Understanding Live-in Care Costs & Funding
Helping you understand typical weekly costs, what affects them and how live-in care compares with other care options.
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When care becomes part of the conversation, it's not always easy to know where to start.
Understanding costs and funding can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re also thinking about what’s best for the person at the centre of it all. When you’re trying to make tough decisions understanding costs helps you make informed choices.
What Live-in Care Costs Cover
Live-in care costs aren’t one-size-fits-all, because support is tailored to what matters in your day-to-day life.
Support is shaped around your life, your home and what helps you feel safe and comfortable day to day. That’s what the cost reflects.
Live-in care includes:
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One-to-one care in your own home, with a consistent carer who gets to know you, rather than different people coming and going
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Support built around your routines and preferences, so care fits into your day instead of working to fixed visit times
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Planned breaks and cover, arranged safely so care continues without disruption
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Ongoing clinical oversight from our registered nurses, with regular review and adjustments as needs change
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Help with everyday living, including personal care, meals, medication support, mobility and daily routines
Because care is nurse-led, support can go further when needed. This can include hospital-at-home levels of care, allowing you to stay at home even as care becomes more complex.
Support may include care for:
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Dementia and cognitive conditions
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Neurological conditions such as stroke, brain or spinal injury
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Progressive conditions including Parkinson’s and motor neurone disease
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Palliative and end-of-life care
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Mobility support and complex physical needs
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Mental health, learning disabilities and autism
The level of clinical input and specialist support needed has a direct impact on cost. It’s about making sure the care you receive is safe, appropriate and able to adapt as life changes.
What Live-in Care Typically Costs - and Why
When you start looking at care, one of the first questions is often a simple one: “Can this work financially?” Getting a clear answer is important - especially when you’re comparing options or thinking ahead.
Live-in care costs vary because no two situations are the same. Support is shaped around your needs, your home and the level of help required - not a standard package.
As a guide, live-in care typically ranges between £1,800 and £3,500 per week.
More highly specialist or complex care may cost more, depending on what’s needed and how care is delivered safely.
The cost is influenced by a number of things, including:
The level of support needed day to day - from personal care through to complex clinical support
Clinical complexity, which affects the level of nurse involvement, clinical oversight and review
The skills and experience required from carers, including specialist training, ongoing competency checks and compliance
Behavioural or emotional support needs, and the level of consistency and expertise required
Your home environment, including any adaptations needed to deliver care safely
The wider care network, such as how many professionals are involved and how closely care needs to be coordinated
Ongoing professional input, for example regular multidisciplinary team meetings
Understanding these things helps explain why costs can vary and why a like-for-like comparison matters. What’s important isn’t finding the lowest figure, but understanding what that cost includes, how care is supported and whether it will remain safe and sustainable as needs change.
Clear information upfront makes it easier to weigh up options and make decisions that feel right both now and longer term.
Live-in Care Cost Calculator
Every situation is unique, so we’ve created a Live-In Care Cost Calculator to help you understand what nurse-led live-in care might cost for you or your loved one.
Simply answer a few short questions about your needs and preferences to see an estimated weekly or monthly cost.
You’ll also be able to compare it with the cost of residential or nursing home care.
Ways People Fund Live-in Care
There isn’t one “right” way to fund live-in care. Most families use a combination of options, shaped by personal circumstances and how care needs develop over time.
Self-funding
Using income, savings, pensions or sometimes equity from a property. For some, this is a short-term solution while longer-term options are explored. For others, it’s part of a longer plan.
Local authority support
Following a needs and means assessment, your local council may contribute towards care costs. Eligibility and support levels vary, and assessments can take time, which is why many families begin care while this process is underway.
NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC)
If care needs are primarily health-led, the NHS may cover the full cost of care through Continuing Healthcare funding. The assessment process can feel complex, but understanding eligibility early can make a real difference.
Benefits
Benefits such as Attendance Allowance, Personal Independence Payment (PIP), or Carer’s Allowance can help with ongoing care costs and day-to-day living expenses.
Blended approaches
Many people use a combination of the above - for example, self-funding alongside benefits, or short-term self-funding while waiting for assessments or funding decisions.
Everyone’s situation is different, and funding often changes as needs change. Understanding what may be available - and when - helps you plan with more confidence and fewer surprises.
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