There is no universally right answer here. Home care keeps a person in familiar surroundings with one or two consistent carers. A care home puts staff on site around the clock with other residents nearby. The decision usually comes down to four things: safety at night, how much company the person has, whether the house works for them, and cost. This guide walks through each one, including the situations where we would tell you a care home is the better choice.
Families often jump to the care home question when the real problem is narrower than that: missed medication, no hot meals, a fall in the bathroom, or a daughter who is doing three visits a day and cannot keep going.
Each of those has a home care answer. It is worth naming the specific problems on paper before deciding anything, because the list is usually shorter than the worry.
Night-time is the honest test. If someone is safe in bed and can call for help, visiting care through the day is often plenty. If they are getting up, disorientated, or at risk of falling in the dark, you need either live-in care, a waking-night carer, or a care home.
A care home has people around all day, which genuinely suits some people, particularly those who have become very isolated. Home care can address loneliness too, but you have to plan for it: longer calls, companionship visits, keeping clubs, family and church in the week rather than dropping them.
Our visiting care starts from £22 per hour and live-in care from £1,150 per week. Care home fees vary widely by home and area. For one person, live-in and a mid-range care home tend to be broadly comparable. For a couple, home care is usually much cheaper because one carer supports both partners rather than paying for two placements.
Funding can apply either way. NHS Continuing Healthcare, local authority support and Attendance Allowance are all worth checking before you assume a figure is out of reach.
If someone needs registered nursing on site, if the home cannot be made safe, or if the level of supervision required is beyond what even live-in care can provide, a care home is the right answer and we will say so. We are a home care provider, not a care home operator, so we have no reason to talk anyone into staying at home.
Often yes, because familiar surroundings reduce confusion. It depends on night-time activity, whether the person leaves the home unaccompanied, and how well the home can be made safe. A care assessment will give you a clear view.
Yes, and many families do exactly that. There is no minimum contract with us, so trying home care does not close off the care home option.
Cover is arranged from our team, and relief cover for a live-in carer's breaks is included at no extra charge. You should never be left without care because of carer absence.
Continuity is something we plan for deliberately. Live-in carers typically work in rotations with a regular relief carer, so a family usually only gets to know two people.
Your local council's adult social care team can carry out a free needs assessment, and the CQC website lets you check any provider or home, including ours.
Call 01784 740078 for a calm, no obligation conversation about what would actually work for your family.
Call 01784 740078 for a calm, no obligation conversation about what would actually work for your family.
