Independence, extended
A light touch of support with chores and errands often keeps someone comfortably independent for years longer, rather than needs escalating unnoticed.
✧ Our services
Home Care Services and Live-in Home Help
Home care is any support that helps someone keep living in their own home, from a little home help to full live-in care. We arrange live-in home care, and we will help you understand which kind of care actually fits your family.
- From £1,200 a week Live-in home care, one fixed fee
- Home help to full care Support that grows as needs change
- Honest advice We say if visiting care would suit better
- Start in 24–48 hours When help is needed quickly
What are home care services?
Home care, sometimes called domiciliary care or care at home, is support provided in a person's own home rather than in a care home. It can include help with housework and shopping, personal care such as washing and dressing, medication, meals, company, and getting out and about. It suits people who want to stay at home but need some help to do so safely and comfortably.
Types of home care
- Home help — practical support with housework, laundry, shopping and errands, for people who are managing their own personal care.
- Visiting (domiciliary) care — carers visit for set periods, from 30 minutes to a few hours, once or several times a day.
- Live-in home care — a carer lives in the home and provides support throughout the day, with someone there overnight. This is what we arrange.
- Overnight care — a carer stays through the night. See overnight care.
- Respite care — temporary care so a family carer can take a break. See respite care.
Live-in home care or visiting care?
Visiting care is a good fit when someone needs help at predictable times, such as getting up and going to bed, and is safe on their own in between and overnight. Live-in home care makes more sense when:
- help is needed at unpredictable times, or several times a day;
- someone should not be alone overnight;
- loneliness is a big part of the problem;
- the number of visits needed has grown to the point where live-in care costs less;
- continuity matters, such as with dementia, and a rota of visiting carers is unsettling.
We will tell you honestly if we think visiting care would suit your family better.
What live-in home care includes
A live-in carer provides companionship, housework, cooking, shopping and errands, help getting to appointments, medication prompts, help with hobbies and outings, and personal care as needs change. The care plan is built around the person's routine and preferences, and it can grow gradually, from light home help to full personal care, without changing carer.
Home care for seniors who want help early
Many families come to us before a crisis: a parent who is recently widowed, finding daily tasks quietly getting harder, or whose family live too far away to check in daily. Putting support in place early, while the person can shape it themselves, often helps them stay independent for longer. See companionship care for lighter-touch live-in support.
Paying for home care
Live-in home care starts from £1,200 a week. Attendance Allowance, a free council needs assessment, and NHS Continuing Healthcare for complex health needs can all help. In Scotland, personal care is free for anyone assessed as needing it. See our funding guide.
Comparing the cost of home care options
How much home care costs depends on how much help is needed and how it is provided. As a rough guide to the trade-offs:
- A few short visits a day — usually the least expensive option when needs are light and predictable, charged by the hour.
- Several hours of visits a day — costs rise quickly, and there is still no one there overnight.
- Live-in care — a fixed weekly fee, from £1,200 a week with us, covering support throughout the day and someone in the house at night.
- A residential care home — a weekly fee that varies widely by area and needs, and includes accommodation.
Once someone needs more than a few hours of help a day, or should not be alone at night, live-in care often compares well on cost as well as on quality. Our pricing page sets out our fees in full.
Council-arranged or privately arranged home care?
If the council assesses someone as having eligible needs and their savings are below the threshold, it may arrange or fund home care, or provide a direct payment so the family can arrange it. Council-arranged care is often visiting care, with set visit times. Many families choose to arrange care privately, either because they are above the savings threshold or because they want more control over who provides care, when and how. It is possible to combine the two, for example using a direct payment towards privately arranged live-in care.
Home care in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Ireland
Home care is arranged and funded differently across the nations we cover. In Scotland, personal care is free for adults assessed as needing it. In Wales, there is a weekly cap on what councils can charge for non-residential care. In Northern Ireland, care is arranged through the Health and Social Care Trusts. In the Republic of Ireland, the HSE provides home support services. Each of our location pages explains how care is regulated and funded locally, and we are happy to talk you through what applies where your relative lives.
Signs it is time to move from home help to more care
Home help often starts small, with cleaning and shopping. It may be time to consider more support if you notice falls or near-misses, missed medication, weight loss, confusion, difficulty washing or dressing, or a partner who is struggling to cope. Our guide to the signs it might be time to consider care covers these in more detail.
