24-Hour Care in Romsey: Costs, Funding and 114 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

Hampshire 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. Requesting an assessment from Hampshire council.

Agencies covering Romsey: the data

Ratings are about as recent as the council average here: 17% of agencies have one less than two years old, compared with 16% across Hampshire. At 88% Good or Outstanding, Romsey sits below the Hampshire figure of 90% (from 721 agencies). Of Romsey and the 6 nearest towns we cover, Romsey ranks 4th for the share of all listed agencies rated Good or Outstanding (43%); Southampton is highest at 46%. 2 are rated Outstanding here, out of 17 across Hampshire. The oldest current rating dates from July 2018 (Moore Care and Support). 90 of the 114 agencies (79%) list dementia as a specialism, against 82% across Hampshire. Registered specialisms here: 97 of 114 list physical disabilities, 46 of 114 list learning disabilities and 69 of 114 list mental health conditions. The newest registration is Regal Care Solutions Limited, registered with CQC in October 2026.

Paying for 24-hour care in Romsey: typical prices

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

Council rates in Hampshire County Council: £25.90 an hour for home care (2025/26 average paid to agencies); £1,245 a week for residential care (2025/26 average, over-65s); £1,365 a week for nursing care (2025/26 average, over-65s) (source).

Ask every agency for a full list of charges, with weekend and bank holiday rates: hourly rates vary more between agencies than between regions. Homecare Association figure for 2026/27: a sustainable council rate for home care in England starts at £34.42 an hour. Source: Lottie Care Index, Q3 2026. Tools: weekly cost calculator and what would we pay?

24-hour care in Romsey: common questions

Where can I find 24-hour care in Romsey?

114 agencies on the CQC register have an office within 7 miles of Romsey, and 49 hold a Good or Outstanding rating. Which of them provide 24-hour care is not recorded by CQC: ask them.

How much does 24-hour care cost in Romsey?

Usual 2026 prices across England: 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 Hampshire 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.

Are home care agencies in Romsey well rated?

49 of the 56 rated agencies (88%) are Good or Outstanding; 90 list dementia as a specialism and 19 were inspected or rated in the last two years.

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24-hour care around Romsey

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Built from the Care Quality Commission's register (Oct 2026) under Open Government Licence v3.0. The Care Panel lists and compares services but runs none.

24-hour care in Romsey