Many families first search for “what is home care” at a stressful moment. A parent has come out of hospital, a partner is finding stairs harder, or you have noticed that the fridge is empty and the post is piling up. You want to know what help exists, and what it would mean for your relative’s daily life.
Here is the short answer. Home care is paid support from trained carers who help someone live in their own home, rather than moving into a care home. It can include personal care such as washing and dressing, help with meals and medicines, practical tasks, and company. It can be a short visit once a week or several visits a day, and some people use live-in or overnight support. In the UK it is also called domiciliary care, homecare or care at home. What is right for one person may not suit another, and what each provider offers differs.
This guide explains the main types of home care, who it suits, what a visit involves, how care plans work, how it compares with other options, how it is paid for and regulated in England, and how to begin. It is general information for families in England. Funding rules and regulators differ in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, so check local arrangements if you live there.
What does “home care” actually mean?
The NHS describes homecare, also called domiciliary care, as a paid carer visiting you at home to help with daily life. It can be short term, for example while someone recovers from illness, or long term.
Different organisations use different words, and that causes confusion. In practice:
- Home care, homecare, domiciliary care and care at home all describe support delivered in someone’s own home. “Domiciliary” is the more formal term, which comes from the Latin for “home”.
- Visiting care (sometimes called “visits”) means carers arrive at agreed times for an agreed length of time.
- Live-in care means a carer stays in the person’s home to provide continuing support.
- Home help usually means household tasks such as cleaning or laundry. The NHS notes that most councils do not provide home help, and that charities such as Age UK, the Royal Voluntary Service and the British Red Cross may offer it, sometimes for a charge.
Home care is different from nursing care, which is delivered by registered nurses, and from home health services, which are NHS clinical services such as district nursing. We return to those differences below.
Who can benefit from home care?
Care at home is not only for people in very old age. People use it for many reasons, and needs can change over time. Typical situations include:
- Older people who want to stay in their own home but find washing, dressing, cooking or getting about harder than before.
- People recovering from illness, surgery or a hospital stay, who need extra help for a few weeks or months.
- People with long-term health conditions or disabilities, including physical disabilities and sensory impairments, who need regular support.
- People living with memory problems or dementia, where familiar surroundings and routines may matter. Whether a provider can support dementia needs depends on its experience and training, so ask.
- People who are lonely or isolated, and would benefit from regular company as well as practical help.
- Family carers who need a break. A relative who provides most of the care may need a rest, which is where respite care comes in.
Home care can be arranged whether or not you have a formal diagnosis. What matters is the help someone needs and what they would like.
How does home care support independence, dignity and comfort?
Many people prefer to stay in the home they know. Their routines, belongings, neighbours and memories are there, and they can keep making their own choices about when to get up, what to eat and how to spend the day.
Good home care is built around those choices. A carer’s role is to support, not to take over. That might mean encouraging someone to do as much as they can for themselves, while giving a steady arm or doing the tasks that have become unsafe or exhausting. It also means respecting privacy, asking before helping, and doing things the way the person prefers.
There are limits. Home care cannot make a home physically safe on its own, and it cannot guarantee that someone will stay independent or avoid falls. Some homes need adaptations, such as handrails or a downstairs washing area, and some needs are better met in other settings. Being honest about that is part of choosing well.
What are the different types of home care?
Providers describe their services in different ways, but most fall into the categories below. Not every provider offers every type, so check what is on offer.
Personal care
Personal care means hands-on help with the body and daily routine. The NHS lists examples including getting up, washing, dressing, brushing hair, using the toilet and getting ready for bed. This is often the heart of a care plan.
Practical and domestic support
This covers preparing meals and drinks, reminders to take medicines, shopping, collecting prescriptions, laundry and light housework. The NHS and Age UK both include meals and tasks around the home within the scope of homecare, though the extent varies.
Companionship
Some visits are mainly about company: a chat over a cup of tea, a walk, or going to a lunch club or appointment together. Companionship matters for wellbeing and can be the difference between a good day and a lonely one.
