Page contents
- How do I find care at home?
- What are the benefits of home care?
- How do you choose a home care provider?
- How can homecare.co.uk help you?
- What questions should I ask home care providers?
- What type of care do you offer?
- How regularly can I get home care visits?
- Where can I read genuine reviews of the home care provider?
- Where can I check their care regulator report?
- How do I know if the home care agency is suitable for my needs?
- How do I find out about home care costs?
Page contents
- How do I find care at home?
- What are the benefits of home care?
- How do you choose a home care provider?
- How can homecare.co.uk help you?
- What questions should I ask home care providers?
- What type of care do you offer?
- How regularly can I get home care visits?
- Where can I read genuine reviews of the home care provider?
- Where can I check their care regulator report?
- How do I know if the home care agency is suitable for my needs?
- How do I find out about home care costs?
At a glance
- Assess your needs first: Before choosing a home care provider, think about your personal needs, routines, preferences, goals, and budget to find the most suitable care.
- Home care offers flexibility and independence: It allows you to stay in your own home with support tailored to your situation, whether short-term, long-term, occasional, or live-in care.
- Choose providers based on key factors: Consider the type of care offered, location and availability, and overall costs to ensure the service fits your requirements.
- Research and ask questions: Compare multiple providers, read reviews, check regulatory reports, and ask detailed questions to make sure the provider is qualified, reliable, and a good match for you.
How do I find care at home?
Finding the right home care starts with understanding the support you need. Before contacting providers, think about the help that would make everyday life easier, as well as your routines, preferences, goals and budget. Our checklist below can help you compare providers and decide which may be right for you.
What are the benefits of home care?
Home care, also known as domiciliary care, can help you live independently at home by providing support tailored to your needs. Depending on your needs and the services available, support can range from occasional visits to daily or live-in care.
One benefit of home care is its flexibility. Depending on your situation, you might only need support for a short time or help with a specific task.
For example, if you are recovering from an illness or a broken bone, you can receive care for as long as you need to. You can also start off with a few hours of home care every week and increase the hours if you start to need more support.
How do you choose a home care provider?
Different home care providers offer different services, so identifying your needs will help you find the right provider. Some offer help with everyday tasks such as taking medication or getting dressed; some offer 24 hour live-in care.
The service you choose will be determined by:
- Care – is the provider able to give you the care and support you need?
- Location – is the home care worker able to visit you when required?
- Costs – what is your financial situation? Be aware of your budget and how much a service will cost you.
You can either use a home care agency or employ your own care worker. Agencies employ and train care workers, match them according to your needs and arrange the visits.
How can homecare.co.uk help you?
homecare.co.uk lists over 13,000 home care providers across the UK and has over 90,000 genuine reviews of home care agencies. It has transparent fees and has a whole host of articles to help you.
You can browse our comprehensive directory to find excellent home care services near you.
To find the best home care service for you, identify what you need help with so you can compare the different providers. It can help to discuss your needs with someone you trust, such as a friend or family member.
- What do you need help with?
- How often and at what time(s) do you need help?
- Have you got any specific care or support needs?
- What is your budget? How much help can you afford?
There are different types of home care available. Read our guide to the different home care services for an overview of the options.
What questions should I ask home care providers?
It can be helpful to speak to several home care providers so you can compare their services, availability, approach and costs.
When you approach a provider, it is important to ask questions to ensure they can accommodate all your requirements. It is a good idea to write down as many questions as you can think of. In the process, you can build a clear idea of what services are the most important to you.
We have compiled a list below to help you get started:
What type of care do you offer?
Start by checking whether the provider offers the care and support you need. Find out what type(s) of home care they offer, such as personal care, dementia care and support for specific needs or disabilities.
- How will you make sure my needs and preferences are included in my care?
- Are you registered to provide specialist care such as dementia care, support for specific care needs, or end of life care?
- Can you support people with mental health needs, learning disabilities or other specific care needs?
- Do you offer respite care? Can a care worker temporarily relieve a family member or unpaid carer?
- Have you previously cared for someone with similar needs?
- Are you able to offer 24-hour live in care?
- Are you able to help me manage my medication?
- How long is each visit? 15 minutes, 30 minutes or more?
- Is there a minimum amount of time? Will there be enough time during each visit for the support I need?
- Do you offer permanent care?
- I only need assistance with chores and gardening, can you help?
- What is the minimum number of hours you offer per week?
- Does your service enable me to socialise and get out of the house?
- How will you involve family and friends?
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How regularly can I get home care visits?
Check that the home care provider can reliably access your home and take you where you need to go.
- Are the services you offer available in my area?
- Are you able to visit me as often as required?
- How quickly can you visit me in an emergency or at short notice?
- How will the care worker get in if I’m unable to answer the door?
- Are the care workers qualified and able to carry out wheelchair transport?
