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Live-in Care Guides & Resources
Expert guides and articles to help you understand live-in care, explore your options, and make informed decisions about care for your loved one.
Our care guides
We've created these guides to help families understand their options. Each one is written in plain English, based on real experience, and designed to give you the information you need to make confident decisions.
Understanding Live-in Care
A complete guide to what live-in care is, how it works, and who it's suitable for.
Read guide →How Much Does Live-in Care Cost?
A detailed breakdown of live-in care pricing, plans, and what's included.
Read guide →Live-in Care vs Care Homes
An honest comparison covering cost, quality of life, independence, and outcomes.
Read guide →Funding Your Care
Everything you need to know about Attendance Allowance, NHS CHC funding, and more.
Read guide →Dementia Care at Home
How live-in care supports people with dementia and why home is often the best environment.
Read guide →Couples Care Guide
How one live-in carer can support both partners, keeping couples together at home.
Read guide →Key facts about live-in care in the UK
- Most older people say they would rather receive care at home than move into a care home
- One live-in carer can support a couple, so they can stay together at home
- A live-in carer gives one-to-one attention, rather than sharing their time across many residents
- Pets, gardens, neighbours and daily routines can all stay part of life
- Councils and the NHS can fund care at home as well as care in a care home
- 70% of people say they would prefer to receive care at home if they needed it
- Attendance Allowance provides up to £5,600 per year towards care costs — and isn't means-tested
- NHS Continuing Healthcare can cover the full cost of live-in care for those with complex health needs
Tips for choosing a live-in care provider
Not all live-in care providers are the same. Here's what to look for:
- Ask about vetting: How do they recruit and check their carers? What percentage of applicants do they accept?
- Understand the matching process: How do they match carers to clients? Do you get a say in the choice?
- Check for hidden costs: Is the price they quote truly all-inclusive? Are there setup fees, admin charges, or holiday surcharges?
- Ask about support: What happens if there's a problem at 3am? Is there a 24/7 support line? Do you have a dedicated care manager?
- Read reviews: Look for genuine testimonials from families, not just marketing claims.
- Trust your instincts: When you speak to the provider, do they listen? Do they rush you? Do they feel trustworthy?
Related pages
Understanding Live-in Care
Everything you need to know about how live-in care works.
Live-in Care vs Care Homes
An honest comparison of the two main care options.
Cost Calculator
Get an instant estimate for your care needs.
Funding Your Care
Understand NHS funding, local authority support and self-funding.
Meet Our Carers
Learn about the dedicated professionals who provide our care.
Our Care Services
Explore the full range of live-in care services we offer.
What families say about us
The Live-in Care Agency is powered by Live-in Care Direct. These are reviews families have left for Live-in Care Direct on Trustpilot and Google - follow the links to read them all.
"We had a wonderful carer called Elva care for my nan. She showed such kindness and compassion. The care provided was exceptional. Having a live-in carer meant our nan could remain living in her own home safely. I would definitely recommend Live-in Care Direct."
"Within 24 hours of making contact the wonderful carer moved into my parents' home. My father has advanced dementia. Within two hours of Elva arriving my mum began to relax. She has brought kindness, warmth, love and calm into the house."
"We recently booked a carer for a fortnight at short notice. My carer Sharon has been absolutely superb providing the exact level of care I needed. She is also a good cook too. They are very well organised. We made the right choice."
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Call us for a free, no-obligation chat about your care needs. We're here 7 days a week, 8am — 10pm.
0800 368 8558