Cost of live-in care
Clear pricing for live in care
Transparent pricing
We guarantee that every cost involved in your care is clearly laid out in your care agreement
No hidden fees
We don’t believe in landing our customers with added fees or unexpected extra payments
Stress-free care
Your local care manager will listen to you and support you every step of the way
Personalised support
We’ll tailor your support to your requirements so you’re not paying for care you don’t need
How much does live in care cost?
The cost of live-in care is dependent on the level of support that you or your loved one needs.
Our live-in care, or 24-hour care, is ideal for anyone who requires a more comprehensive level of support than visiting care offers. Our costs are based on your precise needs – whether it’s providing companionship, personal care or support with more complex care requirements including different types of dementia.
Our live-in care costs start from:
£1,599 per week for a single person
£1,839 per week for a couple
Some of the many benefits of live-in care are:
One-to-one care
Live-in care gives you the opportunity to receive personal one-to-one support from your own carer, meaning you’ll always have their full attention
Stay in a familiar environment
Many people relish the chance to remain in the comfortable, secure surroundings of home whilst receiving the additional support they need
Personalised support
Live-in care allows you to enjoy a personalised care plan that ensures you’re always getting the ideal amount of assistance for your needs and wishes
Maintain routines and hobbies
From board games to going to the theatre, having a live-in carer means you’ll be able to continue the routines and hobbies you enjoy
Spend more time with loved ones
A live-in carer can support you to spend as much time as you wish with family and friends – either in your own home, or visiting them in theirs
A holistic approach
Our holistic approach to live-in care means that you’ll be fully supported in every aspect of your life, and your family’s needs will also be considered
Is live-in care cheaper than a care home?
It’s hard to compare a residential care home with the huge value of one-to-one care at home.
While there are more people on hand in a care home, our customers who’ve tried both say that it doesn’t compare with the personal assistance and continuous support of a live-in carer. For a couple, residential care home prices can start at £1,242 per week, based on the weekly cost of £621 per person. For a live-in carer for a couple, our prices start from £1,700 per week, and all of our live-in carers are trained to support people living with complex medical conditions.
Additional pages we think you’ll find useful:
How to arrange live-in care
We try to make arranging care simple and stress-free so that we can focus on what really matters: your care needs. Speak to our team today to begin your journey.
Speak to our team
Call our team of experts to talk through your options and any questions you may have
Free home care assessment
Your local Helping Hands manager will visit you to discuss your care requirements
Find your carer
We’ll help to match you with a carer who meets your preferences and has the right skills
Comparing live in care with the cost of visiting care
Depending on your needs, visiting care can be more costly than live-in care due to the number of visits needed throughout the day to ensure that you’re cared for.
Based on an 80-year-old gentleman who was receiving visiting care in the Cambridgeshire area, we’ve put together an example of the overall costs of visiting care compared to live-in care.
| The care service being received | The traditional costs of domiciliary care |
| Personal care three times a day | £378 per week (average) Provided by local companies seven days a week |
| Personal care three times a day | £353 per week (average) Includes transport for attending day centres and fulfilling hobbies |
| Food preparation | £80 per week (average) Access to one meal a day through meals on wheels |
| Transport to appointments | up to £150 per journey (cost to the local government) |
| Physiotherapy at home | £230 per day for a house call (cost to local authority) |
| Cleaning and household chores | £10 per hour, averaging £30 per week |
| Cost of domiciliary care | up to £1,221 per week |
| Cost of live-in care | from £1,599 per week |
Support from the home care experts
We’ve got the experience and the expertise to provide you with transformative care at home.
There’s a reason we’re trusted by thousands up and down the country to provide them with dedicated home care – we’re the UK’s most widely rated home care provider, and the only one to be endorsed as a Centre of Excellence by Skills for Care.
Some of the things that set us apart from our competitors are:
Kind, compassionate carers
We only hire people to our care teams who display natural compassion and empathy in their personalities, and who are dedicated to their roles
Exceptional carer training
Every new Helping Hands carer is enrolled on our industry-renowned training programme, equipping them to provide visiting care to people of all needs
Family values
We were founded as a family business, and although we’re no longer family-run, we still value the importance of prioritising family
A fully regulated service
We believe in the importance of providing a regulated service so that every customer can be assured they’re getting the very best care
Local to you
We’ve got over 150 branches across England and Wales and we’re still growing, which means your local Helping Hands team is never too far away
All carers directly employed
We’re a private care provider, rather than a care agency, which means we can guarantee that all of our carers are employed and trained by us directly
Caring for couples at home
For a couple, the cost of a live-in carer is roughly the same as the cost of a residential care home.
