Side by side
| Live-in care | Care home | |
|---|---|---|
| Where | Your own home | A new home, shared with other residents |
| Attention | One-to-one, from a carer who gets to know you | Staff caring for several residents |
| Routine | Your own: meals, visitors, bedtime | Fits around the home's routine |
| Couples and pets | Pets stay at home; a couple can stay together where one carer can safely support both (assessed for each couple) | Depends on the home |
| Company | Your carer, family, friends and neighbours | Other residents and activities on site |
| At night | Your carer sleeps nearby and can help now and then; if help is needed most nights, a waking night carer works in shifts with the day carer | Night staff on duty |
| Cost | From £1,550 a week with us for one person, including our care team's management and the carer's food; break cover and the carer's travel are extra. For a couple, from £1,800 a week where one carer can safely support both. If help is needed most nights, 24-hour care in shifts is quoted separately | Varies by home and the care needed |
When live-in care may suit best
- Home means a great deal to the person, and a move would be distressing.
- A couple would like to stay together, and one carer can safely meet both partners' needs.
- The person is living with dementia and is calmer in familiar surroundings.
- One-to-one attention matters more than having lots of people around.
When a care home may suit best
- The person would enjoy having others around them all day.
- Their home cannot be adapted, or there is no spare bedroom for a carer.
- They need nursing care or equipment that cannot be provided at home.
We will give you an honest view. If we think a care home would serve someone better, we will tell you. Please call 01865 715780 to talk it through.
Questions people ask
Is live-in care better than a care home?
It depends on the person. Live-in care offers one-to-one support in your own home, can keep pets at home and, where one carer can safely meet both partners' needs, a couple together, and avoids the upheaval of a move. A care home can suit people who would enjoy having company around them all day, or who need equipment and staffing that a home cannot accommodate.
Is live-in care more expensive than a care home?
Not always. Live-in care with Day and Nightcare starts from £1,550 a week, similar to the fees many care homes charge people who pay for themselves, and the support is one-to-one. For a couple, live-in care is from £1,800 a week where one carer can safely support both partners, which can cost less than two care home places. Care home fees vary widely, so it is worth comparing written quotes.
Prepared by the care team at Day and Nightcare Live In Limited. Last updated 30 October 2026.