Consistent pressure area care
Regular repositioning matters enormously for preventing pressure sores. A carer who knows the routine and the person's skin will keep to it properly.
✧ Our services
Live-in Spinal Cord Injury Care at Home
Living with a spinal cord injury means routines that must happen reliably every day. A live-in spinal injury carer handles transfers, pressure care and bowel and bladder routines, so you can focus on living your life at home.
- Routines done reliably Bowel, bladder and pressure care, every day
- From £1,300 a week Or two carers from £2,600 for complex needs
- Trained on your equipment Hoists, slings, profiling beds and standing frames
- Your life, your choices Care built around work, family and independence
What is spinal injury care at home?
A spinal cord injury damages the nerves that carry messages between the brain and the body. Depending on the level and completeness of the injury, it can affect movement and sensation in the legs (paraplegia) or in the arms and legs (tetraplegia), as well as bladder and bowel function, skin sensation, breathing and temperature control. The Spinal Injuries Association estimates that thousands of people in the UK are newly injured each year.
Spinal injury care at home provides the practical support a person needs to live independently in their own home, following their own routines and priorities. With live-in care, the carer lives in, so support is there when it is needed rather than only at booked visit times.
How a live-in carer supports people with spinal cord injuries
- Transfers and positioning — bed, wheelchair, shower chair and car transfers, using hoists and slings safely.
- Pressure care — regular repositioning and skin checks to prevent pressure ulcers, which can quickly become serious when sensation is reduced.
- Bowel management — carrying out the individual bowel programme reliably, at the agreed time, once trained and signed off.
- Bladder management — supporting intermittent catheterisation or catheter care as trained and agreed with the nursing team.
- Personal care and dressing — respectful, efficient help that fits around work and social plans.
- Exercise and therapy — stretches, standing frame use and exercises set by the physiotherapist.
- Getting out — driving or accompanying to work, study, sport and social life.
Recognising autonomic dysreflexia
People with an injury at around T6 or above can experience autonomic dysreflexia, a sudden and dangerous rise in blood pressure usually triggered by something below the injury level, such as a full bladder, constipation or a pressure sore. Symptoms can include a pounding headache, flushing and sweating above the injury. Carers supporting people at risk are briefed to recognise it, remove the likely cause, sit the person upright and follow the individual's emergency plan.
Coming home from a spinal injuries centre
Leaving a spinal injuries centre after months of rehabilitation is a big step. Having a carer in place from the day of discharge, trained on the person's own routines and equipment, helps the transition go smoothly. We work with the centre's discharge team, community nurses and case managers to make sure the carer understands the bowel, bladder and skin regimes before care starts.
Paying for spinal injury care
Live-in spinal injury care starts from £1,300 a week, or from £2,600 a week where two carers are needed. Care may be funded through a personal injury claim, NHS Continuing Healthcare, the council after a needs assessment (including direct payments so you can choose your carers), or PIP. See our funding guide.
Preventing pressure ulcers
With reduced sensation, a person may not feel the early discomfort that normally makes us shift position, so pressure ulcers can develop quickly and become serious. Prevention is a daily discipline:
- regular pressure relief and repositioning, in bed and in the wheelchair, as advised by the spinal team;
- daily skin checks, especially over the base of the spine, hips, heels and buttocks;
- the right cushion and mattress, checked and maintained;
- careful transfers that avoid dragging or friction;
- good nutrition and hydration, which help skin stay healthy;
- reporting any red mark that does not fade promptly to the district nurse.
Bowel and bladder routines, done reliably
For many people with a spinal cord injury, bowel and bladder management follows a set routine that must happen reliably, at the right time, every day. When it slips, the consequences range from discomfort and embarrassment to infection or autonomic dysreflexia. Carers are trained on the individual's routine and carry it out discreetly and consistently, so the person can plan their day with confidence. Any changes, signs of infection or problems are reported to the nursing team.
