How will you determine what level of support I need? What happens if my care needs increase? What was the result of your most recent inspection?

What background checks do your carers go through? What is the minimum qualification your carers have? Will I always have the same carer? What happens when they go on holiday or are sick? How many carers will be involved in my care? What if I don't get on with my carer? Do you employ your carers directly or rely on agency staff?

How will the carer get access to the house if I can’t let them in? Will my family be informed if I’m taken ill? How do family get in touch in case of an emergency?

Is there a minimum number of hours per week I have to commit to? What's the hourly cost and does this go up on weekends/bank holidays? How much notice will I be given when fees increase? How much notice is required to end the agreement?

What was the result of your most recent inspection? Will I have a primary carer/key worker? What happens if my care needs increase?

Can I bring my own furniture with me? Can I have ‘cable’ television such as Sky/Virgin etc? Is there internet / Wi-Fi that I can use? Is there a garden that I can access?

What is your resident to staff ratio? Are your carers employed directly or do you rely on agency staff? How do your carers get to know residents’ likes and dislikes?

Can I try the food from the restaurant? How often does the menu change? Do you cater for dietary requirements?

What are the weekly costs and what is included? What happens if my money runs out or the costs go up? Do the fees go up annually and how much notice will I be given of this?

Are there set visiting hours or can people stop by at any time? Is there an area I can use for celebrations when lots of family might visit? Does the care home arrange trips out for residents? Is there an activities co-ordinator? Are there regular activities? Can I bring my pet with me?

Finding care

How to know what care you need

If you’re not sure where to start to get the right care in place, you can ask your local authority for help. Whatever your financial situation, the Adult Social Care team can help you to understand what type of care is the best fit for you.

Find out what care you need

Support to help you manage at home

A good first step is to think about the things you might be starting to struggle with at home. From jobs around the house to getting washed and dressed, care providers can support you to manage the essentials more easily and keep your quality of life.

Personal care means:

Washing
Dressing
Preparing medication
Getting out of bed
Using the bathroom

Home help means:

Cleaning
Gardening
Making the bed
Shopping
Paying bills and managing paperwork

Having experienced carers visit regularly or stay with you is a good way to get support while keeping your independence. Whether it’s help preparing meals, taking medication or just washing and getting dressed, you’ll be cared for where you’re most comfortable.

Visiting care

You can arrange for carers to drop by your home regularly through a care agency. When you first get in touch, they’ll meet with you to get to know your needs and set out a care plan that’s right for you.

Live-in Care

So long as you have a spare bedroom, a trained carer can come to live with you to be on hand for round-the-clock care.

Live-in care fees vary depending on your location and needs. Costs can start from around £900 per week but can exceed £1500 per week per carer required. Depending on your financial circumstances your local authority may contribute towards this cost, although it is uncommon for them to meet the full cost of live-in care if a lower cost alternative, such as a care home, would meet your needs.
Care homes

If you need support 24 hours a day, it’s worth thinking about a residential care home. Moving into one can be a big upheaval but for many, it’s a positive choice. It’ll give you a bedroom of your own, regular meals and shared areas for socialising.

Nursing homes

If you have medical needs, a nursing home will offer the same services as a residential care home but with extra support from on-site registered nurses.
Temporary or respite care

Sometimes, short-term support is all you need. It’s called respite care. After a stay in hospital, spending a few weeks in a care home can help you to recover before you go home. Or, it’s a useful option for giving any unpaid carers who support you time to rest up and take a break.

Intermediate care from the NHS

If you’ve recently had a stay in hospital, the NHS or local authority may offer you temporary care to help you get back on your feet at home or in a care home. It’s free and usually lasts for up to six weeks, it can help to reduce the chances you’ll need to go back into hospital and help rebuild your confidence and live independently.
Housing with care

Designed to keep you living independently with extra support on hand if you need it, supported housing and retirement communities offer specialist housing with care available on site. Housing with care is a good alternative to a care home for people who just need a helping hand to keep an independent lifestyle.

Read more about Housing Options

Checking care providers

All UK personal care providers must register with their national care regulator. They must follow a strict code of conduct and have regular inspections of their service. Each UK regulator has a website where you can check individual care providers and see their latest inspection reports.

England – Care Quality Commission (CQC)
Wales – Care Inspectorate Wales
Scotland – Care Inspectorate
Northern Ireland – Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA)

Ask all the questions you want

It’s important that you’re totally comfortable with and know what to expect from your care provider, so ask as many questions as you want to. Here are some ideas to get you started:

Care at home
Care homes

Meeting care needs
- How will you determine what level of support I need?
- What happens if my care needs increase?
- What was the result of your most recent inspection?
Staffing
- What background checks do your carers go through?
- What is the minimum qualification your carers have?
- Will I always have the same carer? What happens when they go on holiday or are sick?
- How many carers will be involved in my care?
- What if I don't get on with my carer?
- Do you employ your carers directly or rely on agency staff?
Other practicalities
- How will the carer get access to the house if I can’t let them in?
- Will my family be informed if I’m taken ill?
- How do family get in touch in case of an emergency?
Finances
- Is there a minimum number of hours per week I have to commit to?
- What's the hourly cost and does this go up on weekends/bank holidays?
- How much notice will I be given when fees increase?
- How much notice is required to end the agreement?
Meeting care needs
- What was the result of your most recent inspection?
- Will I have a primary carer/key worker?
- What happens if my care needs increase?
Accommodation
- Can I bring my own furniture with me?
- Can I have ‘cable’ television such as Sky/Virgin etc?
- Is there internet / Wi-Fi that I can use?
- Is there a garden that I can access?
Staffing
- What is your resident to staff ratio?
- Are your carers employed directly or do you rely on agency staff?
- How do your carers get to know residents’ likes and dislikes?
Dining
- Can I try the food from the restaurant?
- How often does the menu change?
- Do you cater for dietary requirements?
Finances
- What are the weekly costs and what is included?
- What happens if my money runs out or the costs go up?
- Do the fees go up annually and how much notice will I be given of this?
Other practicalities
- Are there set visiting hours or can people stop by at any time?
- Is there an area I can use for celebrations when lots of family might visit?
- Does the care home arrange trips out for residents?
- Is there an activities co-ordinator?
- Are there regular activities?
- Can I bring my pet with me?

Care Choices

Visit the Care Choices website to view or download their helpful checklists. These include key questions to consider when choosing a care service and cover care homes, dementia care, home care and more.

Care Choices Checklist

Care Concierge

If you would like some expert guidance on finding a new care provider, resolving a dispute or exploring funding options then you might benefit from talking with our Care Concierge team.

Speak to a Care Expert

Finding care

How to know what care you need

Personal care means:

Home help means:

Visiting care

Live-in Care

Care homes

Nursing homes

Temporary or respite care

Intermediate care from the NHS

Housing with care

Checking care providers

Meeting care needs

Staffing

Other practicalities

Finances