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The cost of care – the elephant in the room

There are many factors that can influence the type of care you wish to receive. From your personal preferences to your level of independency or even the environment that you wish to receive care. All these factors are important. The cost of care is one consideration that is often the elephant in the room. In most cases, there is support available to you in the form of local authority funding. More information can be found here. In the event you are not eligible for local authority funding, we will work with you to assess your options. 

Personalised Home Care Services - bed side care

How much does care cost?

We will be 100% transparent; there is no simple answer. It is the same as asking, how long is a piece of string? In reality, it is as long as you wish it to be. The cost of care is exactly the same and is entirely influenced by your needs and preferences. As your needs change, so does your care plan and possibly the environment in which you wish to receive the care. Therefore, your cost of care can change over time. There are many care options available to you.

The four most common are:

  • Care from family and friends
  • Domiciliary care
  • Live-in care
  • Care homes

Care from Family and Friends

Whether your loved one is living in their own home or with a family member or friends, caring for a friend or family member can be extremely rewarding. Both solutions offer great flexibility whilst care is provided to a loved member in an environment in which they are most comfortable. If your loved ones wish to remain independent (in your home or theirs), there are many adaptations you could do to accommodate their changing needs. If this is something you wish to consider your Bromborough office team will be more than happy to talk through your options.

Whilst care from family or friends is a good cost-effective solution, at Sylvan Home Care Services, we recognise that caring for your loved ones may not always be possible in all circumstances. For example, relatives could live far away for regular visits or there could be space limitations preventing loved ones to stay with family members or friends. Whilst the solutions mentioned above provide significant flexibility, in reality, it may not be feasible, especially as needs change and more support is required. We know that for many families this can be a difficult topic.

Domiciliary Care

Also known as home care or care at home, domiciliary care is when a service user receives care from a professional, CQC registered provider in their own home. Domiciliary care is one of the most popular options which allows your loved ones to live independently without reliance from carers or medical healthcare professionals.

The amount of care can vary and depends wholly on the needs of the individual. Before you receive care the care receipt must undergo a needs care assessment to establish the level of care required. Care plans can range from daily check-ins to full-time live-in care. Most importantly, the care you receive is completely personalised to you. At Sylvan Home Care Services our care assistants are professional trained to assist you in all aspects of personal care.

The cost of domiciliary care is based on an hourly rate, the flexible nature of this provision means that care plans can be reviewed and flexed as and when care needs change. This being the case, domiciliary care is often a popular choice. If home care is an option you are considering, our care assessment team are happy to the provide a free care assessment to help you understand the level of care you require and the cost implication.

Live-in Care

Live-in care is an extension of domiciliary care where you wish to receive round the clock, 24/7 care in your own home. This can typically be the most cost-effective solution for those whose care plans require regular daily support and wish to live in familiar surroundings. For families and friends, it offers reassurances that their loved ones is constantly cared for and supported by a professional carer who is trained in supporting low to medium need requirements. The cost of live-in care starts from £800 per week plus additional running such as food etc that is arranged in advance with your carer.

Providing domiciliary and live-in care is our speciality. We have served local residents for over a decade and have gained an excellent reputation in the market for doing what we love. Not only do we ensure that our carers are DBS checked and complete an extensive training programme to support care receipts medical, physical or emotional, we make certain that our carers are a good fit for the family.

Unlike domiciliary care, live-in care requires the carer to move into the care recipient’s home. We know that this is not always possible. Other alternatives to care includes care homes settings that could be an ideal setting for your loved one.

Care Homes

There is typically a negative perception of care homes when in reality it can be an excellent choice for care. Although all care homes offer the basic level of care, not all settings are the same with some premises offering additional facilities that better cater for your specific needs. Different types of care homes include nursing homes, dementia care homes and hospice care homes. Like live-in care, care homes offer round the clock physical, mental and medical support for your loved ones with other costs such as meals and utilities included in the weekly fees. Care homes are often the setting of choice for those who have more complex needs and require 24/7 care which cannot be met by live-in care. The cost of care will vary on your needs and the facilities available on site. The weekly fee typically starts in excess of £650 a week in Wirral but can often be subsidised by government support.