Guides · Updated November 2026
Care guides
Plain-English guides to arranging care in England: what it costs, how to pay, how to choose a provider and what the council must do. Written from official guidance and the CQC register.
- All guides
- Personal Care · 15
- Care homes · 124
- Alzheimer's & Dementia · 50
- Reablement · 16
- Regulation & Quality · 62
- Cost & Funding · 146
- Retirement living · 22
- Overnight Care · 11
- Live-in Care · 15
- Elderly Care · 99
- Carer Support · 48
- End-of-Life & Palliative · 28
- London · 99
- Respite for Carers · 16
Care homes
Outstanding-Rated Care Homes: What the CQC Rating Means and How to Find OneIn short: Outstanding is the CQC’s highest rating, and it is rare: in April 2024 only around 4% of adult social care services in…
Cost & Funding
Free Personal Care in Scotland: What It Covers and How Care Home Funding WorksIn short: In Scotland the council pays a weekly sum towards personal care and nursing care for adults who are assessed as needing it,…
Cost & Funding
Are Next of Kin Responsible for Care Home Fees?In short: No. In the UK, being a husband, wife, son, daughter or “next of kin” does not make you legally responsible for someone…
Cost & Funding
Care Home Fee Increases: Your Rights and How to ChallengeIn short: Care home fee increases should normally come with at least 28 days’ written notice and be based on a clear method set…
Cost & Funding
Low Cost Funeral Options: Ways to Cut Costs and Get HelpIn short: A low cost funeral usually means a simple funeral or a direct cremation with no attended service, and you can choose the…
Cost & Funding
Third Party Top Up Fees Explained: Rules, Risks and RightsIn short: Third party top up fees are extra payments made by someone other than the resident or the council when a person chooses…
Carer Support
Pendant Alarms and Fall Detectors Explained for Older PeopleIn short: A pendant alarm is a worn button that raises an alert at a response centre or with chosen contacts, and the main…
Choosing Care
Residential or Nursing Home Fees: What the Difference IsIn short: Residential or nursing home fees differ mainly because a nursing home always has a qualified nurse on duty, and in England the…
Cost & Funding
Who Pays for a Funeral? Estate, Family and Council HelpIn short: Who pays for a funeral depends on who arranges it: Citizens Advice says that if you arrange the funeral, you have to…
Cost & Funding
Funeral Cost Breakdown: Where the Money Goes in the UKIn short: A funeral cost breakdown has two main parts: the funeral director’s own charges, and third-party costs the director pays on your behalf,…
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