Technology that supports care at home
Simple technology can make home care safer and give families peace of mind. A key safe outside the door lets carers and emergency services get in if needed; a personal alarm worn as a pendant or wristband summons help at the press of a button; automatic falls detectors can raise an alarm; and smart speakers can make calls and give reminders by voice. Many councils offer these through a telecare service, sometimes for a small weekly charge. They work well alongside live-in or visiting care, rather than replacing it.
What happens at a council care needs assessment
Anyone who appears to need care and support has the right to a free needs assessment from their local council. A social worker or assessor talks to the person, and usually their family, about what they can and cannot manage, what matters to them and what outcomes they want. If they have eligible needs, the council then carries out a financial assessment to work out what it will pay towards care. Families can be present, and it helps to prepare by noting down examples of what the person struggles with day to day.
Further reading and sources
Why families choose it
What live-in home care gives your family
A plan that grows with the person
General home care can flex from a few hours of help to full live-in support as needs change, without switching providers.
Less isolation
For people who live alone, having someone around for company and conversation makes a genuine difference to daily wellbeing.
Time back for family
One trusted person handling shopping, cooking and appointments frees up adult children from a growing list of weekly tasks.
Often more affordable than it looks
Compared with moving into a retirement or care community, staying at home with general support is usually the more cost-effective option.
Is it right for us?
When families arrange home care
If one of these sounds familiar, home care at home is worth a conversation.
Recently widowed and finding things harder alone
Cooking for one, keeping on top of the house and simply having company are common reasons families first get in touch.
Daily tasks are quietly getting harder
Shopping, cleaning and cooking take longer or get skipped. Often noticed by family before the person mentions it themselves.
Family live too far away to check in daily
Regular support from someone on the ground gives everyone peace of mind that things are being looked after.
Recovering from a minor procedure
A short spell of support after an operation or illness, stepped down once things return to normal.
Wanting help in place before it's urgently needed
Some families prefer to arrange light support early, so it's already working well by the time more is needed.
What a carer does
How a live-in home carer helps
Every care plan is built from these, weighted to whatever matters most in your household.
Daily living and independence
Just enough support to keep everyday life running smoothly, without taking over tasks the person can still manage.
Health and wellbeing check-ins
Medication prompting and a familiar face who notices if something isn't quite right.
Companionship
Someone to share meals, conversation and time with, particularly valuable for people living alone.
Household support
Shopping, light cleaning and everyday errands taken care of, so the home stays comfortable and manageable.
Related services
Other types of live-in care we arrange
Live-in care is not one fixed thing. These are the variations families most often need — and we will tell you which one actually fits.
24 hour live-in care
For people who need attention repeatedly through the night. Covers waking nights and, where nights are consistently broken, two carers in rotation.
Respite care
A professional steps in so a family carer can rest, from a few days to several weeks. Also the easiest way to try live-in care before committing.
Emergency home care
For a hospital discharge, a fall, or a carer suddenly unable to continue. We can often have someone in place within 24 to 48 hours.
Overnight care
Cover through the night only, where days are manageable but nights are not. Useful after a hospital stay or while a diagnosis settles.
Dementia care
Carers experienced in memory loss, sundowning and changes in behaviour. Familiar rooms and one consistent face matter more here than anywhere.
Palliative care
Comfort-focused support at home, working alongside district nurses and the GP so symptom control and dignity come first.
End of life care
Support for the final months, weeks or days at home, for the person and for the family around them.
Companionship care
Where the need is company and daily structure rather than personal care. Often the first step, before anything more is required.
What you get
What home care includes, and what it doesn't
Being straight about the boundaries saves everyone a difficult conversation later.
Included in the weekly fee
- Companionship and conversation
- Light housework, laundry and changing beds
- Cooking and meal preparation
- Shopping, errands and prescription collection
- Support getting to appointments
- Medication prompting
- Help with hobbies, interests and getting out and about
- Arranging transport where needed
- Occasional personal care as needs change
Not included
- Nursing tasks requiring a registered nurse (district nurses continue to visit)
- The carer's own 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)
Compared honestly
Live-in home care, a care home, or visiting carers?
The three realistic options, side by side. We will tell you if one of the others suits you better.
| Live-in care | Residential care home | Visiting care | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical weekly cost, one person | From £1,200 | £1,100 – £1,600 | £300 – £900 |
| Typical weekly cost, a couple | From £1,200 (one carer) | £2,200 – £3,200 (two places) | Varies by hours |
| Staff-to-person ratio | One-to-one | Shared across residents | One-to-one, but only during visits |
| Same carer each day | Yes | No — shift rota | Rarely |
| Stay in your own home | Yes | No | Yes |
| Overnight cover | Yes | Yes | No — unless booked separately |
| Couples stay together | Yes | Often not possible | Yes |
| Pets can stay | Yes | Almost never | Yes |
| Visitors any time | Yes | Visiting hours | Yes |
Care home figures are typical UK ranges for 2026 and vary considerably by region and by whether nursing care is included. We quote our own prices exactly; always confirm a care home's fees directly with them.
