There are many things that can prompt you to start looking for care for a loved one. Here are some things to look out for, when considering if care at home is needed:

- Decreased mobility (becoming slower on feet or having difficulty getting up stairs or into a bath, for example)
- Depression (getting up late or neglecting daily activities)
- Behavioural Changes (getting lost or wandering around)

Concerned about a loved one and want to look at care at home options? Use our free quotation tool to find local care providers who can help, or call our free care advice line on 0330 043 0048.

There are a number of different care options, each of which is dependent on your individual needs and circumstances. We have included a breakdown of the care options available below:

Home Care is a care service provided at home, sometimes also known as 'domiciliary care'. Home care is a fantastic solution for people needing some extra support at home, but not necessarily around the clock. A carer can visit a few times a day to help you do things like get in and out of bed, prepare meals, have a wash. There are also a number of other options including overnight care, if you want that reassurance of having someone there to help overnight.

Live-in Care is a fantastic service for people needing support around the clock. As well as just being a companion, a live-in carer would be able to support you with everything each day from preparing meals, taking medications, washing and dressing, right through to clinical care (e.g. help with a stoma or catheter). It's a fantastic and completely viable alternative to going into a care home.

Residential care is not often a preferred, but sometimes the best option for many people. Usually referred to as a 'care home', all residential care facilities are places that you can move into and get support. There are a few different care home options with some care homes being more generalist, and others specialising in certain types of care (e.g. dementia care). Nursing homes are slightly different to a care home in the fact they provide more specialist nursing care, that you wouldn't get in a care home. In residential care you will receive round the clock support from a team of carers, and pay for a room with shared use of the main facilities, usually on a weekly basis.

Supported Living is a great solution where you rent a property or room, and receive support from a team of carers. It is different to residential care in the fact that the accommodation and support are provided separately.

Retirement Villages are a fantastic option for people looking to downsize their home and mmove in with a community of older people. Many retirement village providers have either carers at each location, or work with a care company to provide help and support.

Not sure what is the best care option for you? Speak to a care advisor and get some free independent advice, by calling 0330 043 0048.

For care visits you can expect to pay in the region of £18 - £28 /hour, however some providers at the higher end of the market will charge more than this. Some care providers also offer 30 minute of 45 minute visits, however it's always good to note for your research that some care providers have a minimum visit time of 1 or 2 hours.

Booking care on a regular schedule with a provider can also help with consistency and continuity. Ensuring the same carers visit.
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For overnight care rates vary widely, whether you would like a carer to be awake (a ‘waking night’) or asleep (a ‘sleeping night’). Some providers charge an hourly rate, others a fixed rate for a set number of hours. Costs range from £120 - £250 /night, however some providers at the higher end of the market will charge more than this.
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For live-in care, services are usually priced on a weekly basis. These costs are comparative to, if not more cost effective than a care home. Weekly costs of live-in care range from £750 - £1300 /week, however some providers at the higher end of the market will charge more than this.
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Want to get quotes from local care providers? Use our comparison tool here.

It is a good idea to define your needs, whether you think a little day to day support such as a few visits from a carer would be ideal, whether round the clock support would be needed, or if potentially residential care is a safer and better option. 

We would also then recommend looking at how you will fund the support, whether from savings, other income, via funding from the local authority/ NHS, or using other financial products such as equity release. 

If you have less than £23,250 in savings then the local authority will help you with care costs. In this case you could also arrange what is known as a needs assessment from your local councils adult social care team. This assessment will help gage the level of support you may need, and any financial contributions you may need to make in addition to local authority funding. 

Not sure where to start? Call our free care advice line to speak to one of our expert care advisors on 0330 043 0048.

Care at home can be a lot more cost effective than a care home, depending on the level of support you need.  

An important thing to note is that when looking at your assets to assess whether you need to pay for your own care or not (known as self funding) - if you are moving into a care home then the value of your home is taken into account.

With home care, not only do you get to remain in familiar surroundings at home, but it is more beneficial financially when looking at paying for support. 

We can help with quotes from local providers based on your requirements. Use our free comparison tool to compare local care providers and get instant quotations here.

Respite care is short term support, often to provide a full-time carer a break from caring responsibilities, either on a regular basis (e.g. one day a week), or for a few weeks as a block - whilst taking a holiday for example. 

If you are looking for short term respite care, you can find care providers locally who offer respite care services using our comparison tool here.

Finding care when leaving hospital can often be daunting, whether you need some short-term support to help you in your recovery, or longer term ongoing support. 

The good news is that many care providers will be able to assess your needs at hospital. Their team will come to meet with you, speak with everyone involved in your care, alongside the hospital team to help put together a care plan. As part of assessments often they will need to also look around your home, however this can be arranged separately, done by a video call or in some cases done on the day you move back home with the support starting. Each care provider will have a process they go through, so it’s worth discussing how they manage this. 

‍Want to have a look at local care providers, get quotes and arrange an assessment at hospital? Click here to use our free comparison tool and find local care organisations who can help

You can fund care either at home (domiciliary care) or residential care (a care or nursing home) in a number of ways. 

For care at home - if you have less than £23,250 in savings (excluding the value of your home) then the local authority will help you with care costs. In this case you could also arrange what is known as a needs assessment from your local councils' adult social care team. 

For residential care - if you have less than £23,250 in savings (including value of any property you own) then the local authority will help you with care costs in the same regard. 

If you have more than the savings threshold then you may need to pay for the care yourself, known as ‘self funding’. There are also other financial products available such as equity release or an immediate needs annuity as other methods of self-funding your care. 

Aside from this, if you have what is known as a ‘primary healthcare need’ then you can get care from the NHS through what’s known as ‘continuing healthcare’. This is where all of the costs of your care will be covered by the NHS themselves. Need help navigating the costs of care and funding options? Call our free care advice line to speak to one of our expert care advisors on 0330 043 0048.

Many care providers offer different services and at different price points, so it's important to find care that is not only affordable, but also meets your needs on an ongoing basis.

We would recommend speaking with 5 or 6 local providers before making a decision, so you can ensure you find care that is right for you.

We can help with quotes from local providers based on your requirements. Use our free comparison tool to compare local care providers and get instant quotations here.