Visiting (domiciliary) care
This is the most common arrangement. Carers visit at set times. Proritas Healthcare, for example, describes its home or domiciliary care as visiting care that can start from as little as an hour per visit, depending on location, and extend to several visits a day.
Overnight support
Some providers offer waking or sleeping night support, for people who need help or reassurance during the night. Ask how it works and what is charged.
Live-in care
With live-in care, a carer stays in the home to provide continuing support, usually working in shifts and having breaks. The NHS notes that live-in carers are available and that some can provide specialist support. Proritas Healthcare describes its live-in care as a dedicated carer living with you and providing 24/7 support.
Respite and short-term care
Respite care gives family carers a break, while short-term care can support someone through recovery after illness or hospital. Proritas Healthcare also offers respite care, described as short-term, flexible care.
Specialist support
Some people need support with particular conditions, such as dementia, stroke recovery or Parkinson’s disease. The NHS says some homecare providers can support specialist needs. Do not assume a provider can do this. Ask about its experience, how carers are trained and who supervises them.
What happens during a typical home care visit?
No two visits are identical, because care is meant to follow the person’s care plan. As an illustration only, a morning visit might include:
- The carer arrives, says hello, and checks how the person is feeling.
- They help the person get up, wash and dress, in the way the person prefers.
- They prepare breakfast and a drink, and remind or help the person with medicines if that is part of the plan.
- They tidy the kitchen, put on a wash and make sure the person has what they need within reach.
- They write brief notes on the visit, so that the next carer and the family know how things went.
A lunchtime visit might focus on a meal and a conversation. An evening visit might help with supper, getting ready for bed and making the home secure. Some people need one visit a day. Others need four short visits. Some need long visits to go out or take part in activities.
Visit length matters. Very short visits can feel rushed if someone needs more time to move, eat or talk. Ask providers what minimum visit length they offer and whether time is flexible.
How are care plans developed and reviewed?
A care plan is a written record of what support someone needs and how and when it will be given. It should reflect the person’s wishes, not only their needs.
In general, the process runs along these lines:
- An initial conversation or assessment, usually in the person’s home, with the person and, if they wish, family. A good provider will ask about health, mobility, routines, likes and dislikes, medicines, what the person wants to keep doing for themselves, and who to contact in an emergency.
- A written care plan that sets out tasks, times and any risks, such as a risk of falls, difficulty swallowing or problems with memory.
- Matching carers to the person where possible. Proritas Healthcare says on its website that it carefully matches clients with carers who fit their personality and interests.
- Regular reviews and changes when needs shift, for example after a hospital stay, a fall or a change in memory or mobility.
Proritas Healthcare describes a three-step start: book a free consultation, discuss care needs, then be matched with a carer and have a care plan put in place. The provider’s own process and timings will govern what actually happens for you.
Care plans should be agreed with the person receiving care wherever they have capacity to do so. If someone cannot make some decisions, a legally appointed representative or best-interests process may apply. Ask the provider how it handles consent.
How can family members take part?
Families often play several roles: planner, advocate, emergency contact and source of company. You can help most by:
- sharing what you know about the person’s history, routines and preferences
- being clear who is the main contact and how information will be shared
- joining reviews, if the person agrees
- raising concerns early rather than waiting
- letting the person lead on decisions about their own life
It is easy to slip into making decisions on someone’s behalf. Even when you are worried, try to explain your concerns and offer choices. Home care works better when the person feels in charge.
Can home care help after illness, hospital discharge or a fall?
Yes, often. Short-term support can help someone regain strength and confidence at home. Age UK notes that care after hospital may be arranged through “discharge to assess” or “home first” approaches, and advises checking costs because rules vary by area. Ask the hospital discharge team what support is being arranged, who is paying for it and for how long.
Home care can help after a fall too, but it does not replace medical care. A carer is not a clinician or an emergency service. If someone has had a fall and may have hurt their head, neck, back or hip, or cannot get up, call 999. Our guide to the symptoms to look for after a fall explains what to watch for and when to seek help. Once the medical picture is clear, regular visits may help with washing, dressing, meals and reassurance, and carers can notice and report changes.
Is home care suitable for someone with dementia or reduced mobility?
