24-hour care at home with two carers
When help is needed day and night, two carers share the cover so someone is always awake and available. Live-in care with two carers costs £1,800 a week.
What is 24-hour care?
24-hour care means continuous cover, including waking nights. One live-in carer can't safely work all day and all night, so 24-hour care uses two carers: while one rests, the other is available. It suits people with higher needs who need help at any hour.
When is 24-hour care needed?
- Help is needed several times a night, every night
- Your relative needs turning or repositioning through the night
- Two people are needed for safe moving and handling
- Advanced dementia brings restlessness or wandering at any hour
- Someone is in the last months of life and wants to be cared for at home
Day and night with two carers
Two carers cover the day and the night between them, so someone is always awake and ready to help. A typical arrangement might be:
- Day: one carer helps with personal care, meals, medication prompts, appointments and company
- Night: the other carer is awake, helping with turning, toileting or reassurance
- Handovers: carers pass on how the day or night went, and anything to watch for
- Rest: each carer has proper time off and somewhere to rest
The exact hours, handovers and rest are agreed between you and your carers.
24-hour care or live-in care?
| Question | Live-in care | 24-hour care |
|---|---|---|
| Carers | One carer, with a second covering breaks | Two carers sharing the day and night |
| Nights | The carer sleeps, and helps occasionally | A carer is awake and available |
| Suits | People who usually sleep through | People who need help at any hour |
| Price | £1,100 a week | £1,800 a week |
How two carers work together
You and your carers agree who covers which hours, how handovers work, and where each carer rests. Both carers are self-employed and work directly with you. LCH Care checks and introduces them, and handles the weekly invoice and payment.
If two carers are needed only for part of the day, for example for help moving someone safely, hourly care with two carers costs £60 an hour.
End of life care at home
Many people want to spend their last months at home. Carers can give personal care, comfort and company day and night, while the NHS team, such as the GP, district nurses and palliative care nurses, looks after nursing and symptom control. Read about palliative and end of life care at home.
Planning space for two carers
Where both carers live in, each needs somewhere to rest. Talk through the space you have, and we'll help you decide whether two live-in carers or a mix of live-in and visiting carers works best.
Paying for 24-hour care
When needs are mainly health needs, NHS Continuing Healthcare may fund care at home, so ask about an assessment. Your council may also help after a free needs assessment, and Attendance Allowance has a higher rate for people who need help day and night.
How to arrange 24-hour care
Describe day and night
The help needed at each point of the day and through the night.
Meet two carers
We send profiles of carers who can work together on the arrangement.
Agree the cover
You and your carers agree hours, handovers and rest.
Care starts
You pay LCH Care weekly in advance, and LCH Care pays both carers.
How carers are checked
Before LCH Care introduces a carer, we check their identity, right to work in the UK, Enhanced DBS, two references, work history, and relevant training or qualifications. Carers also hold their own public liability insurance. You then speak to the carer by phone or video call before you agree to anything.
Other types of care
Questions
What is 24-hour care?
Continuous care day and night, including waking nights, given by two carers who share the cover.
How much does 24-hour care cost?
Live-in care with two carers costs £1,800 a week. Hourly care with two carers costs £60 an hour. Your written quote confirms the full price before care starts.
Why can't one live-in carer cover 24 hours?
A live-in carer needs a daily break and proper rest at night. If your relative needs help several times a night, one carer can't safely cover both days and nights.
Can 24-hour care be used for end of life care?
Yes. Many families choose care at home in the last months of life. Carers give personal care and company; nursing and symptom control come from the NHS team, such as district nurses.
Can NHS Continuing Healthcare pay for 24-hour care?
It may, if your relative's needs are mainly health needs. Ask their GP, social worker or hospital team about an assessment.
Do both carers live in?
Often, but not always. Some arrangements use two live-in carers; others combine a live-in carer with visiting carers. We'll talk through what fits your home.
Can 24-hour care be temporary?
Yes. Some families need it for a period, for example after a hospital stay, and then move back to one live-in carer.