24-hour care at home: costs and options

The 24 hour care at home cost depends on how the care is set up and where you live. As of 2026, live-in care with the carer sleeping at night typically costs about £1,540–£1,610 a week in England, adding waking night care costs more again (about £2,000–£2,500+ in London, for example), and a full rota of hourly carers can pass £5,000 a week. Prices vary by region, so always get a written quote.

Local guide: West Sussex

At a glance

• Live-in care (carer sleeps at night): about £1,540–£1,610 a week in England (2026), varying by region.
• Live-in plus waking nights: about £2,000–£2,500+ a week in London.
• Sleeping night alone: about £100–£210 a night (UK); waking night: about £250–£260.
• A 24-hour rota of hourly carers can exceed £5,000 a week at agency rates.
• NHS Continuing Healthcare can pay the full cost if needs are mainly health needs.

What does “24-hour care at home” actually mean?

“24-hour care” or “24/7 care at home” is used for several different arrangements. The main question is what happens at night:

• Does the person sleep through, with someone nearby just in case?
• Do they need help once or twice a night?
• Do they need someone awake and alert all night?

The answer decides which model you need, and it makes the biggest difference to cost. Our guide to 24-hour care vs live-in care explains the terms in more detail.

How much does 24-hour care cost?

Across England, live-in care costs about £1,540–£1,610 a week in 2026, and hourly home care about £32–£34 an hour (median £33.49). Prices depend on needs, provider and postcode. The table shows typical London prices as a worked example of one region.

The rota figure is a calculation, not a quoted price: 168 hours a week at a typical weekday rate of about £33 comes to over £5,500 before weekend uplifts. It shows why most families choose a live-in model.

Night care on its own

If you only need cover at night, alongside daytime visits or family care:

Some providers set minimum hours for night care. See our London guide to overnight care costs for a regional example.

Which 24-hour care model do you need?

Live-in care with sleeping nights

Best for people who need help through the day and usually sleep through the night, or wake only occasionally. The carer has a daily break, commonly around two hours, and needs an undisturbed night’s sleep. This is usually the most affordable form of 24-hour cover.

Live-in care plus waking nights

Best for people who need help several times every night, for example with toileting, turning to prevent pressure sores, or confusion and restlessness. A second carer stays awake overnight so the live-in carer can rest.

This is common for people living with advanced dementia, including those who experience sundowning.

Two live-in carers

Used where two carers are needed at once, for example for hoisting, or where both day and night needs are high. Costs roughly double.

Shift-based rota

Several carers work in shifts, so someone is always awake and on duty. This may be needed for people with very complex health needs who must have someone awake with them at all times. It is the most expensive option, so check whether NHS Continuing Healthcare applies.

For an overview of round-the-clock care options, see our 24-hour care at home guide.

Why is there such a big gap between models?

It comes down to how carers are paid for their time.

A live-in carer is paid a daily or weekly rate that allows for rest and sleep. GOV.UK guidance says that sleep-in workers are only entitled to the minimum wage for the time they are “awake for the purposes of working”, as long as suitable sleeping facilities are provided (GOV.UK, calculating the minimum wage).

A waking night carer, or a carer on a shift rota, is working the whole time and is paid for every hour. In London, pay rates also reflect the London Living Wage of £14.80 an hour, compared with the National Living Wage of £12.71 (2026).

Signs someone may need 24-hour care

• They can’t be left alone safely at any time of day.
• They need help getting to the toilet at night.
• They wander, or try to leave the house at night.
• They’ve had repeated falls, especially at night.
• A family carer is exhausted from broken sleep.
• A hospital team has said they need someone with them at all times.

Can you get funding for 24-hour care?

NHS Continuing Healthcare

If someone has a primary health need, NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) pays the full cost of care, including 24-hour care at home. It is not means-tested. Your local integrated care board (ICB) decides eligibility.

• A Checklist screening comes first, then a full assessment if needed.
• The ICB should usually decide within 28 days of receiving a positive Checklist.
• For someone with a rapidly deteriorating condition who may be nearing the end of life, the Fast Track route aims to arrange care urgently.

Read NHS Continuing Healthcare at home.

Council funding

Your council must assess care needs for free under the Care Act 2014. If needs are eligible, it must meet them but can take cost into account when deciding how. In 2026/27:

• over £23,250 in capital: you usually pay the full cost;
• £14,250–£23,250: you contribute from capital and income;
• under £14,250: only income counts.

The value of your home is ignored for care at home. See can the council pay for live-in care?