It can be, but it depends on the person and the provider.
Dementia. Some people with dementia value the familiarity of home. Others need more supervision than visiting care can provide, or become distressed by unfamiliar faces. Consistency of carers, patience and a clear understanding of the person’s life story matter. Ask a provider about training, how it matches carers and what it does if someone becomes distressed or wanders. As needs increase, you may need more frequent visits, overnight support, live-in care or a different setting.
Reduced mobility. Carers can help with moving around the home, getting in and out of bed or a chair, and using the toilet or shower. Some people need equipment such as a hoist or a profiling bed, and two carers for some tasks. Providers differ in what moving and handling they can do, and equipment usually needs a professional assessment. Check what is possible before you commit.
Whatever the condition, ask for an honest answer on whether a provider can meet the person’s needs safely. A good provider will say so if it cannot.
How does home care differ from home health services and residential care?
The labels overlap, so here is a plain-English comparison.
| Home care (domiciliary care) | Home health services (for example district nursing) | Care home (residential care) | |
| What it is | Social care in your own home | NHS clinical care at home | Accommodation and care in a registered home |
| Typical tasks | Personal care, meals, medicines support, company | Nursing tasks such as wound care or injections, decided by clinicians | Personal care, meals, activities and 24-hour staffing |
| Who provides it | Care workers employed by an agency, or directly | NHS nurses and therapists | Care home staff |
| How it is arranged | Privately, or via the council | Through the NHS, usually by referral | Privately, or via the council |
| Where you live | In your own home | In your own home | In the care home |
| Flexibility | Can be adjusted by hours and tasks | Based on clinical need | Fixed setting, shared staff |
A care home can be the right choice, particularly where someone needs round-the-clock supervision, has complex needs that are hard to meet at home, or has little support nearby. Home care can be a good fit when someone wants to stay at home and their needs can be met safely there. Neither option is automatically cheaper, better or safer. It depends on the person.
Home care and live-in care also differ from each other:
| Visiting care | Live-in care | |
| Presence | Carers arrive for set visits | A carer lives in the home |
| Privacy | More time alone | Someone is always around |
| Needs it suits | Needs that can be met at set times | Needs that arise at any hour |
| Practicalities | No spare room required | Needs a suitable room for the carer |
| Cost pattern | Charged by visit or hour | Usually a weekly or daily rate; ask what is included |
What are the advantages and limitations of home care?
Potential advantages
- The person stays in familiar surroundings.
- Care can be built around existing routines.
- Support can be flexible, from an hour a week to several visits a day.
- The same small group of carers can build a relationship with the person.
- A couple can stay together at home.
Potential limitations
- Visits are time-limited, so there may be gaps between them when no one is there.
- Loneliness can continue between visits.
- The home may need adaptations, and may not suit someone with complex needs.
- Costs rise as hours increase, so heavy care needs may cost more at home than in some other settings. Compare real quotes.
- Reliability and continuity depend on the provider, and carers sometimes change because of sickness, leave or turnover.
It helps to look at both lists and weigh them against what matters most to the person.
What signs suggest it is time to consider more support?
Needing help is not a failure. Signs that more support may help include:
- missed meals, weight loss or an empty or out-of-date fridge
- difficulty washing, dressing or using the toilet
- increasingly unkempt appearance or home
- missed or muddled medicines
- more falls, near-misses or bruises
- confusion, getting lost, or leaving the cooker or taps on
- withdrawing from friends and activities
- a family carer who is exhausted
If you are noticing several of these, a conversation with your relative and their GP is a good starting point. A care needs assessment from the council is another.
How do you assess care needs and start arranging care?
There are two broad routes, and many families use both.
1. Ask the council for a care needs assessment
Anyone can ask their local council’s adult social services for a needs assessment, and the NHS says it is free. A social worker or occupational therapist asks how you manage everyday tasks such as washing, dressing and cooking. The assessment can take place face to face, by phone or online. If you have needs, the council may arrange care, and a financial assessment decides how much you pay. If you do not qualify, the council should still give free advice about local help, according to the NHS and Age UK.
