Home care services are professional support services delivered in a person’s home. They help with personal care, daily living, medication, companionship and independent living so people can remain safely at home instead of moving into residential care.
Chances are you have typed some version of “what is home care services” into Google at two in the morning, probably after a phone call from a parent who has had a fall or a difficult conversation about how Mum or Dad is coping on their own. It is one of those questions that seems simple until you actually need the answer and then suddenly there is a lot to take in. This guide walks through what home care actually means, what a carer does day to day, the different types of support on offer, what it costs and how to pick a provider who will genuinely look after your family member well.
We have put this together at Greenwood Homecare based on years of conversations with families in Peterborough, Cambridge and Grantham who were exactly where you are now.
What Does a Professional Home Carer Do?
No two care visits look the same, because no two people need the same thing. That said, most carers will be doing some combination of the following:
- Helping with washing, dressing and personal hygiene
- Prompting or managing medication
- Preparing meals and helping with eating and drinking
- Light housework and laundry
- Supporting mobility and reducing the risk of falls
- Keeping someone company, chatting or going along to appointments
- Keeping an eye on general health and flagging anything worrying to family or a GP
This is a different service to a rushed fifteen minute visit that some councils are only able to offer. A private carer generally stays for the time you have booked and fits around your routine, not the other way round.
Types of Home Care Services
Home care is not one fixed thing. It is more of a toolkit and families often mix and match as needs shift over time.
Some people just need a daytime visit, whether that is thirty minutes of help getting up in the morning or someone popping in throughout the day. Our personal care visits are built around exactly this kind of flexible support.
Others need help through the night which is where overnight care comes in, either with a carer awake and on hand or sleeping close by and available if needed. You can read more about how our overnight care works.
For families who want round the clock reassurance, options like live-in care or 24 hour care at home → ensure help is available day and night. It is often a genuine alternative to moving into residential care and allows someone to protect their independence and daily routine in familiar surroundings.
There is also reablement care which is usually short term support to help someone rebuild confidence and skills after a hospital stay or a health setback something our reablement team specialises in. And depending on what your family needs, we also offer more specific support around elderly care, mobility and children’s care at home.
Home Care Versus a Care Home
This is often the question that lies beneath all of the other questions. If Mum goes into a care home or can she stay home?
When feasible, many families prefer the option of home care. It enables a person to remain independent, to continue to have a garden and pet and to follow their normal routine without the stress of moving. It may also be cheaper, particularly for couples interested in staying together or individuals requiring only a couple of hours of care each week, rather than nursing care.
Some people will still benefit from a care home, especially if their medical requirements are complex and ongoing. For most who require only assistance with daily living, however, home care can provide as much assistance, without anyone leaving the home they have lived in for years.
Who Regulates Home Care Services in the UK
Every home care agency in England is checked by the Care Quality Commission. Inspectors look at five areas: safety, results, kindness, response times and leadership. Before you choose an agency, read its latest CQC report. It will tell you much more than a polished website.
How Much Does Home Care Cost and How Is It Funded?
Home care has no set price. The cost depends on how many hours you need, the type of help you want and where you live. As a guide, hourly visits cost less than overnight care. Live in care costs the most but it can still be cheaper than a care home when you compare the total cost.
On the funding side, anyone in England can ask their local council for a free care needs assessment. There is no charge for this and you are entitled to one regardless of your income or savings according to guidance from Age UK. If that assessment finds you have eligible needs, a separate financial assessment then works out whether the council will contribute towards the cost.
To give you a sense of scale, government figures show that 683,000 people were receiving long term local authority arranged or funded adult social care in England as of the end of December 2025, based on data from the Department of Health and Social Care. Plenty more families, like a good number of the ones we support, choose to arrange private care directly sometimes paying for it themselves and sometimes topping it up with benefits such as Attendance Allowance or Personal Independence Payment.
Benefits of Home Care Services
There is a reason so many families end up choosing care at home over a residential setting. A few of the biggest advantages we hear about again and again:
- More independence and a say in your own daily routine
- Staying somewhere familiar, near neighbours and the community you know
- One to one attention from a carer, rather than shared staff across a busy building
- Real companionship which does wonders for loneliness
- Support that can grow or shrink as needs change without starting from scratch
- Peace of mind for family who cannot always be there in person
How to Choose the Right Home Care Provider
Once you have a handle on what home care actually involves, the next job is finding people you trust to deliver it. A few things worth doing before you commit:
- Look up the agency’s current CQC rating and read their most recent inspection report
- Ask how carers are recruited, trained and checked
- Find out if you will see a small, consistent team rather than a different face every visit
- Ask what the backup plan is if your usual carer is off sick or on holiday
- Insist on a home visit and a written care plan before anything starts
This is broadly the process we follow ourselves. Every new client gets a free home assessment before care begins and we build a plan around your actual routine rather than a generic template. We are based locally with offices covering Peterborough, Cambridge and Grantham so if you would like to see how we work in your area, take a look at our Cambridge and Grantham pages or browse our care FAQs for more common questions.
FAQs
What is the difference between home care and homecare?
None at all. They are just two ways of spelling the same thing, both meaning professional care delivered in someone’s own home rather than in a residential setting.
Is home care cheaper than a care home?
Usually, yes, particularly if you only need a few visits a week or you are a couple staying together. Live in care costs more than a daytime visit but it is still often cheaper than residential care once you compare like for like.
Can I get home care for free?
You can ask your council for a free needs assessment and depending on your finances some or all of the cost might be covered. That said, a lot of families choose to arrange and pay for private care themselves, simply because it offers more choice and control.
How do I know if a home care agency is actually good?
Check their CQC rating, read a handful of reviews, ask how stable their carer teams are and get them to visit your home before you decide anything. A good agency will be happy to answer every question you throw at them.
What is the difference between home care and live in care?
Home care generally means scheduled visits during the day or night. Live in care means a carer actually lives in the house with you so support is there around the clock.
Ready to Talk It Through?
Figuring out what home care really means for your family is the difficult part. Once you understand your options, the rest tends to fall into place a lot faster than you expect. If you are at that stage now, get in touch with Greenwood Homecare and we will arrange a free home assessment, answer every question honestly and help you build a care plan that actually fits your family. You do not have to figure this out alone and the sooner we talk, the sooner you can stop worrying and start planning.