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
- Respite for Carers · 16
- End-of-Life & Palliative · 28
- London · 99
- Elderly Care · 99
- Carer Support · 48
- Live-in Care · 15
- Retirement living · 22
- Regulation & Quality · 62
- Overnight Care · 11
- Cost & Funding · 146
- Reablement · 16
- Care homes · 124
- Personal Care · 15
- Alzheimer's & Dementia · 50
Carer Support
Day centres and day care for older peopleA day centre gives an older person company, activities and a meal for a day or part of a day, often with transport. It…
Cost & Funding
Home nurse or private nurse at home: NHS district nurses, nursing agencies and costsThere are two ways to get a nurse at home: the NHS, which is free, and private nurses from a nursing or home care…
Regulation & Quality
RQIA inspections explained: care homes in Northern IrelandThe Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA) registers and inspects health and social care services in Northern Ireland, including nursing homes, residential care homes…
Regulation & Quality
Care Inspectorate Wales ratings explainedCare Inspectorate Wales (CIW) registers and inspects social care services in Wales under the Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016. Since…
Regulation & Quality
Care Inspectorate grades explained: how care homes in Scotland are gradedThe Care Inspectorate regulates and inspects care services in Scotland, including care homes and care at home services. Instead of a single rating, it…
Alzheimer's & Dementia
EMI and enhanced dementia care homes: what the terms mean“EMI” stands for elderly mentally infirm, an old term still used by councils, hospitals and some care homes. Today it usually means a care…
Cost & Funding
Is there a cap on care home fees? The care cap in 2026No. There is no cap on the total you can pay for care in England. A lifetime cap of £86,000 was planned for October…
Care homes
Can you avoid care home fees? What is legal and what is deprivation of assetsMany families ask how to stop the family home being used to pay for care. Some steps are legal and sensible; others are treated…
Carer Support
Carers’ grants, one-off payments and funded breaksUnpaid carers can get more help than most realise. Some is money paid to you; some is a break paid for by the council;…
Choosing Care
Retirement homes, sheltered housing, extra care or a care home: which is right?“Retirement home” can mean very different things: a flat in a retirement development, a council sheltered housing scheme, an extra care scheme with carers…
Need care soon?
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