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Residential Care and Personal Care
Residential care is for anyone who may struggle to live independently and require additional support with everyday tasks like washing and dressing, but doesn't need specialist nursing care.
Personal care is provided in a residential care home and is also available as part of home care. Some examples of personal care are:
- Helping you get in and out of bed
- Helping you get dressed and undressed
- Washing and bathing
- Using the toilet
- Other personal hygiene tasks
- Administering oral medications
- Changing incontinence pads
How much does residential care cost?
The average cost of the residential care homes we list - which offer personal care - is:
- England - £1,507 per week, £6,530 per month and £78,364 per year
- Scotland - £1,512 per week, £6,552 per month and £78,624 per year
What’s the average age of people who require residential care?
Data based on our users shows that 19% who require residential care are aged between 65 and 74. 32% are aged between 75 and 84, 41% are aged between 85 and 94 and 8% are 95 or older.
Nursing Care
Nursing care is for people who require specialist medical support from registered and qualified nurses. Everyday tasks within nursing care include administering intravenous medication, treating wounds, monitoring vital signs and providing other care to people with illnesses and conditions requiring medical attention.
In a care setting such as a nursing care home, there must always be at least one nurse on call, as this care needs to be available 24/7. District nurses can support residents in residential care homes as well.
Nursing care can also be provided at home, including specialist support for physical disabilities, administering intravenous drugs, wound dressing, stoma care and more.
How much does nursing care cost?
The average cost of the dementia care homes we list is:
- England - £1,565 per week, £6,782 per month and £81,380 per year
- Scotland - £1,523 per week, £6,600 per month and £79,196 per year
Dementia Care
Dementia care uses specialist techniques to look after an individual with compassion and in a thoughtful way. The goal is to promote wellbeing through person-centred care.
Somebody living with dementia may require medical support and personal care. They’ll also benefit from a routine, being treated with dignity and respect, dementia-friendly activities and specialist equipment/facilities like memory boxes and sensory gardens.
Somebody living with a form of dementia such as Alzheimer’s will likely need an increasing amount of care as their condition progresses.
Dementia care is usually provided in a dementia care home but can also be provided in the comfort of your own home, including early-stage dementia care at home, late-stage dementia care at home and specific Alzheimer’s care at home..
How much does nursing care cost?
The average cost of the dementia care homes we list is:
- England - £1,565 per week, £6,782 per month and £81,380 per year
- Scotland - £1,523 per week, £6,600 per month and £79,196 per year
Respite Care
Respite care is a short-term form of care, often lasting for just a few weeks. Your regular carer may take a well-earned break while you temporarily receive respite care.
Respite care varies, depending on what type of support is needed. It can be for people with personal, nursing or dementia needs, along with those recovering from an illness or injury.
The most common type of respite care is within a care home, but respite home care is also popular.
How much does respite care cost?
How much respite care costs depends on the care you or your loved one require. For example, residential respite care is usually cheaper than nursing or dementia respite care.
Palliative Care and End-Of-Life Care
Palliative care is for people with serious or terminal illnesses. This includes people with an advanced stage of dementia.
The focus of palliative care is providing symptom relief and making people feel as comfortable as possible, rather than trying to find a cure. How long palliative care lasts depends on the individual - it could be several months or even years.
Palliative care can be provided in a palliative care home (or in a specialised wing of a care home) or through palliative care at home.
Meanwhile, end-of-life care is considered one of the later stages of palliative care. It’s given as somebody nears the end of their life. Similarly, the goal is to help the person live as comfortably as possible, until they pass away with dignity.
Domiciliary Care
Also known as hourly care, domiciliary care is where a carer visits your loved one’s home at various points throughout the week. The amount of care given is tailored to the individual. Some people only require a couple of hours a week, while others need much more. The length of visits is also flexible, depending on what individual providers can offer.
A range of services are offered through domiciliary care, such as cleaning and other household chores, food preparation and cooking, personal care, administering certain medications and generally offering a friendly face and somebody to talk to.
How much does domiciliary care cost?
The average cost of domiciliary care offered by our home care partners is £28 per hour. So, receiving 10 hours of domiciliary care a week would cost around £280 per week, £1,213 a month and £14,560 a year.
Live-In Care
Through live-in care, a fully trained carer will move into your loved one’s home permanently, meaning they’ll have access to round-the-clock care.
People prefer live-in care to domiciliary (hourly) care when visits throughout the week are no longer enough.
A live-in carer can assist with daily tasks, help you with personal care, manage your medication and offer mobility support where needed.
How much does live-in care cost?
The average cost of live-in care offered by our home care partners is £228 per day. So, if you receive permanent live-in care, this would cost around £1,596 per week, £6,916 a month and £82,992 a year.