For a couple, residential care home prices can start at £1,520 per week, based on the weekly cost of £760 per person. For a live-in carer for a couple, our prices start from £1,839 per week.
Although this is marginally higher than residential care, there are numerous benefits of having live-in care for a couple rather than moving into a care home, such as knowing that you are both fully cared for in a way that’s tailored to you whilst continuing to live together in the place you know and love. For many, this peace of mind is certainly worth a few extra pounds per week.
Respite live in care costs
Respite live-in care starts from £250 per day
If you require support in an emergency or for a short period of time, we can provide a private carer on a temporary basis, sometimes called respite care. This temporary support can be arranged for as little as five days, all the way up to four weeks of support.
If you end up needing respite care for more than four weeks, our weekly prices for live-in care apply, which are outlined above.
Your regular carer needs a break
Respite care can give your regular carer the opportunity to enjoy a well-earned break
You’re making a recovery
Whether you’ve had an accident or surgery, a respite carer can support you in your recovery
You need specialist care
Our respite carers are trained to support people with complex medical conditions and care needs
The difference a live in carer can make
Read the stories of two of our live-in care customers, Martin and Helen, and find out how their Helping Hands live-in carers are allowing them to enjoy a new lease of life.
How do you pay for live in care?
In England, if your assets are greater than £23,250, you’ll have to pay for your care in full.
If you’re living in England, £23,250 is the threshold above which your local authority will consider you able pay for your live-in care yourself. However, there are numerous state benefits that may be available to help you fund your care, depending on your personal circumstances and needs.
If you’re uncertain about your status, you can explore your funding options or request a Financial Assessment from your local council to see if you qualify for financial support. Your assessment will be an evaluation of your financial means, and will calculate whether:
The council pays for your care in full
The council pays for some of your care
You pay for all of your care
Going from visiting care to live in care
Are you receiving visiting care but have started to find that it no longer meets your needs?
Whether you’re currently receiving visiting care from us or a different care provider, you may be at the point where your needs require a more permanent care solution. It also might be that the costs of having a visiting carer three or four times per day have made a live-in carer a more attractive and financially viable option.
There are a number of major reasons why our customers opt to make the switch from visiting care to live-in care:
Care that offers value for money
If you’re receiving regular visiting care, the move to a live-in carer might not be much more expensive – particularly at £1,839 per week for a couple
Continuity of care
Live-in care offers the security and peace of mind of having one continuous carer who can constantly monitor your needs and provide you with support
Changing care needs
It’s only natural that your care needs will evolve over time, so you need to ensure you’ve got a care solution in place that gives you the right support
Fully regulated by the CQC / CIW
Here at Helping Hands, our live-in care service is fully managed and regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
From your very first phone call to our friendly team, every aspect of your home care service is independently monitored and regulated by the CQC and Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW).
Why is being a regulated company important?
What does regulation mean?
Our service is regularly monitored, inspected and regulated by an independent body
Why do we choose to be regulated?
We want every customer to have full peace of mind that their care is approved by a regulating body
How does regulation affect my care?
Our regulation means that we’ll provide you with high quality care, no matter what
Live in care FAQs
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Can I choose my own carer?
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We know how important it is to have a live-in carer who shares your hobbies, likes and interests, so we’ll make sure you’re always matched with someone who shares your personality and has lots in common with you so that you’ve got a companion as well as a carer.
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What is live-in care?
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Live-in care is a support option where your carer will live in your home with you, ensuring you get the support you require at all times of day and night. Live-in care is ideal for those requiring constant support, and provides peace of mind for all concerned.
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How can I arrange live-in care?
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You can arrange live-in care today by calling our friendly customer support team, who are available seven days a week. Alternatively, you can also contact us via our website and arrange a call back at your convenience.
Page reviewed by Carole Kerton-Church, Regional Clinical Lead, on May 31, 2023.
How we wrote this page
This page has been produced referencing key insights and data from external experts, trusted medical sources and our team of in-house specialists. We have worked hard to ensure that all information is as accurate as possible and reflects current consensus at the time of writing and reviewing.