Live-in care in Helston, Cornwall

Our care, where you live

Our live-in care in Helston

Live-in care means one-to-one support in your own home: personal care, medication support, meals, help around the house, getting out and about, and someone close by at night. Whether it suits the person, and whether one carer can support a couple, is worked out at the free assessment. Read more in live-in care explained and how it works day to day.

How we arrange live-in care in Helston

Day and Nightcare provides fully managed live-in care in Helston, Porthleven, Mullion, St Keverne and the villages of the Lizard, from £1,550 a week. One main carer lives in the home; a relief carer covers their holidays and time off, and a manager is on call. Care starts with a free assessment, a written quote and a written care plan.

Care can be paid for privately, by Cornwall Council (including direct payments) or by NHS Continuing Healthcare. We have provided Discharge to Assess (D2A) care since 2014. If someone is in hospital, tell us the expected discharge date (see care after hospital). Our care team is on 01865 715780.

Arranging care and funding in Helston

Cornwall Council, a unitary council, runs adult social care and collects council tax. To ask for a care needs assessment, call 0300 1234 131 (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 9am to 5pm; Wednesday 10am to 5pm; emergencies out of hours on the same number) or use the online “Request help for an adult” form.

Read more: arranging care and funding in Helston

The needs assessment is free, and anyone can ask for one. The council sends a self-assessment form, then an assessor visits; a carer, family member or independent advocate can be there. A financial assessment follows: with assets over £23,250 your relative would usually pay for their own care, and the home is not counted for care at home. If the council arranges care for someone paying in full, the fee is £300, and £300 for any significant change. If savings are falling, contact the council at least 90 days before they reach £23,250.

After a crisis or hospital stay, the council’s Short Term Enablement Planning Service (STEPS) gives temporary help with personal care, meals and getting about, after an assessment or a referral from you or your GP.

Carers can ask for their own carer’s assessment on 01736 756655, Cornwall’s carers’ service (a new provider takes over in November 2026; see below).

For council tax (0300 1234 171), ask about the severe mental impairment discount (a medical certificate plus a qualifying benefit), the carer disregard for a relative or friend who lives with the person, is not their partner and gives at least 35 hours of care a week, and the disabled band reduction. See council tax discounts for care.

Urgent care and leaving hospital in Helston

Minor injuries: Helston Community Hospital, Meneage Road (01326 435 900): walk-in minor injury unit Monday to Saturday, 8am to 6pm, with no X-ray. Camborne Redruth Community Hospital’s unit is open every day, 8am to 10pm, with X-ray 8am to 8pm. Neither is an emergency department.
Emergency department: the Royal Cornwall Hospital at Treliske, Truro (switchboard 01872 250000), open 24 hours.

At Treliske, the trust aims to have people ready to leave the ward by 10am, with a Discharge Lounge for later lifts; families arrange the journey home. NHS patient transport (01872 252211) is for people with a medical need. Someone who needs longer to recover may move to Lismore Ward (24 rehabilitation beds) at Helston Community Hospital.

Back home, Cornwall Partnership’s Home First team gives short-term reablement, free for up to two weeks; its Kerrier (south) team is on 01326 435 936. For NHS Continuing Healthcare, contact NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly ICB at ciosicb.chc@nhs.net or on 01209 832400.

Local help in Helston

Carers' services, dementia support, transport, befriending and other local help, with phone numbers.

What may change soon

Cornwall Rural Community Charity’s Cornwall Carers Service model ran until the end of October 2026. Cornwall Council expects a new carers’ service, coordinated by Disability Cornwall and Isles of Scilly, in November; the number, 01736 756655, stays the same.

Useful local contacts

Useful contacts in Helston

The council, NHS teams, hospitals and local services you are most likely to need in Helston, with links to their official pages. Open any heading for the details.

Council and care assessments

Adult social care in Helston is arranged by Cornwall Council. Anyone who appears to need care can ask for a free care needs assessment, whatever their savings. If the council funds care, you can usually take it as a direct payment and use it for live-in care from us.

Cornwall Council: ask for a care needs assessment (telephone 0300 1234 131); carer's assessment.

NHS Continuing Healthcare

When someone's main need is a health need, the NHS pays for all of their care through NHS Continuing Healthcare, and it is not means-tested. For Helston it is arranged by NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Integrated Care Board (NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly ICB) (Continuing Healthcare information). See our NHS Continuing Healthcare guide.

Hospitals near Helston

If someone is in hospital, tell us the expected discharge date as early as you can, and we will work with you and the discharge team on when live-in care can start.