2. Arrange care privately
You can approach a home care agency directly. Age UK suggests looking for agencies registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC), and those following the Homecare Association’s code of practice, and says some councils list approved agencies. You can also employ a carer yourself, but the NHS warns that this makes you legally responsible as an employer, including arranging cover for illness and holidays.
Even if you plan to pay for care yourself, a council assessment can help you work out what you need.
Questions to ask a prospective provider
Our guide on how to choose a home care provider goes into this in depth. For now, these are useful starters, many of which echo NHS advice:
- What are the charges, and what counts as an extra?
- Have your carers supported people with needs like these?
- How do you match carers to clients?
- Will visits keep to agreed times, and will you tell us if a carer is delayed?
- What training do carers receive, and how are they supervised?
- Is there a written contract I can read first?
- How can I reach you in an emergency or out of hours?
- How often will the care plan be reviewed?
How much does home care cost, and what affects the price?
Costs vary widely, so beware of any single figure. The NHS has quoted costs of £15 to £30 an hour depending on where you live, but that page was last reviewed in January 2024, so treat it as a rough pointer rather than a current price. Ask providers for up-to-date written quotes.
Factors that commonly affect cost include:
- How much care is needed, and how often.
- Visit length. Short visits may be priced differently from longer ones.
- Time of day. Evenings, weekends, bank holidays and nights are often charged at higher rates.
- Complexity. Two-carer visits, specialist needs or lifting equipment can increase costs.
- Location, because local wages and travel time differ.
- Live-in or overnight care, which are priced differently from visits.
- Additional charges, such as travel, administration or cancellation fees.
On its website, Proritas Healthcare says costs depend on the type and level of care, and that a free, no-obligation consultation leads to a tailored quote. It does not publish prices.
Ask for a full breakdown of what is included before you agree to anything. Our guide to choosing a provider explains how to compare quotes.
How is home care funded?
The main routes are below. Which applies depends on your circumstances and where you live.
Local authority support. After a care needs assessment, if you have eligible needs, the council may help arrange or pay towards care. A financial assessment looks at income and capital. Age UK says that if you have capital above £23,250, you are not entitled to council help with care costs, and that for people receiving care at home, the value of the home is not included. Councils must leave you a minimum amount of income for day-to-day costs. These thresholds can change and councils apply the rules locally, so check the current figures with your council. If you are eligible, you may receive a personal budget, which can be managed by the council or taken as a direct payment so that you arrange care yourself.
Self-funding. If you are not entitled to council help, you arrange and pay for care yourself. You can ask the council for a needs assessment and advice even so.
NHS continuing healthcare. This is free health and social care arranged and funded solely by the NHS for adults with long-term complex health needs. It can be provided at home. The NHS says eligibility depends on assessed needs, not on any particular diagnosis. The process starts with a checklist, followed by a full assessment by a multidisciplinary team where appropriate, and a decision is usually made within 28 days (faster for people near the end of life). Eligibility is decided by assessment, so do not assume either way.
Benefits. Some people can claim benefits such as Attendance Allowance (for people who have reached State Pension age) or Personal Independence Payment (for working-age adults). These are not payments for care itself and do not by themselves cover home care costs, but they can help with them. Check eligibility with Age UK, Citizens Advice or GOV.UK.
Other routes. Some families use savings, pensions or other resources. If you are considering releasing money from your home, take independent regulated financial advice first.
Do not assume you will or will not qualify for help. A free assessment will tell you.
What is the role of the Care Quality Commission?
In England, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulates health and social care services. CQC says providers must register to carry out regulated activities, and that personal care is one of them. Homecare agencies apply to register for personal care. The NHS states that all homecare agencies must register with the CQC, and that you can check an agency’s latest inspection report on the CQC website.
Some points to bear in mind:
- CQC’s scope of registration guidance defines which activities must be registered, so do not assume that every service described as “home care” falls under the same rules. If you are unsure, ask the provider which activities it is registered for.
- A registration shows that a provider has met the legal requirement. It is not a guarantee of quality in itself.
- Inspection reports and ratings are snapshots in time. Read the report, check the date and the specific findings, and consider the rest of what you learn about the provider.
