Live-in care in Catterall

What a live-in carer does

• Rota: usually one or two weeks living in, then a second carer takes over.
• Tasks: washing, dressing, meals, medicines, housework, getting out, company.
• At home: the person keeps their routine, pets and neighbours.
• The carer needs: their own room, about two hours off each day and proper sleep at night.

When someone needs help on most nights, one live-in carer is not enough: add another carer, or book waking nights as well. Agencies should flag this during their assessment.

Help paying for it

Lancashire council must offer a free care needs assessment. If it agrees that live-in care is the right way to meet eligible needs, it can contribute after a financial assessment, and for care at home the value of the home is not counted. You can take the council's contribution as a direct payment and use it with an agency you choose. People with a primary health need may qualify for NHS Continuing Healthcare, which pays in full. How to ask Lancashire council for an assessment.

Live-in care against a care home

Here, a residential care home typically costs £1,205 a week and live-in care around £1,540–£1,610 a week. A single person will often pay less in a care home, but a couple may pay less for live-in care than for two care home places, since one carer can look after both.

Ask two questions. Can one carer meet the person's needs safely? Do they want to stay at home? If both answers are yes, live-in care fits. If moving them takes two people around the clock, or they are lonely at home, look at care homes.

Two kinds of live-in agency

Agencies come in two types. With a managed service, the agency employs the carer or supervises them, holds a Care Quality Commission registration and carries responsibility for the care. With an introductory agency, you are matched with a self-employed carer and take on the job of arranging and overseeing the care yourself; such agencies are not usually registered with CQC. Before signing, find out which type you are dealing with, who steps in for holidays and illness, and what happens if the match does not work.

Catterall's agencies in figures

Garstang has the highest share of listed agencies rated Good or Outstanding nearby (100%); Catterall, at 73%, is 2nd of the 7 towns compared. Outstanding ratings: 1 covering Catterall, 10 across Lancashire. Ratings are older than average here: 7% of agencies have one less than two years old, compared with 14% across Lancashire. At 100% Good or Outstanding, Catterall sits above the Lancashire figure of 94% (from 557 agencies). Looking at specialisms, 10 of 15 list physical disabilities, 5 of 15 list learning disabilities and 7 of 15 list mental health conditions. Most recent to register: Linkpin Care Solutions Ltd (July 2025). Oldest rating on the list: Lady Elsie Finney House Home for Older People, August 2018. The share registered for dementia is 73% in Catterall (11 of 15) and 76% across Lancashire.