Plain-English guides to UK home care.
Real answers, real numbers, real expertise — written by people who’ve actually arranged care, reviewed by former CQC inspectors and registered managers.
- funding
Who pays for home care in the UK? A 2026 funding guide
Home care in the UK is funded through four main routes: NHS Continuing Healthcare (for those with a primary health need), local authority social care (means-tested), fully self-funded arrangements, and state benefits like Attendance Allowance that can help offset costs. Understanding which applies — and in what combination — can mean the difference between thousands of pounds a year in funded support and paying for everything yourself. This guide explains each route, the eligibility thresholds, and the questions worth asking now.
14 min read6 May 2026 - choosing
20 questions to ask before picking a home-care agency
Choosing a home care agency is a significant decision, and most families make it under time pressure, without a clear framework for what to ask. These 20 questions — grouped by care quality, carer training, visit logistics, cost, communication, and safeguarding — are drawn from the CQC's own assessment framework and from what families most often say they wish they had asked. For each question, we explain what a strong answer sounds like and what should give you pause.
14 min read6 May 2026 - comparison
Live-in care, visiting care, or a care home? How to choose
The three main care models for older people in England — visiting home care, live-in care, and residential care homes — differ significantly in cost, daily experience, and what level of need they suit. Visiting care starts from around £24 per hour; live-in care typically costs £900–£1,500 per week; care homes range from £900 to £1,800 per week. But the right choice is rarely just about cost. This guide lays out what daily life looks like under each model, who each suits, what nobody tells you about the downsides, and a decision framework to help.
12 min read6 May 2026 - discharge
Hospital discharge and home care: what to do in the first 72 hours
When a hospital says your parent will be discharged in 48 hours, most families have no idea what to do next. Under NHS England's discharge-to-assess pathway, hospitals must ensure discharge is both safe and timely — but families often have to push hard to make that happen in practice. This guide covers how discharge works, who is responsible, what funding screening means, and the specific steps that prevent the first 72 hours at home from unravelling.
13 min read6 May 2026 - dementia
Home care for someone with dementia: what families need to know
Dementia is the most common reason people in England begin home care. But generic home care is not the same as dementia-specialist care — and the difference matters. From carer training levels and continuity of visits to the legal protections around decision-making, this guide covers what families need to understand when arranging, reviewing, or extending home care for a relative with dementia.
13 min read6 May 2026 - basics
What is home care, and how is it different from a care home?
Home care, live-in care, and care homes are three different things — and getting the right one depends on the level of support needed and what your family can manage. Here's a plain-English breakdown of what home care actually is, who provides it, and how it's regulated in England.
10 min read6 May 2026 - cost
How much does home care cost in the UK in 2026?
Home care in the UK typically costs between £24 and £35 per hour for visiting care, and £900 to £1,500 per week for live-in care — though what you actually pay depends on where you live, what support is needed, and whether you are self-funding or receiving council support. Here is an honest breakdown of the numbers and what they mean.
12 min read6 May 2026 - cqc
How CQC inspections work, and what the ratings actually mean
The Care Quality Commission inspects and rates every home care agency in England across five questions: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive, and Well-led. But a headline rating only tells part of the story. Here is how the inspection process works, what each rating actually signals, and what to look for in the full report before choosing a provider.
11 min read6 May 2026