When starting the search for care for yourself or a loved one, things can seem a little daunting. There’s lots of information available and various options to choose from, but the main types of care individuals have to choose between is home care, or moving into a care home.
This article should help you distinguish the differences between the two and to understand what we at Broomfield Care can do to help you.
📝Definitions:
Home care/Domiciliary care is when a person receives help from a carer within the comfort of their own home. It is provided by local authorities or a private provider, and tend to follow tailored plans to suit the individual’s needs.
A care home is a residential building where residents have access to 24-hour care. Usually residents are elderly and require care due to degenerative health conditions. There are also specialist homes which are equipped to deal with specific conditions, like dementia.
The Key Differences:
Home Care
- Care is provided at home, so you don’t have to move.
- Care is only provided during visits, usually ranging from 15 minutes to a few hours.
- Fees are charged per visit and by duration.
- Carers can support clients with existing hobbies and interests.
- The homeowner is still responsible for household duties, but most providers can help with basic domestic tasks. In addition, carers can support clients with meal prep and shopping but clients are responsible for funding food shops.
- You/Your loved one can continue with their current routine as care plans are designed to work around this.
Care Home
- Provided in a residential building, meaning you have to move away from home.
- Care is round-the-clock.
- Fees are charged on a monthly basis.
- Homes usually have weekly activities rotas to keep residents busy.
- Cleaning, laundry and meals are provided and included in the monthly fee.
- Your loved one will have to adjust to a new routine, e.g. set times for meals and activities.
Costs:
Below are the average costs for homecare and care homes: ⬇️
| Homecare | On average £26- £38 an hour across the UK |
| Live-in Care | On average £900 to £1,400 per week, but can be as much as £2000 per week |
| Care Homes | On average £1,298 a week for residential care across the UK |
| Nursing Homes/Specialist Care Homes | On average £1,535 a week for a nursing home across the UK |
As mentioned, care homes tend to have a set monthly fee, depending on the level of care you require, whereas domiciliary care prices tend to be set hourly/by the length of time for each individual visit.
You can find out more about funding homecare here: Paying for care at home | Cost of home care or find out more about care home costs here: Care home fees and costs: How much do you pay in 2024?
It is difficult to argue that one type of care is more cost effective than another as it is dependent on the level of care you require. For example, if you only need a wake-up and bedtime call, but are safe enough to be at home in the daytime, moving into a care home may be unnecessary and too costly.
In the South West of England, the averages are:
| Home Care | £29 an hour (as of August 2025) |
| Live-in Care | £1351 a week (as of August 2025) |
| Residential Care | £1,339 a week (as of October 2025) |
| Nursing Homes/ Specialist Care Homes | £1,595 a week (as of October 2025) |
Funding:
However, you can receive funding towards both types of care- if you feel you may be eligible for funding towards your care, you need to contact your local council to carry out a care needs assessment- the assessment will give you the opportunity to discuss your current health, living arrangements and your needs.
After this, there will also be a financial assessment to find out whether you are entitled to either full or part-funding to cover the costs of your care. With the information from both of these assessment in mind, this can help guide you to the support that is the most cost effective, and best suits your needs.
For homecare funding, the general rule is that if you’re savings are above the £23,250 threshold, you will have to complete self-fund your homecare, and if you’re savings are under the the £14,250 threshold, you are entitled to council funding for your care. (Note: the value of your property is not taken into consideration during the assessment).
For care home funding, the same thresholds apply, however the value of your property IS included in the financial assessment, unless; your partner continues to live there; you have a relative over the age of 60 living in the property or, you have anyone under 18 living in the property.
Summary:
Here’s a quick summary of the pros and cons of both:
Homecare:
Pros
- You can continue to live in your own home and maintain a degree of independence
- Care plans are individual to you and your needs- they are also designed to fit around your existing routines
- Family and friends are not restricted by visiting times like in care homes, which can be important in reducing loneliness
- Care can be more cost effective if you do not require around-the-clock care
Care Homes:
Pros
- A secure option for those who are unable to live alone safely
- Care is 24-hour, which is useful for people who, for example, need help taking regular medication, are lonely, or are prone to falls
- Food, laundry and domestic tasks are taken care of for you and included in the monthly fee
- Homes tend to have lots of activities to choose from and other clients to socialise with, which keeps residents physically and mentally active, as well as reduce loneliness
Homecare:
Cons
- Homecare visits may be cheaper, but if you require equipment fitting, like rails or ramps, this can become costly and difficult to organise
- Providers can help out with basic domestic duties, but the client/their family are still primarily responsible for making sure household duties are completed.
- Some older people may not trust external support and feel worried with ‘strangers’ coming into their house
Care Homes:
Cons
- Some clients find moving away from home and into a new environment overwhelming or confusing; some residents miss their independence and find it difficult to adapt to the new arrangements
- Residents have to adjust to set schedules and times, for their meals, activities and when they have visitors
- Care homes are typically more expensive than homecare due to care being 24/7 and domestic tasks being included.
- Some homes can have set visiting times so it may be difficult for residents to socialise with friends and family
What we offer at Broomfield Care
Broomfield care was established over 15 years ago, and has helped support hundreds of families in the Gloucestershire area.
We provide a bespoke, 1 to 1 service in the Gloucestershire area, to ensure you and your loved ones are treated like individuals, and to the highest of standards. We take a holistic approach to care, and work to maintain the physical, emotional and mental health of all our clients.
Broomfield Care is equipped to provide a number of services, such as personal care, specialist and dementia care, as well as welfare checks, and transport to appointments and day centres. To find out more about the services we provide, you can click here.