Our carers
Who will actually be in the house?
The single biggest worry families raise, and rightly. You choose the carer from matched profiles, and you can speak to them by video call before deciding anything.
Enhanced DBS
On every single carer, checked before introduction
In person
Every carer is interviewed, not just screened on paper
You choose
Profiles sent to you — including a video call first
24–48 hrs
How fast we can move in an emergency
Our carers
The carers who provide home care
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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Brenda
Live-in carer
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Gladys
Live-in carer
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Vistorine
Live-in carer
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Patience
Live-in carer
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Refiloe
Live-in carer
How it works
Arranging home care in three steps
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.
Choose your carer
We send profiles of available carers matched to your needs. You can speak to them on a video call before deciding.
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.
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 about general home care
What families ask us before arranging care.
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 questionsWhat is the difference between home care and domiciliary care?
They mean the same thing: care provided in a person's own home. Domiciliary care usually refers to visiting care, while live-in care means a carer lives in the home.
How much does live-in home care cost?
Live-in home care starts from £1,200 a week as one fixed fee, including someone in the house overnight.
Is live-in care cheaper than visiting care?
For a few short visits a day, visiting care is cheaper. Once several hours a day or overnight support are needed, live-in care is usually better value.
Can home help turn into full care later?
Yes. A live-in carer can start with companionship and housework and take on personal care as needs change, without you changing carer.
Can the council help pay for home care?
After a free needs assessment, the council may contribute if savings are below the threshold. Attendance Allowance is not means-tested and can go towards care.
Do you provide visiting care?
We specialise in live-in care. If visiting care would suit you better, we will tell you honestly and suggest where to look.
Is personal care free in Wales or Northern Ireland?
Not in the same way as Scotland. In Wales, there is a weekly cap on council charges for non-residential care. In Northern Ireland, care is arranged through Health and Social Care Trusts after an assessment.
Can we combine council funding with private live-in care?
Often, yes. A direct payment from the council can sometimes be used towards privately arranged live-in care, with the family paying the difference. Ask your social worker what is possible.
When is live-in care better value than hourly home care?
Usually once several hours of help are needed each day, or someone should not be alone overnight. At that point hourly costs add up quickly, while live-in care is a fixed weekly fee.
What does home help usually include?
Cleaning, laundry, shopping, errands and meal preparation for people who manage their own personal care. A live-in carer can provide home help and take on personal care later if needed.
Transparent pricing
How much home care costs
One weekly fee covering the agreed care plan. No hidden charges for everyday care.
Read next
Guides for families arranging home care
The Benefits of Home Care: Why Choosing to Stay at Home Can Be the Best Option
Read guide →
Signs That It Might Be Time to Consider Care: Recognising When Help is Needed
Read guide →
Is Live-in Care Affordable?
Read guide →Related care
Care often arranged alongside home care
Live-in Care
Our live in care service provides one-to-one support at home from a trained, DBS-checked carer — matched to your family's needs, routine and personality.
Companionship Care
Our companionship care at home service provides one-to-one support at home from a trained, DBS-checked carer — matched to your family's needs, routine and personality.
Personal Care Assistants
Our private carers service provides one-to-one support at home from a trained, DBS-checked carer — matched to your family's needs, routine and personality.
Overnight Care
Overnight home care means that a trained carer stays at the individual’s home overnight to assist with any situation that may arise. The caregiving staff member seamlessly facilitates daily routine which continues during the night as well.
Elderly Care
Our elderly care at home service provides one-to-one support at home from a trained, DBS-checked carer — matched to your family's needs, routine and personality.
Near you
Home care in your area
Local pages cover how care is regulated and funded where your relative lives.
Where we work
General Home Care across the UK and Ireland
We arrange care in 850+ towns and cities. Choose your area for local pricing, funding and how care is regulated where you live.
- Carers travel to you — they move into the home rather than driving from a local branch, so rural and coastal areas are covered too.
- The same weekly price everywhere — care is priced on the support needed, never on your postcode.
- Care can start in 24–48 hours in most areas, and often the same day after a hospital discharge.
Search 850+ towns and cities →
Can’t see your area? Call 0800 368 8558 — we almost certainly still cover it.