Home care · Hertfordshire

Live-in care in Hemel Hempstead

A live-in carer is trained, stays in the person's own home and supports them at any hour. For many families it is the main alternative to a care home. 83 agencies registered with CQC cover Hemel Hempstead. Check with each one that it provides this kind of care.

Updated 27 October 2026 (CQC register) · Prices: Prices typically seen across England in 2026

Written by our editorial team, then checked. Our editorial standards · How the site is paid for

In short

  • 83 CQC-registered home care agencies have an office within 7 miles of Hemel Hempstead; 39 are rated Good or Outstanding.
  • The CQC register does not say who provides live-in care: ask the agencies directly.
  • Expect live-in care to cost about around £1,540–£1,610 a week; a residential care home is £1,455 a week (prices typically seen across England in 2026).
  • Ask Hertfordshire council for a care needs assessment, which is free.

Reference this page as: The Care Panel, "Live-in care in Hemel Hempstead", Oct 2026, based on the CQC register.

How live-in care works day to day

Most live-in carers work a rota with a colleague, staying for a week or two at a stretch before swapping over. Their job covers personal care such as washing and dressing, cooking, medicines, housework, trips out and companionship, all while the person keeps their routine, their pets and their neighbours.

Plan for the carer to have a bedroom of their own, a break of around two hours each day and an unbroken night. Where help is needed on most nights, budgeting for another carer, or a night carer who stays awake, is usually necessary, and the agency should raise this when it assesses.

Funding live-in care

  • Assessment: free from Hertfordshire council.
  • Council contribution: possible if live-in care is agreed as the way to meet eligible needs, after a financial assessment that ignores the value of the home.
  • Direct payment: take the council's share as cash and use your chosen agency.
  • NHS Continuing Healthcare: pays in full for people with a primary health need.

Getting assessed by Hertfordshire council.

Comparing live-in care with a care home

Typical local costs are around £1,540–£1,610 a week for live-in care and £1,455 a week for a residential home. With one carer able to support two people, live-in care may undercut two care home places for a couple, though for someone on their own a care home is often the cheaper route.

It works best for someone determined to stay at home whose needs a single carer can safely meet. If two people are needed to move them at all hours, or loneliness is the bigger problem, a care home may suit better.

Managed service or introductory agency?

  • Managed live-in service: the carer is employed or supervised by the agency, which is registered with CQC and responsible for the care.
  • Introductory agency: introduces a self-employed carer; you arrange and oversee the care; usually not CQC-registered.

Whichever you choose, get answers on holiday and sickness cover and on replacing a carer who is not the right fit.

What the register shows for Hemel Hempstead

Most recent to register: Caremark Dacorum (July 2026). Registered specialisms here: 69 of 83 list physical disabilities, 37 of 83 list learning disabilities and 46 of 83 list mental health conditions. The share registered for dementia is 76% in Hemel Hempstead (63 of 83) and 78% across Hertfordshire. Oldest rating on the list: Care For Freedom Limited, April 2018. Outstanding ratings: 3 covering Hemel Hempstead, 11 across Hertfordshire. Berkhamsted has the highest share of listed agencies rated Good or Outstanding nearby (52%); Hemel Hempstead, at 47%, is 5th of the 7 towns compared. Compare Hemel Hempstead's 85% Good or Outstanding with 87% for the rated agencies among the 981 we list in Hertfordshire. 5% of agencies covering Hemel Hempstead have a CQC rating from the last two years, against 8% across Hertfordshire.

What live-in care costs in Hemel Hempstead

Prices typically seen across England in 2026
Visiting carearound £32–£34 an hour
Live-in carearound £1,540–£1,610 a week
Residential care home£1,455 a week
Nursing home£1,685 a week

What the council pays (Hertfordshire County Council): £31.82 an hour for home care (2025/26 average paid to agencies); £905.57 a week for residential care (2025/26 average, over-65s); £1,036.29 a week for nursing care (2025/26 average, over-65s) (source).

