When families start thinking seriously about care at home, one of the first decisions they face is whether to arrange visiting care, a carer who comes for a few hours each day, or live-in care, where a carer stays in the home full time. Both can work extremely well. The right choice depends on the individual and their specific situation.
What is visiting care?
Visiting care means a carer comes to the home for a set number of hours, usually one to four times a day. Visits might be 30 minutes for a medication prompt and a brief check-in, or several hours for a full morning routine, a cooked meal, and some companionship.
Visiting care is typically better suited to people who are fairly independent and mainly need help with specific tasks at particular times of day. It is also a good starting point for people who are new to care and not yet ready for someone to be in their home full time.
The main advantages are flexibility, cost, and the ability to trial an arrangement before committing to something more intensive. The main limitation is that there is no one present between visits, which may not be appropriate if the person has significant safety needs or becomes confused at night.
What is live-in care?
Live-in care means a carer lives in the home, usually full time or on a rotational basis (for example, two weeks on, two weeks off, with a second carer). They have their own room and dedicated time off each day.
Live-in care is typically better suited to people with more complex or unpredictable needs, such as advanced dementia, significant mobility challenges, or a health condition that requires ongoing monitoring and support.
The main advantages are continuity (the service user builds a deep relationship with one or two carers), safety (someone is always present), and the ability to remain at home even with quite high needs. The main consideration is cost. Live-in care is more expensive than visiting care, though it is often comparable to or cheaper than residential care.
Key questions to help you decide
How safe is the person between visits? If they are at risk of falling, wandering, or becoming distressed when alone, live-in care may be more appropriate.
How complex are their needs? If they need support at unpredictable times throughout the day, live-in care offers a level of responsiveness that visiting care cannot.
Do they have a suitable room for a carer? Live-in care requires a private room and reasonable facilities for the carer.
What does the person themselves want? Some people find the idea of someone living in their home uncomfortable. Others feel safer knowing someone is always there.
What is the budget? Visiting care can range from around £20 to £28 per hour depending on location and experience. Live-in care typically starts from around £1,200 per week, which many families find compares favourably to residential care. Many families are surprised to find that once visiting care exceeds three or four hours per day, live-in care can become comparable in cost.
Can you combine both?
Yes. Many families start with visiting care and gradually increase hours as needs develop. Some use visiting care as the primary arrangement with occasional overnight cover when needed. Hibant supports both visiting and live-in arrangements, and can help families scale up or down as circumstances change.
Looking for care or thinking of joining Hibant?
Whether you are a family navigating care for a loved one or a carer looking for fairer, more meaningful work, we would love to hear from you.