24-Hour Care in Staplehurst: Costs, Funding and 18 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

Kent 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 Kent council.

Staplehurst's agencies in figures

At 100% Good or Outstanding, Staplehurst sits above the Kent figure of 80% (from 831 agencies). Ratings are older than average here: 0% of agencies have one less than two years old, compared with 9% across Kent. Kent has 11 Outstanding agencies in total; covering Staplehurst the figure is 2. Counting all listed agencies, not only rated ones, Staplehurst (56% Good or Outstanding) is 2nd out of 7 local towns, led by Tenterden (86%). In Staplehurst, 89% of agencies support people with dementia (16 of 18); the Kent figure is 77%. One rating goes back to December 2018: Homecare Unique Limited. Ask what has changed since. CQC registered Lauriem Tovil Green (EC) in April 2026, the newest on this list. Registered specialisms here: 18 of 18 list physical disabilities, 6 of 18 list learning disabilities and 12 of 18 list mental health conditions.

How much 24-hour care costs in Staplehurst

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

What Kent County Council pays providers: £28.05 an hour for home care (2025/26 average paid to agencies); £1,186.81 a week for residential care (2025/26 average, over-65s); £1,378 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. 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. Work out a weekly cost · What would we pay?

What families ask about 24-hour care in Staplehurst

Where can I find 24-hour care in Staplehurst?

Ask each agency: CQC keeps no record of who provides 24-hour care. Of the 18 registered agencies that have an office within 7 miles of Staplehurst, 10 are rated Good or Outstanding.

How much does 24-hour care cost in Staplehurst?

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 Kent 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 Staplehurst well rated?

10 of the 10 rated agencies (100%) are Good or Outstanding; 16 list dementia as a specialism and 0 were inspected or rated in the last two years.

Need 24-hour care in Staplehurst?

One short form: a maximum of three agencies working with us will contact you directly by email.

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More about care in Staplehurst

Nearby towns for 24-hour care

24-hour care in Marden 2.6 mi
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24-hour care in Maidstone 7.1 mi
24-hour care in Kings Hill 9.7 mi
24-hour care in Tonbridge 12.0 mi
24-hour care in Snodland 12.3 mi
24-hour care in Royal Tunbridge Wells 12.5 mi
24-hour care in Chatham 13.2 mi

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Provider details from the Care Quality Commission register, updated Oct 2026. Contains CQC data licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. The Care Panel is not a care provider.

24-hour care in Staplehurst