What is personal care at home?

Personal care at home means getting help with everyday tasks such as washing, dressing and using the toilet, while respecting your routines and preferences.

If illness, getting older, or reduced mobility makes everyday tasks difficult, a trained carer can help you maintain your quality of life. This guide explains what personal care at home covers, who it’s for, what it costs, and how to choose the right service.

What is personal care?

Personal care covers direct, practical help with essential daily tasks that may be difficult to manage alone.

Accepting help with personal care can feel like a big step, especially when it involves tasks you’ve always managed yourself. It’s understandable to feel unsure about someone new helping with such personal routines.

Good personal care should fit around your needs and choices. This might include when you prefer to get up, how you like to wash and dress, or which toiletries you use. Your carer should always respect your privacy, dignity and choices.

What does personal care include?

• Washing and bathing: Support with showers, baths or bed baths.
• Dressing: Help choosing clothes and getting dressed.
• Personal hygiene: Help with brushing teeth, dentures, shaving, hair and nail care.
• Toileting and continence: Discreet support with using the toilet and managing continence needs.
• Mobility: Help getting in and out of bed, moving between chairs and around the home.
• Eating and drinking: Help with meals, eating and remaining hydrated.
• Medication: Reminders or assistance with medication, depending on the carer’s training and responsibilities.

The care you receive should be flexible and built around your needs, abilities and preferences.

How is help at home different from personal care?

Personal care includes help with daily needs, such as washing, dressing, or using the toilet. Help at home, on the other hand, means getting support with jobs around the house, such as cleaning, laundry, or cooking meals.

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

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

What types of personal care at home are available?

Personal care can range from short visits to ongoing support, depending on your needs.

• Visiting care: A carer visits at agreed times to help with daily routines, such as washing, dressing and getting ready for bed.
• Overnight care: A carer stays overnight, either sleeping and responding when needed or remaining awake to provide support.
• Live-in care: A carer lives in your home to provide regular support with personal care and daily tasks, with agreed breaks and time off.
• Respite care: Short-term care that allows family or unpaid carers to take a break.
• Recovery care: Temporary support following illness, surgery or a hospital stay.
• Long-term personal care: Help for people with ongoing or changing care needs.

Not every provider offers all these services, so check what’s available and whether it meets your needs.

Who can benefit from personal care at home?

Personal care at home isn’t just for older people. It can also help:

• People living with disabilities or long-term health conditions.
• Anyone with reduced mobility or difficulty managing personal daily tasks.
• People recovering from illness, surgery or a hospital stay.
• Families who need additional support caring for someone.

How does personal care at home work?

Personal care at home follows a care plan agreed between you and your provider. It sets out what help you need, your preferences and when you’d like support.

Here’s what you can expect:

• Care that fits your routine: Your carer helps with agreed tasks, such as washing, dressing or getting ready for bed.
• Respecting your choices: Your carer should protect your privacy and dignity while helping you stay as independent as possible.
• Safe support: If you need help moving around, your carer can use suitable equipment in line with their training and your care plan.
• Regular reviews: You can discuss concerns and request changes as your needs or preferences change.

How much does personal care at home cost?

The cost of personal care at home depends on where you live, how much support you need, and how often someone visits. Across the UK, it usually costs between £26 and £38 per hour.

What influences costs?

• Location: Care costs vary by location, with places such as London and the South East more expensive.
• Length and frequency: You pay by the hour, and most companies have a minimum visit time, often either 30 or 60 minutes.
• Complexity: Simple care costs less, but more specialist support or help moving around can cost more.
• Overnight and live-in care: Overnight care usually costs a fixed amount if your carer sleeps, or you pay by the hour if they stay awake. Live-in care usually starts at £1,000 to £1,500 per week.
• Provider fees: Agencies may charge extra for weekends, holidays, mileage, or if you cancel a visit.

Potential funding routes

• Private funding: If you have more than £23,250 in savings or assets (in England), you’ll usually pay for your own care.
• Local authority funding: The council will check your needs and finances. If you qualify, they may help pay for your care.
• Direct payments: If the council pays for your care, you can receive the money directly and arrange your own support.
• NHS funding: NHS Continuing Healthcare pays for all your care if you have serious health needs. After a hospital stay, you might get up to six weeks of free recovery care.
• Attendance Allowance: This tax-free benefit helps with care costs and it doesn’t depend on your income or savings.

UK capital thresholds for care at home

In the UK, help with paying for care depends on your total savings and assets (your property isn’t counted if you receive care at home). Because social care rules are decided separately, each nation has its own limits on capital:

Nation	Capital thresholds	What this means for care at home
England	Upper: £23,250 Lower: £14,250	Above £23,250, you usually pay the full cost. Between the thresholds, you may contribute towards your care. Below £14,250, you may still contribute from your income.
Wales	No equivalent national capital threshold for care at home	Local authorities assess what you can afford to contribute. A national maximum weekly charge applies to eligible care at home.
Scotland	No capital threshold for eligible free personal care	Adults assessed as needing personal care can receive this free of charge, regardless of savings. Charges may apply for other support, such as domestic help.
Northern Ireland	Different arrangements from England	Health and Social Care trusts generally provide assessed domiciliary personal care without charging, although charging rules can differ for other services.

How can I arrange personal care at home?

Here is a practical, step-by-step guide to arranging personal care at home.

• Identify your needs: Think about which daily tasks you need help with and your preferred routines.
• Request a care needs assessment: Contact your local council to discuss your needs and possible funding.
• Compare providers: Look at local care agencies, their services, availability and regulator registration.
• Check costs and arrangements: Ask about fees, visit lengths, carer availability and cancellation policies.
• Agree and review your care plan: Make sure the support meets your needs and can change when necessary.
• Review the support: Check that your care is still suitable, and ask for changes if your needs change.

UK regulatory bodies for personal care services

Before hiring a care agency, make sure it’s registered with an official regulator. The following regulators oversee care services and publish inspection information to help you assess care quality.

• England: Check regulated home care agencies through the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
• Scotland: Services are registered, inspected, and regulated by the Care Inspectorate.
• Wales: Home support and social care providers are regulated by Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW).
• Northern Ireland: Health and social care services are inspected and monitored by the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA).

What should I ask before choosing a personal care provider?

• How can you or your family raise a concern if necessary?
• Is the care provider registered with the correct regulator?
• How does the provider recruit, check, train, and supervise carers?
• Can the provider meet your specific care needs?
• Will you have the same carers regularly?
• How does the provider protect your privacy, dignity, consent, and safety?
• How often is your care plan reviewed?
• What happens if your carer is late or misses a visit?
• Are fees, minimum visit times, and cancellation terms clear?