- If you have a concern about a service, you can raise it with the provider first, then with the council, and you can report concerns to the CQC.
Proritas Healthcare states on its website that it is CQC-registered. As with any provider, you can verify a registration and read any published report on the CQC website, and we would encourage you to do so.
How do you know whether home care is still suitable as needs change?
Needs change, and the arrangement that worked six months ago may not work now. Review the situation regularly, and sooner if there is a hospital stay, a fall or a change in memory or mobility. Questions to ask include:
- Is the person safe between visits?
- Are they eating, drinking and taking medicines as planned?
- Do they seem content and well looked after?
- Is the family carer coping?
- Would more visits, overnight help, live-in care or a different setting be better?
- Is the person still happy with the arrangement, and are their wishes being listened to?
A good provider will review the care plan with you and raise concerns honestly. A move to a care home is not a sign that home care failed. It can simply be the right next step.
Taking the next step
You do not need to have everything worked out before you ask for help. A good first step is to talk through the situation with the person who needs support, with their GP if relevant, and with your council’s adult social services about a care needs assessment. If you would like to talk to a provider, do it early, so that you understand the options before you are under pressure.
Proritas Healthcare offers a free, no-obligation consultation to talk about the support you or your relative may need, including routines, preferences and medical needs. You can book a free consultation, contact us, see our care services, or read more about Proritas Healthcare. Whether home care is the right fit depends on individual needs and wishes, and it is fine to take your time.
Frequently asked questions
What does home care include?
Home care usually includes personal care such as washing, dressing and using the toilet, help with meals and drinks, reminders or help with medicines, shopping, light housework and company. What a particular provider offers varies, so ask for a written list of what is and is not included.
What is the difference between home care and domiciliary care?
There is no practical difference. Domiciliary care is the more formal name for care delivered in someone’s own home, and the NHS uses “homecare” and “domiciliary care” for the same thing. You may also see “care at home” and “visiting care”.
Who is eligible for home care?
Anyone can pay for home care privately, whatever their age or circumstances. For help from the council, you need a care needs assessment and, if you have eligible needs, a financial assessment. Ask your local council’s adult social services for an assessment; the NHS says anyone can ask for one.
How often can a home care worker visit?
It depends on the person’s needs and the provider. Visits can range from once a week to several times a day, and some people have overnight or live-in support. Proritas Healthcare says its visiting care can start from as little as an hour per visit, depending on location, and extend to several visits a day.
How much does home care cost in the UK?
It varies by location, time of day, visit length and the complexity of care. The NHS has quoted £15 to £30 an hour, but that page was last reviewed in January 2024, so ask providers for current written quotes and a full list of extra charges.
Can home care be funded by the local authority?
Sometimes. If a care needs assessment finds eligible needs, the council may arrange or contribute to care after a financial assessment. Age UK says capital above £23,250 means you are not entitled to council help with care costs, though thresholds can change. If you do not qualify, the council should still give free advice.
Is home care suitable for someone with dementia?
It can be, depending on the person’s needs, the amount of supervision required and the provider’s experience. Ask about carer training, how carers are matched and consistency, and review regularly because needs often change.
What is the difference between home care and a care home?
Home care brings support to your own home, whereas a care home provides accommodation and care in one place. Home care can suit people who want to stay at home and whose needs can be met safely there. A care home may suit people who need continuous supervision or complex support. Neither is automatically cheaper or better.
What is the difference between home care and live-in care?
Visiting care involves carers arriving at set times, while live-in care means a carer stays in the home. Live-in care suits needs that arise at any hour, but it needs a suitable room and is priced differently. Ask any provider for a clear breakdown of what each option includes.
Do home care providers have to be registered?
In England, providers of personal care must register with the Care Quality Commission, and the NHS says all homecare agencies must register. You can check a provider’s registration and any inspection reports on the CQC website. Registration is a legal requirement, not a guarantee of quality.
How do I start arranging home care?
Start by asking your council for a care needs assessment, and talk to your relative and their GP about what help they need. You can also approach agencies directly for a consultation. Compare more than one provider and ask for everything in writing.
