While no one really wants to dwell on the possibility of requiring care in their old age, it definitely makes sense to plan ahead.
It helps to know what options are available and be aware of the cost of each. So what does daily visiting care cost and how does it compare with the cost of live-in care and residential care?
If you are determined to remain in your own home and think you will be able to manage with daily visiting care, you need to find out how many providers cover the area where you live, especially if you live in the country. It is notoriously difficult to find visiting care providers willing to provide daily care in villages more than 12 miles or so from the nearest town. If you cannot find a reliable provider of visiting care in your area, you may have no other option than to consider 24-hr care, so you will need to find out the cost of live-in care in your area.
However, if you think you might need full-time support, the choice will be between live-in care in your own home and residential care. This decision will inevitably be influenced by cost, so the question is, what is the cost of live-in care in your area and how does it compare with the cost of residential care?
Some areas of the country have more care homes per head of population than others – for example, seaside towns and this can have an impact on the cost. In this article we will explore the different types of care available and compare the cost of live-in care with daily visiting care and residential care in the UK at current prices (May 2024.)
Types of care available
Care is generally divided into two main groups: care in your own home and care in a residential setting. Care in your own home has two sub-categories: daily visiting care (where carers come in and attend to your needs up to 4 times a day) and 24-hr live-in care (where the carer actually comes to live with you and supports you 24/7), while residential care tends to be split between care homes and nursing homes, although some establishments are dual purpose.
Care homes are staffed by trained care assistants and cater for elderly residents whose need for care is because of degenerative health conditions associated with ageing e.g. reduced mobility or dementia; nursing homes always have a qualified nurse on site to provide medical care and generally offer a higher level of care, for those who have more severe illnesses, disabilities or require closely monitored care.
There is also a “halfway house” option, known as “assisted living”. You are allocated a self-contained flat, with its own front door, but, in addition, staff are available up to 24 hours per day to provide personal care and support services, which may include help with washing, dressing, going to the toilet and taking medication. Domestic help, such as shopping and laundry, and the provision of meals may also be included. The biggest downside of assisted living is that if you need more care than the complex can provide, you will have to move on to a care or nursing home and, if you have purchased your flat, it is very likely that you will end up suffering a substantial loss when you sell it.
What average live-in care costs
The cost of live-in care depends on several factors, including – just as with the housing market – location, the type of care or service needed and the level of medical attention required. When considering live-in care costs, it’s important to understand what is and what isn’t included ; for example, residential care will include rent and all the associated bills that would still have to be paid if your loved one remained in their own home with a live-in carer. On the other hand, live-in care in your own home is based on one-to-one support that it would be impossible for a care home to replicate.
According to Age UK and the NHS, the average cost of a professional caregiver coming to visit you in your own home is £25 an hour, while the cost of live-in care can range from £800 to £1500 per week, depending on your needs. As your support needs increase, therefore, live-in care becomes more and more cost-effective compared with daily visiting care.
The cost of residential care provided by the national chains can range from £929 to £1634 per week, depending on where you live, the quality of the home itself and the level of services included. Nursing homes, which cater for more complex needs, are generally more expensive than care homes, with charges anywhere between £1251 and £1951 per week (source: Lottie, an online care directory). If you want to read more click here: LIVE IN CARER COSTS | Why Is It So Expensive? | May 2024 (ukcareguide.co.uk)
Chesterford Homecare has been providing quality live-in care services for nearly a decade now to families in Essex, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire and Suffolk. We would be happy to talk you through all your options and give you a no-obligation quote for the cost of live-in care for your loved one, so you can compare real prices and options.
Paying for Care
If you have less than £23,250 in savings (£27,250 in Scotland), your local council are supposed to help with the cost of social care. However, if you move to a care or nursing home, you may be asked to sell your home to pay for your care, but you will not be expected to sell your home to help pay for home care.
Arranging private care can involve significant expense, so it is important to research what options are available in your area and how much they are likely to cost, so you can make an informed decision. In our experience, independently minded older people who are in a position to pay for their care will choose live-in homecare over residential care because it is the least disruptive and most cost-effective option.
It is never too soon to start doing your research and planning for the future, but regardless of whether you are thinking ahead or have been overtaken by events, we would be happy to answer any questions you might have and help you in the planning process.