Helston Community Hospital: Meneage Road, Helston TR13 8DR, 01326 435 900. Minor injury unit Monday to Saturday 8am to 6pm, walk in or call NHS 111, no X-ray; closed Sundays. Not an A&E. Lismore Ward, 24 beds for rehabilitation after surgery or illness. (leaving hospital information)
Royal Cornwall Hospital (Treliske): Treliske, Truro TR1 3LJ, switchboard 01872 250000. Cornwall's emergency department (A&E), open 24 hours. Discharge planning starts soon after admission; the trust aims to have people ready to leave the ward by 10am, with a Discharge Lounge for those waiting for transport. (leaving hospital information)
Camborne Redruth Community Hospital Minor Injury Unit: Barncoose, Redruth TR15 3ER, 01209 318 000. Walk-in minor injury unit every day 8am to 10pm, doctor-led until 9pm; X-ray 8am to 8pm. Not an A&E.
St Julia's Hospice: Foundry Hill, Hayle TR27 4HW, 01736 759070. Cornwall Hospice: end of life care beds for west Cornwall; referral through the GP, consultant or another healthcare professional. No Hospice at Home service.

Local support and charities

Cornwall Carers Service: Carers' support (01736 756655)
Helston Memory Cafe: Dementia support
NHS Memory Assessment Service and Dementia Together: Dementia support
Community Gateway (Age UK Cornwall & The Isles of Scilly): Local services directory (01872 266383)
Age UK Cornwall & The Isles of Scilly: Information and Advice: Age UK (01872 266888)
Age UK Cornwall Community Transport (TAP): Community transport (01872 223388)
Volunteer Cornwall Community Transport: Community transport (01872 265300)
Healthwatch Cornwall: Healthwatch: your independent voice on health and care (0800 038 1281)

Council tax

Council tax in Helston, including discounts for people with a severe mental impairment, for disabled people and for some carers, is handled by Cornwall Council. See council tax discounts for care.

Villages around Helston

Porthleven
Breage
Sithney
Wendron
Gweek
Cury
Mullion
Mawgan
St Keverne
Coverack
Ruan Minor
The Lizard

Your questions

Questions about live-in care in Helston

Who do I call in Helston to ask for a care assessment?

Call Cornwall Council's adult social care line on 0300 1234 131 (9am to 5pm on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; 10am to 5pm on Wednesday), or use the online 'Request help for an adult' form. Cornwall Council arranges adult social care for Helston and every parish on the Lizard. There is no charge for the needs assessment. If you are the main family carer, ask for your own carer's assessment on 01736 756655.

When is Helston's minor injury unit open?

The minor injury unit at Helston Community Hospital, Meneage Road, is open Monday to Saturday from 8am to 6pm, and there is no X-ray on site. It is closed on Sundays. For a suspected broken bone, or in the evening, Camborne Redruth Community Hospital's unit is open every day from 8am to 10pm, with X-ray from 8am to 8pm. Opening hours can change at short notice, so check the trust's live waiting times page or call NHS 111 first. In an emergency, call 999.

Does Helston Community Hospital have beds?

Yes. Lismore Ward has 24 beds for people who need rehabilitation after surgery or illness, so someone may move there from Treliske to recover before going home. You can call the ward on 01326 435 911 or 01326 435 910, or the hospital on 01326 435 900. Ask the ward team early about the plan for going home.

How much does live-in care cost in Helston?

Live-in care with Day and Nightcare costs from £1,550 a week in Helston, the same as everywhere in England, for one person with a carer who rests at night. That includes our care team's management (the assessment, care plan, reviews, supervision and the on-call manager) and the carer's food; break cover and the carer's travel are extra. For a couple it is from £1,800 a week, where one carer can safely meet both partners' needs. You receive a written quote after a free assessment.

Can the council help pay for live-in care in Helston?

Yes, if the person's care needs meet the national eligibility criteria and their savings are below £23,250 (2026/27). Adult social care in Helston is arranged by Cornwall Council. Ask for a care needs assessment; if you are eligible, council funding can usually be taken as a direct payment and used for live-in care from us.

Can live-in care start when someone leaves Royal Cornwall Hospital (Treliske)?

It can. Tell us the expected discharge date as early as you can, and we will work with you and the ward's discharge team on when live-in care can start. We can often start within 24 to 48 hours of the assessment, depending on carer availability, and we confirm the start date once a carer is arranged. We have provided Discharge to Assess (D2A) care since 2014.

Sources and further information

Show the 39 official sources for this page

Local information checked 31 October 2026. Links go to the official council, NHS and charity pages.

Live-in care in Helston