24-Hour Care in Buckingham: Costs, Funding and 17 Local Agencies (Oct 2026)

Live-in care or waking nights?

Live-in care is usually the most affordable way to have someone there day and night: one carer lives in, but needs about two hours off each day and an unbroken night's sleep. Waking nights put a carer in the home who stays awake all night; combined with daytime visits, that covers all 24 hours. If help is needed most nights, one live-in carer is not enough: add waking nights or a second carer.

Typical local prices: live-in care around £1,540–£1,610 a week; a residential care home £1,555 a week.

When 24-hour care is needed

Families usually look for it after a hospital stay, when dementia means someone cannot be left alone or wanders at night, after repeated falls, or at the end of life. A care home is the alternative to compare: for one person it often costs less than staffing every hour at home, but many people want to stay in their own home.

Help paying for 24-hour care

Buckinghamshire council must offer a free care needs assessment; if it finds eligible needs by day and night, care at home can be part of a council care plan, and the value of the home is not counted for care at home. Attendance Allowance pays its higher rate of £114.60 a week to people over State Pension age who need help both day and night, whatever their savings. When the main need is a health need, NHS Continuing Healthcare may pay in full. How to ask Buckinghamshire council for an assessment.

What the register shows for Buckingham

15 of the 17 agencies (88%) list dementia as a specialism, against 85% across Buckinghamshire. The oldest current rating dates from June 2019 (South Northants Home Care Ltd). The newest registration is Great Horwood, registered with CQC in October 2025. Looking at specialisms, 15 of 17 list physical disabilities, 9 of 17 list learning disabilities and 11 of 17 list mental health conditions. Across Buckinghamshire we list 315 agencies, and 85% of those rated are Good or Outstanding; covering Buckingham the figure is 50%. Across Buckinghamshire, 8% of agencies have a rating under two years old; covering Buckingham it is 0%. Buckinghamshire has 4 Outstanding agencies, none of them covering Buckingham. Of Buckingham and the 6 nearest towns we cover, Buckingham ranks 7th for the share of all listed agencies rated Good or Outstanding (24%); Bicester is highest at 53%.

Paying for 24-hour care in Buckingham: typical prices

Typical prices across England in 2026
Visiting care	around £32–£34 an hour
Live-in care	around £1,540–£1,610 a week

What the council pays (Buckinghamshire Council): £28.50 an hour for home care (2025/26 average paid to agencies); £1,187.98 a week for residential care (2025/26 average, over-65s); £1,208.70 a week for nursing care (2025/26 average, over-65s) (source).

Agencies differ more than regions do on hourly rates, so request a complete tariff from each one, covering weekends and bank holidays too. For 2026/27, the Homecare Association says council-funded home care in England is only sustainable at £34.42 an hour or more. Source: Lottie Care Index, Q3 2026. Work out a weekly cost · What would we pay?

Questions about 24-hour care in Buckingham

Which home care agencies offer 24-hour care in Buckingham?

CQC does not record which agencies provide 24-hour care. 17 CQC-registered home care agencies have an office within 7 miles of Buckingham; 4 are rated Good or Outstanding. Ask each whether it provides 24-hour care.

How much does 24-hour care cost in Buckingham?

Typical prices across England in 2026: live-in care typically costs around £1,540–£1,610 a week. Covering every hour with separate day and night carers costs much more, because each hour is paid.

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

Not quite. A live-in carer is there day and night but needs a daily break and a full night's sleep. If help is needed through the night most nights, true 24-hour care means adding waking nights or a second carer.

Can the council pay for 24-hour care at home?

It can, if Buckinghamshire council's care needs assessment finds eligible needs by day and night and care at home is a suitable way to meet them. A financial assessment follows; for care at home the home is not counted. NHS Continuing Healthcare pays in full when the main need is a health need.

How are agencies covering Buckingham rated?

Of 8 agencies with a CQC rating, 4 (50%) are Good or Outstanding. Dementia is a specialism for 15, and 0 have a rating or inspection from the past two years.

Looking for 24-hour care in Buckingham?

Fill in a single request; featured partners and up to 3 rated agencies that accept our enquiries reply straight to your inbox.

See prices near you

Other care in Buckingham

24-hour care around Buckingham

24-hour care in Milton Keynes 9.5 mi
24-hour care in Bicester 9.8 mi
24-hour care in Bletchley 10.3 mi
24-hour care in Aylesbury 14.3 mi
24-hour care in Leighton Buzzard 15.0 mi
24-hour care in Haddenham 15.8 mi
24-hour care in Banbury 16.1 mi
24-hour care in Cranfield 16.9 mi

See prices near you Back to agencies

Data: CQC register, Oct 2026, used under the Open Government Licence v3.0. We are an independent directory and do not provide care.

24-hour care in Buckingham