Benefits

Attendance Allowance pays £114.60 a week at the higher rate in 2026/27 for people who need help both day and night, or who are terminally ill. It is not means-tested (DWP; Age UK). People under State Pension age may be able to claim PIP instead.

How does 24-hour care at home compare with a care home?

Care homes in England cost self-funders about £1,300 a week for residential care and about £1,519 for nursing care (Which?, January 2026 data). Regions range from about £1,095 (residential, North East) to £1,456 (residential, London) and £1,695 (nursing, South East). Care homes have staff on duty through the night, though not one-to-one.

For someone who needs waking night support, a care home can cost less than live-in care plus waking nights. For someone who sleeps well, live-in care can cost about the same as a care home while keeping them at home. See live-in care vs care home.

A worked example

Here’s how the models compare for one person, using 2026 London price ranges as an example. These are illustrations only.

Grace, 88, lives in Barnet with advanced dementia. She needs help throughout the day and wakes two or three times every night, often confused and trying to get up.

Grace’s family should also ask for an NHS Continuing Healthcare Checklist. If her needs are mainly health needs, the NHS would pay the full cost.

Tips for arranging 24-hour care

1. Keep a night log for a week or two: how often the person wakes and why.
2. Ask for an assessment from the provider before accepting a quote.
3. Check what’s included in each price, including cover for carer breaks.
4. Ask about bank holidays, which can cost more.
5. Review regularly, since night needs often change.
6. Ask for a CHC Checklist if health needs are significant.
7. Look after the family carer. If you’ve been covering nights yourself, ask your council for a carer’s assessment.

If quotes seem very different, check whether they describe the same model. A “24-hour care” quote from one provider may mean a live-in carer who sleeps, while another means waking staff all night. Ask each provider to spell out who is awake, and when.

Frequently asked questions

How much does 24-hour care at home cost per week?

As of 2026, live-in care with the carer sleeping at night typically costs about £1,540–£1,610 a week in England, varying by region. Adding a waking night carer costs more; in London it brings the total to about £2,000–£2,500 or more. A full rota of awake carers can pass £5,000 a week. Always get a written, itemised quote.

Is live-in care the same as 24-hour care?

Not exactly. A live-in carer is in the home around the clock but has daily breaks and sleeps at night. If someone needs help regularly through the night, you’ll need a waking night carer as well, or a rota of carers who are awake on shift.

Does the NHS pay for 24-hour care at home?

It can, through NHS Continuing Healthcare, if the person’s needs are mainly health needs. CHC pays the full cost and isn’t means-tested. Ask a GP, district nurse, social worker or hospital team to complete a CHC Checklist. Fast Track CHC can arrange care quickly for people nearing the end of life.

What’s the difference between a sleeping night and a waking night?

With a sleeping night, the carer sleeps in the home and can be woken occasionally. As of 2026, it costs about £100–£210 a night across the UK (£190–£230 in London). With a waking night, the carer stays awake all night to help as needed, costing about £250–£260 a night (£240–£320 in London).

Is 24-hour care at home cheaper than a nursing home?

It depends on the model. Live-in care with sleeping nights, about £1,540–£1,610 a week in England, costs roughly the same as a nursing home, which averages about £1,519 a week. Once waking nights are added, home care is often dearer. A nursing home also has registered nurses on site.

Sources

• NHS: NHS Continuing Healthcare
• DHSC: National Framework for NHS Continuing Healthcare (revised 2022, corrected 2023)
• DHSC: Fast Track Pathway Tool guidance
• DHSC: Social care charging 2026 to 2027 circular
• DWP: Benefit and pension rates 2026 to 2027
• Age UK: Attendance Allowance
• GOV.UK: working hours for which the minimum wage must be paid (sleep-in shifts)
• GOV.UK: National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates
• Living Wage Foundation: London and UK Living Wage rates
• Which?: care home fees (Jan 2026)
• Lottie: care at home costs (Sep 2026)
• HTR Care: cost of 24-hour home care (Jul 2026)
• Neeryville Care: 24/7 care at home in London (Jul 2026)
• Certified Care: home care costs in 2026
• Steaz Forte: home care costs in London (Aug 2026)
• Hometouch: overnight care costs (Jul 2026)
• Nightingales HomeCare: price list (Apr 2026)

This guide is general information, not financial, legal or medical advice. Last reviewed September 2026.

Reviewed by The Care Panel team on 15 October 2026. This guide is general information about care in England, not legal, medical or financial advice. Rules and rates change; check with your council or an adviser before making decisions.