Care built around the person's own equipment and routine
A home already set up with an adapted bathroom, a hospital bed or a hoist stays that way — no starting again in an unfamiliar facility.
✧ Our services
Live-in Disability Care for Independent Living
Disabled adults have the same right to live independently at home as anyone else. A live-in carer provides the physical support that makes that possible, with personal care, mobility and equipment, while you stay in charge of your own life.
- You stay in control Your home, your routine, your choices
- From £1,200 a week Or two carers from £2,600 for complex needs
- Direct payments welcome Use your personal budget to arrange care
- Equipment-confident Hoists, slings, wheelchairs and profiling beds
What is disability home care?
Disability home care is support at home for adults with a physical disability, sensory impairment or long-term condition, so they can live independently. It includes help with personal care, mobility, household tasks and getting out, delivered in a way that respects the person's choices and control. With live-in disability care, a carer lives in the home, so help is available whenever it is needed, not only at fixed visit times.
For many disabled adults, a live-in carer works more like a personal assistant: the person decides how their day runs, and the carer provides the practical support that makes it possible.
Personal care, transfers and daily living support
- Personal care — washing, dressing, toileting and continence care, done your way and at your pace.
- Transfers and mobility — hoists, slings, wheelchairs, standing aids and repositioning.
- Household tasks — cooking, cleaning, laundry, shopping and home maintenance.
- Health routines — medication, exercises, skin care and appointments.
- Work, study and social life — travel, support at work or college, hobbies, sport and holidays.
- Parenting support — practical help so disabled parents can care for their children in the way they want.
Independent living and choice
The principle of independent living is that disabled people should have the same choice, control and freedom as anyone else. Live-in care supports that by fitting around your life rather than the other way round: no waiting for the next visit to get up or go to bed, and no rota of strangers. You choose your carer from matched profiles, and we plan regular relief carers so breaks and holidays are covered by people you already know.
Respite care for disabled adults
Where a partner or parent provides most of the care, respite care for disabled adults lets them take a proper break while the disabled person stays at home with their own adapted environment and equipment, which a respite placement elsewhere rarely matches. See live-in respite care.
Adaptations and equipment
An occupational therapist can assess your home and recommend equipment and adaptations, such as ceiling hoists, level-access showers, ramps or a profiling bed. The council provides many items, and a Disabled Facilities Grant can help pay for larger adaptations. A live-in carer makes sure equipment is used safely every day.
Paying for disability home care
Live-in disability care starts from £1,200 a week, or £2,600 where two carers are needed. Many disabled adults use direct payments or a personal budget from the council to arrange live-in care of their choice. PIP and, where needs are complex and health-related, NHS Continuing Healthcare (sometimes as a personal health budget) may also help. See our funding guide.
Working with you as your personal assistant
Many disabled adults prefer to think of their live-in carer as a personal assistant (PA): someone who works for them, supporting the life they choose, rather than someone who takes charge. In practice, that means you direct how and when things are done, the carer respects your expertise in your own body and routines, and support fits around your plans for work, study, family and social life. We match carers who understand this way of working and are comfortable with it.
Direct payments and personal budgets explained
If the council assesses you as having eligible care needs, you may be given a personal budget. You can choose to receive it as a direct payment, which you use to arrange your own care, rather than having the council arrange it for you. Direct payments give more control over who provides your care and how. You will need to manage the payment and keep records, although many councils offer support with this. If your needs are primarily health-related, you may instead receive a personal health budget through NHS Continuing Healthcare. Ask your social worker about using these for live-in care.
Access to Work and support in employment
If you are disabled and in work, or about to start, the government's Access to Work scheme may help pay for support you need at work, such as a support worker or travel costs, over and above reasonable adjustments made by your employer. This can sit alongside the care you receive at home. A live-in carer can support your morning and evening routines, travel and personal care so that working is practical.
Planning for emergencies
For disabled people who rely on care and equipment, it is important to have a plan for when things go wrong: a carer being unwell, equipment breaking down, or a power cut affecting powered equipment. We plan relief cover, keep contact details for equipment suppliers in the care plan, and encourage people who rely on powered equipment to register with their energy supplier's Priority Services Register, which offers extra support during power cuts.
Holidays and travel with a live-in carer
Having a disability should not mean giving up holidays, family visits or trips away. With planning, a live-in carer can travel with you, providing the same support away from home: help with personal care, transfers and equipment, and making sure accessible accommodation and transport meet your needs. The carer's travel, accommodation and food costs are agreed in advance. Many disabled travellers find that having their own carer with them makes travel far more relaxed and possible than relying on unfamiliar support at the destination.
Technology that supports independent living
Technology can reduce the amount of hands-on help needed and increase control. Environmental controls let people operate lights, doors, curtains, heating and the television by voice, phone or switch. Smart speakers can make calls, set reminders and control devices. Personal alarms and sensors can summon help. An occupational therapist or the council's assistive technology service can advise on what might help, and a carer can support the person to set up and use it with confidence.
Privacy and your own space
Having a carer live in your home should not mean losing privacy. Clear agreements about when you want support, when you want time alone, and which spaces are private help the arrangement work well for both of you.
Further reading and sources
Why families choose it
What live-in disability care gives you
Independence, not dependency
The carer supports exactly where physical needs require it, and steps back everywhere else, so the person keeps doing what they can do themselves.
Consistency for complex needs
For someone with a progressive or complex condition, a rotating team of visiting carers is disruptive. One live-in carer learns the detail once.
