3 rated Inadequate. 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.