24-Hour Care in Kingston upon Thames: Costs, Funding and 48 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 £1,300–£1,800 a week; a waking night £240–£320; a sleeping night £190–£230; a residential care home £1,615 a week.

Help paying for 24-hour care

The London Borough of Kingston upon Thames 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. Getting assessed by the London Borough of Kingston upon Thames.

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.

Kingston upon Thames's agencies in figures

Registered specialisms here: 40 of 48 list physical disabilities, 34 of 48 list learning disabilities and 30 of 48 list mental health conditions. In Kingston upon Thames, 81% of agencies support people with dementia (39 of 48); the London figure is 81%. Of Kingston upon Thames and the 6 nearest towns we cover, Kingston upon Thames ranks 2nd for the share of all listed agencies rated Good or Outstanding (85%); Worcester Park is highest at 100%. One rating goes back to November 2018: Jardine Care Limited t/a Home Instead Senior Care. Ask what has changed since. CQC registered Olive Branch Care and Support Ltd in September 2026, the newest on this list. At 98% Good or Outstanding, Kingston upon Thames sits above the London figure of 89% (from 2,452 agencies).

How much 24-hour care costs in Kingston upon Thames

Usual 2026 prices in London
Visiting care	£30–£40 an hour
Sleeping night	£190–£230
Waking night	£240–£320
Live-in care	£1,300–£1,800 a week

What Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames pays providers: £20.42 an hour for home care (2025/26 average paid to agencies); £1,156.56 a week for residential care (2025/26 average, over-65s); £1,122.73 a week for nursing care (2025/26 average, over-65s) (source).

The Homecare Association puts the minimum sustainable price for council-funded home care in England at £34.42 an hour for 2026/27. Tools: weekly cost calculator and what would we pay?

What families ask about 24-hour care in Kingston upon Thames

Who provides 24-hour care in Kingston upon Thames?

The CQC register does not show who offers 24-hour care. There are 48 registered agencies that are based in the borough of Kingston upon Thames, 41 of them rated Good or Outstanding, so ask each one.

How much does 24-hour care cost in Kingston upon Thames?

Usual 2026 prices in London: live-in care typically costs £1,300–£1,800 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 the London Borough of Kingston upon Thames'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 good are home care agencies around Kingston upon Thames?

98% Good or Outstanding (41 of 42 rated). 17 were inspected or rated within two years, and 39 are registered for dementia.

Need 24-hour care in Kingston upon Thames?

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

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More about care in Kingston upon Thames

Nearby towns for 24-hour care

24-hour care in Thames Ditton 1.9 mi
24-hour care in Worcester Park 2.5 mi
24-hour care in Claygate 3.3 mi
24-hour care in Ewell 3.4 mi
24-hour care in Esher 3.6 mi
24-hour care in Richmond upon Thames 3.9 mi
24-hour care in Epsom 4.3 mi
24-hour care in Merton 4.3 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 Kingston upon Thames