The gap between agencies is bigger than the gap between regions. Ask for prices in writing, and check what weekends and bank holidays cost. According to the Homecare Association, councils across England should pay no less than £34.42 an hour for home care in 2026/27 if it is to be sustainable. Source: Lottie Care Index, Q3 2026. Check what you would pay · Weekly cost calculator

Home care agencies serving Hemel Hempstead

Check with each agency that it offers live-in care. Order: CQC rating, then how recent, then distance.

  1. Abbots Care Limited (Hertfordshire)

    6.1 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £32–£39/hr

    OutstandingRated Oct 2025Inspected recently
    See details (Abbots Care Limited (Hertfordshire))

  2. Iris Care Services Limited

    1.5 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Aug 2026Inspected recently
    See details (Iris Care Services Limited)

  3. LJ Sure Mercies

    1.7 miles · Older people, Adults under 65

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Nov 2024Inspected recently
    See details (LJ Sure Mercies)

  4. The Marlowes

    0.5 miles · Physical disabilities, Sensory impairments, Mental health conditions

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Jun 2022
    See details (The Marlowes)

  5. Above and Beyond Home Care

    0.6 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Aug 2023
    See details (Above and Beyond Home Care)

  6. Vow Care Services Ltd

    0.8 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Jul 2023
    See details (Vow Care Services Ltd)

  7. Compassionate Herts Ltd

    1.4 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Dec 2023
    See details (Compassionate Herts Ltd)

  8. Doves Care Agency Ltd

    1.4 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated May 2023
    See details (Doves Care Agency Ltd)

  9. Realm Staffing Solutions

    5.7 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Aug 2022
    See details (Realm Staffing Solutions)

  10. Mansgrove Farm House

    6.0 miles · Physical disabilities, Sensory impairments, Mental health conditions

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Jan 2022
    See details (Mansgrove Farm House)

  11. Registered Office

    6.8 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Aug 2023
    See details (Registered Office)

  12. Herts Homecare

    0.9 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Jun 2019
    See details (Herts Homecare)

  13. Hightown House

    1.0 miles · Mental health conditions, Learning disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Oct 2019
    See details (Hightown House)

  14. Nash Homecare

    1.1 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Aug 2021
    See details (Nash Homecare)

  15. Right at Home Hemel Hempstead

    1.4 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Dec 2019
    See details (Right at Home Hemel Hempstead)

  16. Care4u2day Limited

    1.4 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Feb 2020
    See details (Care4u2day Limited)

  17. Empathy Care24 - Hertfordshire

    1.4 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Dec 2019
    See details (Empathy Care24 - Hertfordshire)

  18. Alina Homecare St Albans & Hemel Hempstead

    1.4 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Jun 2019
    See details (Alina Homecare St Albans & Hemel Hempstead)

  19. Sodark Care

    1.4 miles · Older people, Adults under 65

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Aug 2019
    See details (Sodark Care)

  20. Buttercup Care Limited

    1.5 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Jun 2021
    See details (Buttercup Care Limited)

See all 83 agencies covering Hemel Hempstead →

Questions about live-in care in Hemel Hempstead

Who provides live-in care in Hemel Hempstead?

Ask each agency: CQC keeps no record of who provides live-in care. Of the 83 registered agencies that have an office within 7 miles of Hemel Hempstead, 39 are rated Good or Outstanding.

How much should I budget for live-in care in Hemel Hempstead?

Prices typically seen across England in 2026: around around £1,540–£1,610 a week for live-in care, with higher prices usual for couples, complex needs and short placements.

Does live-in care cost less than a care home?

For one person, usually not: a residential care home averages £1,455 a week locally. For a couple, live-in care can be cheaper than two care home places.

Can I get council funding for live-in care?

Possibly. Hertfordshire council first assesses care needs; if they are eligible and live-in care suits them, it means-tests your finances. Help can go to people with savings below £23,250, and for care at home the house is left out.

How good are home care agencies around Hemel Hempstead?

85% Good or Outstanding (39 of 46 rated). 4 were inspected or rated within two years, and 63 are registered for dementia.

Arranging live-in care in Hemel Hempstead?

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