- Can the home care workers take me out and about?
Where can I read genuine reviews of the home care provider?
The best way to find out what the care is really like is to ask past or current users – they tell it like it is. By reading genuine reviews, you can check if the providers deliver on their promises.
The easiest way to do this is to read reviews of the care providers at homecare.co.uk, the leading home care reviews site and a directory of over 13,000 providers across the UK.
Where can I check their care regulator report?
Check what the regulators say about the care provider and look at their reports. Home care providers are regulated by CQC in England, CIW in Wales, Care Inspectorate in Scotland and the RQIA in Northern Ireland.
Care regulators inspect and monitor registered home care services. Their reports can give you useful information about the quality and safety of a provider, although the way services are inspected and rated differs across the UK.
The United Kingdom Homecare Association (UKHCA), the professional association of home care providers from the different sectors, can provide you with a list of approved home care agencies.
Organisations that join UKHCA are required to comply with their code of practice to ensure the highest standard of care and that rights and welfare of clients and workers are of highest importance.
How do I know if the home care agency is suitable for my needs?
Ask how the provider recruits, checks and trains its care workers, and how it makes sure they have the skills needed to provide safe, appropriate care.
- How do you ensure the care worker you choose for me is the most suitable for me?
- Do you have a 24-hour call service? Who should I contact after hours?
- Do you offer a trial period?
- Is your service able to adapt if my needs change?
- How are the care workers vetted? Do you interview them and seek references before employment?
- What experience and qualifications do the home care workers have and do they receive on-going training?
- How will you ensure the quality of care is maintained?
- Will the same home care worker visit me every time?
- What happens if the care worker is off sick or on holiday?
- If there is more than one care worker, how many would visit me regularly?
- Have the care workers undergone a criminal record (DBS) check? (Disclosure and Barring Service in England and Wales, Disclosure Scotland in Scotland or Access NI in Northern Ireland)
- Can you ensure the care workers respect my privacy and dignity?
- Do you keep written records and are family members able to access these?
- Can I request a different care worker if we don’t get along?
- Is your organisation insured to protect my interests and safety?
- Do you have a standard contract I can read before signing?
- Have your staff been trained in health and safety?
How do I find out about home care costs?
Before choosing a provider, ask for a clear breakdown of what your home care will cost and whether there may be any additional charges.. Depending on your location, home care costs vary but it is generally between £23 to £34 per hour. Read our Fees Advice section for more information on how to manage costs.
- How much will I pay?
- Will I be charged by the hour or a flat fee?
- Are there additional charges for weekends and bank holidays?
- Are there any hidden costs, such as VAT, travel and National Insurance?
- How often am I required to pay?
- What payment methods are available? Cash, cheque, direct debit etc.
- Can you personalise the care according to my budget?
- If I’m unable to manage my payments, how will you ensure a suitable person will act in my best interests?
- Are you able to assist me with Power of Attorney?
Next steps
- Assess your needs and budget: List the tasks you need help with (like personal care, meal preparation), when you want visits, and your weekly budget compared to usual UK hourly costs (£23–£34/hr).
- Choose and check providers: Find 3 to 5 local care providers on directory websites and look up their inspection scores from the CQC (England), CIW (Wales), Care Inspectorate (Scotland), or RQIA (Northern Ireland).
- Talk to providers and read reviews: Reach out to your chosen agencies using the article’s checklist to confirm care worker background checks, staff consistency, and costs, and read real family reviews before signing any contract.
FAQs
What are the benefits of receiving care at home?
Receiving care in your own home means that you can continue to live independently in the comfort of your own home. It is up to you how often you will receive visits from a care worker, making it a flexible option which you can tailor around other commitments. Depending on your situation, you may only need support for a short time or help with a specific task.
What should you think about when considering home care?
Different home care providers offer different services, so identifying your needs and other preferences is key to find the right provider. It is important to ensure the provider is able to offer the support you need and when you need it. Additionally, you have to take fees into account and be aware of how much a service will cost you.
What are the different options for home care?
Your needs will determine what type of care you will receive. You can get help with personal care, cleaning and other household tasks, companionship, or full live-in care if that is what you need. You can either use a home care agency or employ your own care worker. Alternatively, your local authority may arrange your care.
What is the best way to find out what a provider is like?
The best way to find out what the care and support a home care provider offers is to ask past or current service-users. On homecare.co.uk, you can read reviews of over 13,000 providers from all over the UK. Another option is to look at social media sites and forums as well as checking what the regulators say about the provider in their reports.
What questions should you ask a home care provider?
First and foremost, it is recommended to write a list of what is important to you. This could be anything from what types of care you need, how you would like to be cared for, what times of day you would like visits etc. You can then ask the provider if they can meet these needs and preferences. For example, finding out what happens in an emergency situation can bring you peace of mind.