Fitness, wellbeing and an active life
Staying active matters after a spinal injury, for physical and mental health. Many people take up adapted sports, wheelchair skills training or gym programmes, and organisations such as the Back Up Trust run activities that rebuild confidence. A carer can support getting to sessions, help with the practical side, and make an active, social life possible rather than an exception.
Relationships, family and independence
A spinal injury changes relationships as well as bodies. Partners can find themselves slipping into the role of carer, which can strain a relationship. Having a live-in carer take on personal care and practical tasks lets partners remain partners, parents remain parents, and the person with the injury stay in charge of their own life. We match carers carefully so that the person feels comfortable with them in the intimate aspects of care that spinal injury often involves.
Temperature control after a spinal injury
Many people with higher-level spinal cord injuries cannot regulate their body temperature properly, because they may not sweat or shiver normally below the level of their injury. They can overheat or become too cold easily, sometimes without realising. Carers help by keeping the home at a comfortable temperature, adjusting clothing and bedding, offering cool drinks in hot weather, protecting skin from burns from hot water bottles or radiators where sensation is reduced, and watching for signs of overheating or chill.
Travel and holidays with a spinal injury
A spinal injury does not have to mean the end of travel. Many people travel in the UK and abroad with the right planning: accessible accommodation, equipment such as a portable hoist or shower chair, advance arrangements with airlines, and enough supplies for bowel and bladder routines. A carer can travel with the person to provide care throughout the trip, with travel and accommodation costs for the carer agreed in advance. The Spinal Injuries Association and Back Up Trust offer advice on accessible travel.
Mental wellbeing after a spinal injury
Adjusting to life after a spinal injury takes time, and low mood and anxiety are common. Peer support from others living with spinal injury, such as through the Spinal Injuries Association or Back Up Trust, is often especially valuable, alongside professional support where needed.
Further reading and sources
Why families choose it
What live-in spinal injury care gives you
Rehabilitation kept up day to day
Exercises set by a physiotherapist are far more likely to happen consistently with someone in the house to encourage and assist with them.
Safer transfers
Moving between bed, wheelchair and chair carries real fall risk. A carer trained in safe technique reduces that risk considerably.
Support with bladder and bowel routine
Many spinal injuries affect continence. A carer supports the day-to-day routine alongside district nurses for any clinical elements.
Emotional adjustment, not just physical care
Adapting to a new level of independence is difficult. Having someone there who understands the practical reality helps as much as the physical support does.
Is it right for us?
When people arrange spinal injury care at home
If one of these sounds familiar, spinal injury care at home is worth a conversation.
Coming home from hospital or a rehabilitation unit
Discharge after a spinal injury often needs support in place from day one, sometimes at short notice.
Risk of pressure sores is rising
If repositioning isn't managed consistently, skin breakdown can happen quickly and become a serious complication.
Family can't safely manage transfers alone
Moving someone from bed to wheelchair takes technique and, often, more strength than one family member has.
A catheter or bowel routine needs consistent support
Day-to-day management alongside visits from a district nurse for anything clinical.
Wanting to stay at home rather than in residential care
Many people with spinal injuries would rather remain independent at home than move into a care facility, provided the right support is in place.
What a carer does
How a live-in carer helps after a spinal cord injury
Every care plan is built from these, weighted to whatever matters most in your household.
Mobility and transfers
Safe, practised support moving between bed, wheelchair and chair, within what one carer can manage safely.
Pressure care and health routine
Regular repositioning and awareness of skin health, alongside district nurses for any clinical care.
Rehabilitation and companionship
Encouragement to keep up prescribed exercises, plus company through what can be a difficult adjustment.
Household and daily living
Laundry, light housework and meal preparation, so daily life keeps running around the care plan.
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 spinal injury care includes, and what it doesn't
Being straight about the boundaries saves everyone a difficult conversation later.
