Home care: support to stay in your own home
Home care means a carer comes to your home, or lives with you, so you or your relative can keep living independently. LCH Care introduces you to checked, self-employed carers, and you choose who you want.
What is home care?
Home care is practical and personal support given in your own home instead of a care home. A carer can help with washing and dressing, meals, medication prompts, housework, getting out and about, and company. It can be a few hours a week, a carer every night, or a carer living in.
With LCH Care, the carer is self-employed and works directly with you. LCH Care finds and checks suitable carers and introduces them; you choose the carer, and you and your carer agree the routine.
Who home care suits
- Older people who want to stay at home as daily tasks get harder
- People living with a condition such as dementia, Parkinson's or the effects of a stroke
- Adults with a disability who want support to live independently
- Couples who want to stay together at home
- People coming home from hospital who need help while they recover
- Family carers who need a break or extra help
Signs it may be time for help at home
There is rarely one moment. Families usually notice a few of these over weeks or months:
- Meals are being skipped, or the fridge holds out-of-date food
- Washing, dressing or getting to the toilet has become difficult
- Medication is being missed or taken at the wrong times
- There has been a fall, or a near miss on the stairs or in the bathroom
- The house is less tidy than it used to be, or post is piling up
- Your relative seems lonely, low or withdrawn
- A family carer is exhausted, or worried about leaving them alone
Most people would rather stay in their own home, and with the right support many can. Starting with a few hours a week often helps someone stay independent for longer.
Types of home care
Choose by how often help is needed, and by what kind of help.
Care for a specific condition
If your relative has a diagnosis, start there. The help needed with dementia is different from the help needed after a stroke or with Parkinson's, and some carers have experience of particular conditions. Each carer's profile says what experience they have.
See care for specific conditions, including dementia, Parkinson's and stroke.
What a carer can help with
- Personal care: washing, bathing, dressing and continence
- Prompting medication at the right times
- Preparing meals and drinks, and help with eating
- Housekeeping and laundry
- Moving about safely and getting in and out of bed or a chair
- Shopping, errands and appointments
- Company, conversation and hobbies
See everything a carer can help with.
What carers cannot do
Carers introduced by LCH Care give personal and practical care, not nursing care. Clinical tasks such as injections or wound care need a suitably trained person, usually a nurse arranged through the NHS. Tell us about all care needs and medication up front so we only introduce carers who can help safely.
Home care or a care home?
Both give support every day. The difference is where your relative lives, how much one-to-one attention they get, and how the cost works.
| Question | Home care | Care home |
|---|---|---|
| Where | Your own home, with your routine, belongings and pets | A room in a residential or nursing home |
| Attention | One-to-one with your carer | Staff support several residents |
| Couples | One live-in carer can often support both people | Each person is charged separately |
| What the price covers | The care. You keep paying your own household bills and food | Care, the room, meals and bills together |
| Nursing | Personal care; nursing comes from the NHS when needed | Nursing homes have nurses on site |
What home care costs with LCH Care
You pay LCH Care weekly, and LCH Care pays your self-employed carer. Your written quote confirms the full price before care starts.
Hourly care
Minimum 2 hours a visit.
Live-in care
One carer living in your home. Minimum 2 weeks.
Two carers
Live-in care with two carers, or £60 an hour for hourly care with two carers.
When plans change
Care needs change, and the arrangement can change with them. You and your carer can add hours, change visit times or move from visits to live-in care. If you don't get on with your carer, tell us and we'll introduce other carers. If your carer is ill, we'll look for another suitable carer and send you their profile, although we can't guarantee a replacement straight away, especially at short notice. You can end the arrangement following the notice terms in your agreement.
Paying for home care
Your council can carry out a free needs assessment to see what support you are eligible for, and a financial assessment to work out what you pay towards it. NHS Continuing Healthcare pays for care when someone's needs are mainly health needs. People over State Pension age who need help with personal care may be able to claim Attendance Allowance, which is not means-tested.
In Scotland, personal care is free for anyone assessed by their council as needing it, regardless of age, condition or means (mygov.scot).
Read our guide to funding care.
How to arrange home care
Tell us what you need
The type of care, where, how often, and the routines and preferences that matter.
Get matched profiles
We send you profiles of suitable, available carers near you.
Speak and choose
Talk to carers by phone or video call. Nobody is placed with you without your agreement.
Care starts
You and your carer agree the duties and routine. LCH Care handles the weekly invoice and pays your carer.
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 home care?
Home care is support given in your own home, from a few hours a week to a carer living in. It covers personal care, meals, medication prompts, housework, outings and company.
Is home care the same as domiciliary care?
Domiciliary care is another name for home care. It usually refers to care arranged and managed by a registered care agency. LCH Care is an introductory agency: we introduce self-employed carers, and the care arrangement is between you and your carer.
Can home care be temporary?
Yes. Many families use home care for a few weeks, for example after a hospital stay or while a family carer takes a break. Live-in care has a minimum booking of 2 weeks, and hourly visits are a minimum of 2 hours.
How quickly can home care start?
We start looking as soon as you tell us what you need. How quickly care can start depends on carers being available in your area, so tell us as early as you can.
What is the difference between home care and nursing care at home?
Home care is personal and practical support. Nursing care involves clinical tasks, such as injections or wound care, and is given by a nurse. If your relative needs nursing, ask their GP or the hospital team about community nursing.
Is home care free in the UK?
Not usually, but help is available. Your council may pay towards care after a needs assessment and a financial assessment, NHS Continuing Healthcare covers care needed mainly for health reasons, and in Scotland personal care is free for those assessed as needing it. The NHS explains the options.
Should I use a private carer or a home care agency?
An introductory agency sits between the two: you choose a self-employed carer, and the agency checks and introduces them and handles payment. A managed agency employs and manages its carers. Compare introductory and managed care.
How do I find home care near me?
Tell us your postcode and the type of care you need, and we'll send you profiles of suitable carers who are available near you.
How much does home care cost?
With LCH Care, hourly care costs £25 an hour (minimum 2 hours a visit) and live-in care costs £1,100 a week (minimum 2 weeks). Two carers cost £1,800 a week live-in, or £60 an hour. Your written quote confirms the full price before care starts.
Can we combine different types of care?
Yes. Many families combine hourly visits in the day with overnight care, or use respite care to give a family carer a break.
What happens if needs change?
You and your carer can change the hours and duties together. If more help is needed, you can move to live-in or 24-hour care.