How much does a live-in carer cost?

Live-in Care is when a trained, professional carer (or two or three carers on rotation) lives in your house with you to provide all of the necessary care you need, or coordinate other carers or medical professionals coming to the house to deliver the relevant care. This is a great way to ensure older adults can stay in their own home while having someone there with them for companionship and safety. A Live-in carer might assist with things like personal care, specialist medical care (if trained to do so), cooking, housework, and more. An older person might opt for a Live-in carer if they:

• Require several types of care throughout the day and would prefer one or a small number of carers to handle everything  
• Have complex care needs (like hearing or sight loss) that cause them to struggle around the house
• Worry about falls or accidents and would prefer to have someone with them 24/7
• Have a dementia condition and may need a Live-in carer to ensure safety
• Have growing care needs as a health condition advances 
• Cannot afford to move to a care home but need round-the-clock care
• Have been unable to settle in a care home or nursing home 
• Have a spouse and want to stay together in their own home
• Have a challenging recovery ahead after a hospital stay and need a lot of care

You can read more about this in our guides to what Live-in Care is, and how Live-in Care works.

Introductory Agencies can seem more affordable than fully managed care providers, coming in at around £1,000 to £1,500. However, if you are looking to stick to a budget long-term this may not be the best option for you, since using these services means your carer would be employed by you, not by the Introductory Agency, and therefore could increase prices or add on services down the line. Introductory Agencies are also not regulated by the Care Quality Commission, which means you cannot guarantee that the care you are receiving is of the highest quality. Working with a fully managed care provider is usually the best option. Despite their weekly cost being slightly higher, they offer the protection of being regulated, manage your carer’s employment on your behalf, find replacement carers when needed, and offer ongoing support throughout the duration of your Live-in Care. You can learn more about the differences in our guide to introductory agencies versus managed Live-in Care providers.

Sometimes there are elements of Live-in Care that must be covered by the client, as not everything will come included as part of the package of services. These may include:

• The cost of food and other groceries for the client
• Additional food costs for the carer’s meals (these may be somewhere in the region of £5 per day) 
• A travel allowance so the carer can take the client to appointments, activities or social events 
• Any increase in energy prices (such as electricity or water bills) must be covered by the client 
• Any additional equipment needed in order for the carer to do their job well, such as cleaning supplies, gloves, etc.
• Increases to the price of your home insurance policy will remain your responsibility
• Any additional safety equipment that the agency deems necessary for the carer to move into the home, such as smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
• Potentially higher cost for overnight care if the client requires help during the night, such as medical care or help getting to the bathroom (again, these can be included as part of a package of services if agreed in advance) 
• The cost of covering carers breaks if the client cannot be left alone, such as an additional hourly rate for a replacement carer (hourly rates can vary from around £20-35 per hour depending on your provider) 

Home care agencies and carers should be up-front and honest about what is and is not included in the cost of your Live-in Care so you never need to worry about surprise bills or additional fees. At Home Instead, we are proud to be transparent with our fees, so you can easily budget each month and keep on top of what you are spending on home care. From the minute you get in touch with us to discuss your needs, you can rest assured we will do everything we can to ensure you get exactly what you need at a cost that is sustainable for you long-term.

There are several ways to pay for your Live-in Care:

1. Fully-funded, means-tested care through your local council
2. Partially-funded care from your local council which is topped up by your own savings
3. NHS funded care
4. Self-funded care 

It is always worth looking into whether or not you are eligible for support or funding from your local council. We have a whole guide on paying for your home care services which could help you find out what you may be entitled to and what the best option is for you.

Also, even if you are not entitled to fully-funded home care, you should look into the benefits you may be eligible for that could help with the cost of your home care.