Most of us want to live independent lives in our own homes for as long as possible. Whether you’re recovering from an illness or a fall, or you need help with your long-term care, there are various support services to help you do this.
What’s in this guide
What is home care (or domiciliary care)?
Top tip
Home care isn’t for everyone. But frequent visits from carers and a few home modifications can help you keep your home comforts and independence.
Home care (also known as domiciliary care) describes care services that enable people to live in their own homes.
These are usually provided by care workers or nurses. Home care can include everything from help with cleaning the house once a week, to visits several times a day to help with washing, dressing and other personal care tasks.
Receiving care in your home is an increasingly common alternative to staying in hospital or moving into a care home.
Not only do you avoid any upheaval and stay in familiar surroundings, it can also be a cheaper alternative to residential care.
What home care services are available?
The services you’re offered will be based on an assessment carried out by your local council’s social services department (or Health and Social Care Trust in Northern Ireland).
It’s called a ‘package of care’ and will be written into your personal care plan.
Services can include help with:
- getting out of bed in the morning, washing and dressing
- toileting and using continence aids
- preparing meals and drinks
- eating and drinking
- picking up prescriptions
- giving, or prompting to take, prescribed medication
- health-related tasks, as agreed with medical practitioners or community nursing nurses
- nursing care from a registered nurse
- shopping
- collecting pensions
- money, managing and paying bills
- getting out of the house and meeting friends
- supervision and companionship
- getting settled for the evening and going to bed.
Paying for domiciliary care in your own home
Top tip
If you only need a few hours help a day and your house can be adapted to your needs, care at home might be the most practical and cost-effective solution.
How much you have to pay will depend on:
- your health and mobility
- the value of your assets, and
- the level of help and support that you need.
Your local council might pay some or all the costs, but you might also have to pay for all the services yourself.
It’s important to make sure you claim all the benefits you’re entitled to – Attendance Allowance and Disability Living Allowance (or Personal Independence Payment) are the most common.
Find out more in our guides:
How to fund your long-term care – a beginner’s guide
Benefits to help with your disability or care needs
How to arrange long-term care at home
Apply for support from your local council – this is usually the social services department (or Health and Social Care Trust in Northern Ireland).
Before they can help, they must carry out an assessment of your care needs.
For more details, see our guide How a local authority care needs assessment works
Even if you’ll be arranging and paying for the care yourself, it’s still a good idea to have an assessment. This will help you understand and decide what sort of care and support you need, and what’s available.
After the care needs assessment, you’ll also have a financial assessment to determine whether you need to pay for your own care, or whether your local council will contribute.
If your local council (or your Health and Social Care Trust in Northern Ireland) agrees to fund some or all your care services, you’ll be offered the choice of:
- the council providing the services directly to you, or
- receiving direct payments from the council, and arranging and paying for your care and support services yourself.
Find out more in our guides:
Direct payments – arranging and paying for care
Employing someone to help with your care
Funding your own care at home – other things to think about
There are various options if you have to pay for your own care at home, including:
- an immediate needs annuity – available from some insurance companies that guarantee to pay care fees at a given level for as long as they are needed in exchange for a one-off lumpsum payment.
- downsizing to a smaller home – for example, a bungalow to release funds to pay for your care
- an appropriate equity release scheme – if you’re a homeowner
- insurance policies you or a spouse might have set up a long time ago.
Find out more in our guide Self-funding your long-term care: your options
More information about care at home
There’s more information on these websites:
If you’re not happy with the care you’re getting, there are things you can do.
Find out more in our guide What if I'm unhappy with the care I received?
Home care, adaptations and equipment
If you need to make your home more accessible, or you need specialist equipment to help you manage day-to-day tasks more safely and easily, you might be entitled to financial help.
What is available will vary depending on where you live in the UK.