Included in the weekly fee
- Support with wheelchair transfers within single-carer capability
- Repositioning and pressure area awareness
- Personal care — washing and dressing
- Medication prompting
- Meal preparation
- Encouragement with prescribed exercises and rehabilitation
- Household tasks and laundry
- Escorting to physiotherapy and clinic appointments
Not included
- Two-person or hoist transfers (that is our Advanced plan)
- Nursing tasks such as catheter changes, which require 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
Compared honestly
Spinal injury care at home, 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 your spinal injury 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 spinal injury 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
-
Vistorine
Live-in carer
-
Patience
Live-in carer
-
Refiloe
Live-in carer
-
Monica
Live-in carer
-
Gladys
Live-in carer
-
Brenda
Live-in carer
How it works
Arranging spinal injury 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 spinal injury 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 spinal injury care at home cost?
Live-in spinal injury care starts from £1,300 a week. Where two carers are needed, for example for two-person transfers or frequent night-time repositioning, it starts from £2,600 a week.
Can carers do bowel programmes and catheter care?
Yes, where the carer has been trained on the individual's routine and signed off, in line with the plan agreed with your nursing team or spinal centre.
Are your carers trained to use hoists?
Yes. Carers are experienced with hoists, slings and transfers and are shown your own equipment before care starts. Some transfers need two people, which we plan for.
Can you arrange care for discharge from a spinal injuries centre?
Yes. We work with the centre's discharge team and community nurses so the carer understands the routines and equipment from day one.
Can I use direct payments for live-in care?
Often, yes. Direct payments from the council let you choose your own care provider. Ask your social worker whether live-in care can be funded this way.
Do carers know about autonomic dysreflexia?
Carers supporting people with higher-level injuries are briefed on the signs of autonomic dysreflexia and the individual's emergency plan before they start.
How often does someone with a spinal injury need repositioning?
It depends on the person, their skin and their equipment. The spinal team or district nurse will advise on a schedule for pressure relief in bed and in the wheelchair, which carers follow carefully.
Can a carer support adapted sports and exercise?
Yes. Carers can support getting to adapted sports, gym sessions and wheelchair skills training, helping with the practical side so staying active is part of everyday life.
Can I choose a carer of the same gender for personal care?
Yes. Given the intimate nature of spinal injury care, many people prefer a carer of the same gender, and we take that into account when matching.
What happens if a pressure mark appears?
The carer relieves pressure from the area immediately and reports it to the district nurse promptly. Early action is essential to stop a mark developing into a pressure ulcer.
Transparent pricing
How much spinal injury care costs
One weekly fee covering the agreed care plan. No hidden charges for everyday care.
Read next
Guides for families arranging spinal injury care
A Comprehensive Guide to Creating a Care Plan
Read guide →
A Guide to Catheter Care
Read guide →
Can live-in care be funded?
Read guide →Related care
Care often arranged alongside spinal injury care
Disability Home Care
Disability care is specialised home care designed to support individuals with physical, learning, sensory, or complex disabilities. This type of care focuses on assisting with daily activities, mobility, personal care, and emotional well-being while promoting independence and quality of life.
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.
Brain Injury Care
Brain injuries can be acquired brain injuries or traumatic brain injuries. Acquired brain injuries (ABIs) are caused by stroke or brain tumor, while a traumatic brain injury (TBI) results from physical trauma. Either way, the patient needs live-in care that specializes in brain injury, especially if the disability is life-long. The worst form of body damage that could happen is an injury to the brain. Head injuries are the leading cause of disability and death in adults. Brain injuries acquired or traumatic result in brain tissue damage and hence swelling of the tissue. Since the skull cannot accommodate by increasing in size, there is a buildup of pressure in the brain.
Neurological Conditions Care
There are two types of nervous systems, the central nervous system, and the peripheral nervous system. The central nervous system is composed of the brain and spinal cord, and the peripheral nervous system is composed of nerves that branch out of the spinal cord and extend to the other body parts.
Near you
Spinal injury care in your area
Local pages cover how care is regulated and funded where your relative lives.
Where we work
Spinal Injury 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.