Helping you understand typical weekly costs, what affects them and how live-in care compares with other care options.
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Talk to us about live-in care

When care becomes part of the conversation, it's not always easy to know where to start. Most people don’t set out to become experts in care costs and funding. It usually starts with a concern - about safety, health or coping day to day and a need to understand what support is realistic. Understanding what care might cost - and why - helps you make informed choices, at a time when you’re already making a lot of important, often unfamiliar decisions.

What Live-in Care Typically Costs and Why

When people start thinking about care, one of the first questions is usually a practical one: “Is this something I can afford?” 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, Ocean Healthcare’s live-in care usually ranges from £1,800 to £3,500 per week.
If care needs are more complex, costs usually sit towards the higher end of the range - not because of a fixed “upgrade” but because additional clinical input, experience and support are required to keep care safe and sustainable at home.

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

If you’re trying to get your bearings, a rough figure can sometimes make things feel more manageable.
Our live-in care cost calculator uses a few short questions about your situation to give an estimated weekly cost for nurse-led support at home.

You can also see how this compares with residential or nursing home care - so you’re looking at the options side by side, rather than guessing.

book a free nurse assessment

What Live-in Care Costs Cover

Live-in care doesn’t come with a single, fixed price - because the support is shaped around real lives, not standard packages.

The cost reflects what helps you feel safe, comfortable and supported in your own home, day to day - and how much care is needed to make that possible.

Live-in care typically includes:

One-to-one care in your own home, with a consistent carer who gets to know you, rather than different people coming and going
Support built around your routines and preferences, so care fits into your day instead of working to fixed visit times
Planned breaks and cover, arranged safely so care continues without disruption
Ongoing clinical oversight from our registered nurses, with regular review and adjustments as needs change
Help with everyday living, including personal care, meals, medication support, mobility and daily routines

Because Ocean’s live-in care is nurse-led, support can go further when needed. That can include hospital-at-home levels of care — allowing you to stay at home even as health needs become more complex.

Support may include care for:

Dementia and cognitive conditions
Neurological conditions such as stroke, brain or spinal injury
Progressive conditions including Parkinson’s and motor neurone disease
Palliative and end-of-life care
Mobility support and complex physical needs
Mental health, learning disabilities and autism

The level of clinical involvement and specialist support needed plays a role in overall cost. It’s about making sure the care you receive is safe, appropriate and able to adapt as life changes.

Ways People Fund Live-in Care

There isn’t a single “right” way to fund care. Most people find it’s a mix of options, shaped by personal circumstances and how support needs change 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.

Other Care Options You Might Be Thinking About

Different care options suit different people at different times. Understanding what each one offers helps you decide what matters most to you - whether that’s staying at home, having flexibility or accessing more structured support as needs change.

Hourly / Domiciliary Care (Visits to Your Home)

Carers visitit at set times during the day to help with things like washing, dressing, meals and medication.

This can be a good fit when:

Support is needed at specific times rather than all day and night
You want flexibility without a full-time carer
Your needs are more limited or predictable

It can be more affordable at first, because you only pay for the care hours you use. But as needs increase - especially if evening or night support is needed - the number of visits and costs can build up. In the South West average weekly costs are around £160pw (based on receiving 5 hours of care a week).

Residential Care Homes

Residential care homes provide daily living support and accommodation. Staff are on site during the day and often at night, routines are organised for everyone living there.

Residential care (without nursing): ~£1,339 per week in the South West

Things to consider:

Support is community-based rather than one-to-one
You’re living in a community setting, not your own home

Nursing Homes

Nursing homes are similar to residential care but include ongoing nursing care and supervision when medical needs are more significant.

Typical costs in the South West are around £1,595 per week or more.

This can be a good fit when:

Medical or clinical needs are constant
You need 24/7 trained nursing care

Live-in Care

Live-in care means someone lives in your home to provide consistent support - from personal care and daily routines to companionship and reassurance, with clinical oversight if needs are more complex. It’s designed around how you live and want to live, not a timetable.

Typical live-in care costs are in the range of £1,100–£2,000 per week for a single person.

Benefits this option might offer:

One-to-one support in your own home
Continuity and familiarity with the same carer
Can adapt as needs change

In Simple Terms:

Care Option	Estimated Costs:	What You Get
Typical Live-in Care	~ £1,100 -£2,000/week	Round-the-clock support at home
Hourly / Dom Home Care	~ £27-£32/hour	Visits at agreed times
Residential Care	~ £1,339/week	Daily support in a care home
Nursing Home	~ £1,595/week	Care home with nursing

A few things that are often helpful to know

Live-in care can be similar in cost to a care home in some situations. The difference is where and how support happens - staying in the home and life you’ve built, with care fitting around it rather than replacing it.
Hourly care can be the right choice when support is needed at certain times of the day. As those moments become more frequent, or needs start to become more complex, the overall cost can grow as more visits are added.
Residential and nursing homes usually include accommodation, meals and shared services within their fees. Because of this, comparing costs with care at home often needs a bit more context around what’s included and what day-to-day life looks like.
What matters most is understanding how each option would feel, day to day - and what that means for you or your family.

Live-In Care vs Care Home: How Do They Compare?

Starting Your Journey with Ocean Healthcare

Choosing live-in care is a big step. Beginning with a conversation about what matters most to you helps bring some clarity - and makes it easier to understand what support might feel right.
Those conversations are open and honest. If live-in care isn’t the best fit for your situation, we’ll say so and help you think through other options. What matters is finding the right kind of support for you - not fitting you into a service.