Family life stays intact
A partner or children are not separated from the person needing care, unlike a move into residential accommodation.
One-to-one attention
Not shared staffing across several residents — a live-in carer is there for one household, all day.
Is it right for us?
When disabled adults arrange live-in care
If one of these sounds familiar, disability home care at home is worth a conversation.
A family carer is ageing or unwell
Common where a parent has supported a disabled adult child for years and can no longer manage physically.
Moving out of supported living or a care home
Some families want their loved one back in a home of their own, with one-to-one live-in support rather than a shared facility.
A progressive condition reaches a new stage
Conditions such as MS or muscular dystrophy can mean daily support that was manageable becomes something that needs a carer in place around the clock.
Discharge after a spinal injury or major accident
Moving from hospital or rehab into a properly supported home environment, rather than a longer stay in a clinical setting.
A visiting care package no longer provides enough consistency
When several different carers cycling through the week isn't working, live-in care offers one person who knows the routine properly.
What a carer does
How a live-in carer supports disabled adults
Every care plan is built from these, weighted to whatever matters most in your household.
Daily living and personal care
Washing, dressing and personal care given with dignity, adapted to the person's physical needs and equipment.
Health and mobility management
Medication prompting and mobility support, working alongside physiotherapists, OTs and the GP.
Companionship and independence
Support given only where it's needed, with the person's independence and preferences kept front and centre.
Home and equipment support
Care that works with the home's existing adaptations and equipment, rather than requiring a move somewhere new.
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 disability home care includes, and what it doesn't
Being straight about the boundaries saves everyone a difficult conversation later.
Included in the weekly fee
- Personal care — washing, dressing, continence support
- Single-handed mobility and transfer support
- Medication prompting and administration
- Meal preparation, including specific dietary needs
- Liaison with occupational therapists, physiotherapists and social workers
- Support attending appointments and activities
- Equipment-aware care, including hoists and wheelchairs within single-handed limits
- Light housework and laundry
- Companionship and daily routine
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
Disability care at home, residential care, 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 your carer be?
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 disability 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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Vistorine
Live-in carer
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Refiloe
Live-in carer
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Patience
Live-in carer
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Brenda
Live-in carer
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Gladys
Live-in carer
How it works
Arranging disability 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 disability 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 questionsHow much does home care for disabled adults cost?
Live-in disability care starts from £1,200 a week. Where two carers are needed, for example for two-person transfers, it starts from £2,600 a week.
Can I use direct payments for live-in care?
Often, yes. Direct payments or a personal budget from the council let you arrange care of your choice, including live-in care. Ask your social worker.
Can I choose my own carer?
Yes. We send profiles of matched carers and you choose, with a video call first if you like. We plan relief carers you already know for breaks.
Do you provide respite care for disabled adults?
Yes. Live-in respite lets a family carer take a break while the disabled person stays at home with their own equipment and routines.
Are carers trained to use hoists?
Yes. Carers are experienced with hoists and slings and are shown your own equipment before care starts.
Can a carer support me at work or college?
Yes. Carers can support travel, personal care and practical tasks at work, college or university, as agreed in your care plan.
What is the difference between a carer and a personal assistant?
A personal assistant works under the disabled person's direction, supporting the life they choose. Many disabled adults prefer this way of working, and live-in carers can work as PAs.
What is a personal health budget?
An amount of NHS money, often through NHS Continuing Healthcare, that lets people with health-related needs plan and arrange their own care, which can include live-in care.
Can Access to Work help with care?
Access to Work can pay for support needed at work, such as a support worker or travel, for disabled people who are employed. It sits alongside care at home rather than replacing it.
What is the Priority Services Register?
A free service from energy and water suppliers offering extra support, including advance warning of power cuts, to people who rely on powered medical or mobility equipment.
Transparent pricing
How much disability home care costs
One weekly fee covering the agreed care plan. No hidden charges for everyday care.
Read next
Guides for families arranging disability home care
A Comprehensive Guide to Creating a Care Plan
Read guide →
Private Carers vs an Introductory Agency
Read guide →
Can live-in care be funded?
Read guide →Related care
Care often arranged alongside disability home care
Spinal Injury Care
Spinal cord injuries are very serious and can lead to a lifetime of lost independence. It is important for those who have suffered from a spinal injury to understand the appropriate ways to care for their injury in order to make it easier on themselves. It also might be essential to consider care at home. In this blog post, we will discuss how you can rehabilitate your injury at home or work so that you don't have as much trouble getting around and doing things independently!
Cerebral Palsy Care
cerebral palsy private care is a condition that impacts muscle control and movement. It is a lifelong disability that can be challenging for the person who has it, their care providers, live in care, and their family members.
Muscular Dystrophy Care
Muscular dystrophies are a group of diseases that progressively damage muscle tissue and weaken muscles. The most common muscular dystrophy is Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, which affects about 1 in every 3,500 live male births. These conditions will affect children differently depending on the type of disease they have and their age.
Multiple Sclerosis Care
Multiple sclerosis or MS is a nervous system pathology characterized by nerve fiber damage. With a debilitated nervous system, the person suffers from physical disabilities and a wide range of other symptoms such as mobility problems, vision loss, fatigue, numbness and tingling sensations, weakness, muscle stiffening and spasms, and cognitive function loss.
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.
Near you
Disability home care in your area
Local pages cover how care is regulated and funded where your relative lives.
Where we work
Disability 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.
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Can’t see your area? Call 0800 368 8558 — we almost certainly still cover it.