AskBart
About usGet free advice

Guides

Home care guides

Care in your own home: visiting and live-in care, what it costs, how it compares with a care home, and how to choose an agency.

In short: home care means a paid carer comes to your home, for anything from a short daily visit to living in, so you can stay where you are. In England, agencies that give personal care must be registered with the Care Quality Commission, so check their inspection report. Your home is never counted in the council's means test for care at home, and the council can give you money as a direct payment to arrange care yourself.

This guide explains care at home step by step, with links to our detailed guides on each part.

What home care is

Home care, sometimes called domiciliary care, is help from a paid carer in your own home. Carers can help with washing, dressing, meals, medicines and getting around, as well as company and household tasks. It can be a visit of half an hour or more, several visits a day, overnight care, or a carer who lives in.

Home care or a care home?

For many people, care at home means they keep their routines, their neighbours and their independence. For someone who needs help around the clock, a care home can be safer, and can cost less than equivalent care at home. Our calculator compares the costs side by side.

Live-in care

With live-in care, a carer lives in your home and is there day and night, usually with set breaks. It can suit people who need a lot of help but want to stay at home, including many people with dementia. You need a spare room for the carer.

Choosing an agency or carer

A home care agency employs or manages its carers. In England, agencies that provide personal care must be registered with the Care Quality Commission, which inspects and rates them, so read the latest report. An introductory agency only introduces you to self-employed carers, and you usually manage the arrangement yourself, so check what background checks and insurance are in place.

Paying for care at home

Home care is usually charged by the hour, with live-in care charged by the week. If the council assesses someone as needing care, it will carry out a financial assessment to decide what they pay. For care at home, the value of their home is never counted.

Instead of the council arranging care, you can ask for a direct payment: money from the council to arrange and pay for care yourself, which gives more choice over who provides it and when. Attendance Allowance, which is not means-tested, can also help with the cost.

Staying safe and well at home

Small changes can make a big difference. A personal alarm or telecare can summon help after a fall. Grab rails, better lighting and removing trip hazards make falls less likely. Your council may give a Disabled Facilities Grant towards bigger changes, such as a level-access shower, a ramp or a stairlift. A pharmacist can help with organising medicines, for example in a weekly pill organiser.

Caring from a distance

If you live far away, you can still help: keep in touch with the carers, set up regular calls, and ask a neighbour or friend nearby to be a contact in an emergency. Technology such as video calls and telecare helps too.

Working as a carer

Official information

Last reviewed 9 October 2026 by the AskBart editorial team. Figures and thresholds are checked against the sources on the methodology page when a hub is updated.

Find home care agencies

The areas with the most home care agencies listed on AskBart:

All home care guides

All care guides · Our editorial policy