What is help at home?

Help at home offers practical support with everyday tasks such as cleaning, shopping, laundry, and preparing meals.

This help can make life easier for anyone who is struggling with these tasks, including older adults and people with disabilities or health issues. It helps people stay independent, maintain their routines, and feel comfortable living in their own homes.

This guide explains what help at home includes, who it can support, how much it might cost, and how to find the right service.

What is help at home?

Help at home, also known as home help or domestic support, can be arranged for a few hours a week or more often, depending on your needs.

The aim is to make everyday household tasks easier to manage while helping you maintain your independence and usual routines.

What tasks can help at home include?

Help at home services can support you with a range of everyday household tasks, including:

• Light cleaning: Dusting, vacuuming and general tidying.
• Laundry and linen: Washing, ironing and changing bedding or towels.
• Meal and drink preparation: Preparing meals, making hot drinks and helping plan weekly menus.
• Food shopping: Making grocery lists, shopping for you, and putting groceries away.
• Prescription collection and errands: Collecting prescriptions, posting letters or picking up parcels.
• Household organisation: Helping with light paperwork, decluttering and keeping schedules organised.
• Outings and appointments: Accompanying you on shopping trips, social activities or medical appointments.

Services, such as outings and appointments, vary between providers and may or may not be offered. Standard home help usually doesn’t include heavy cleaning, moving furniture, gardening, or home maintenance. You may need a specialist service for these tasks.

Who can benefit from help at home?

Help at home isn’t just for older people. It can help anyone who finds daily tasks difficult. Common reasons people seek support include:

• People with disabilities or health conditions: Reduced mobility, tiredness, joint stiffness, or conditions such as arthritis can make household tasks harder.
• People recovering:  This could be after an illness, operation, or hospital stay, and they may seek temporary support while regaining strength and confidence.
• Unpaid carers: Practical household help can reduce some of the responsibilities of caring for a family member or friend.

While help at home can reduce household responsibilities, it’s not a replacement for respite care or supervision.

What’s the difference between help at home and personal care?

Help at home focuses on practical household tasks. Personal care, on the other hand, involves help with everyday activities such as washing, dressing, and using the toilet.

Some home care providers offer both services, so you may be able to arrange a combination of practical and personal care depending on your needs.

Help at home	Personal care
Cleaning, vacuuming and tidying	Washing, bathing and showering
Laundry and changing bed linen	Getting dressed and undressed
Grocery shopping and collecting prescriptions	Using the toilet and continence support
Preparing meals and drinks	Support with personal hygiene
Household organisation and some outings	Certain types of medication assistance*

* Some providers can also help with medication, depending on the type of support needed, their training, and the services they are allowed to provide.

Legal and regulatory differences across the UK

Help at home and personal care aren’t always regulated the same way. Whether a company offering these services needs to register with a care regulator depends on the services it provides and where it operates.

The UK’s four nations have different regulatory arrangements:

• England: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) checks and approves companies that provide personal care in people’s homes. For example, if a company only does cleaning, it usually doesn’t need CQC approval.
• Scotland: The Care Inspectorate oversees companies that provide home care services. Whether a company needs to register depends on the kind of care it provides.
• Wales: Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW) ensures home care companies follow the rules when registration is required.
• Northern Ireland: The Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA) oversees registered home care agencies.

Before arranging support, check if the service you need must be registered with a care regulator. If registration is required, you can find the provider’s details and any inspection reports on the regulator’s website.

Help at home services may not be required to register with a care regulator and therefore may not have an inspection report. Therefore, it is also a good idea to ask providers about staff background checks, training, and how they maintain service quality.

Can you arrange temporary or long-term help at home?

Yes. Help at home can be adapted to your needs:

• Temporary help and recovery support: Short-term care after illness, surgery, or hospital discharge to help with household tasks.
• Respite support: Practical help when a family member or unpaid carer needs a break.
• Regular or ongoing help: Weekly or daily visits for those who need ongoing help with daily routines. You can ask your provider whether visits can be changed as your needs develop.

How much does help at home cost?

The cost of help at home varies depending on where you live, the type of support you need and how often someone visits. On average, it costs between £26-£38 per hour. Factors that can affect the price include:

• Location: Hourly rates vary across the UK and between local areas.
• Provider: Costs may differ between home care agencies, independent home help workers and domestic cleaning services.
• Visit duration and frequency: Providers may charge by the hour and have minimum visit lengths.
• Type of support: The cost may depend on whether you need basic household help or additional care services.

When comparing providers, ask about their hourly rates, minimum booking periods and any additional charges, such as travel or cancellation fees. Asking for a written breakdown of costs can help you compare services and understand what you’ll pay.

Can you get financial help towards help at home?

You may be able to get financial support towards help at home, depending on your care needs, financial circumstances and where you live in the UK.

There are two main ways to pay for support:

• Self-funding: You pay for home help yourself using your income or savings.
• Local authority or health and social care support: Depending on where you live, you may be able to request an assessment to find out what care and support you need and whether financial assistance is available.

An assessment doesn’t automatically mean that domestic help will be paid for. Eligibility and the types of support available vary across the UK.

Before you decide, it’s always best to contact your local council or relevant health and social care organisation to find out what assessments and financial support may be available.