24-Hour Care in Dudley: Costs, Funding and 115 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 £1,185 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

Northumberland 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. Getting assessed by Northumberland council.

Home care in Dudley by the numbers

Looking at specialisms, 95 of 114 list physical disabilities, 68 of 114 list learning disabilities and 78 of 114 list mental health conditions. Dementia appears on 88 of 114 registrations here (77%), compared with 76% in Northumberland as a whole. Longworth CMS Ltd has the oldest rating still in force, from August 2018. Counting all listed agencies, not only rated ones, Dudley (72% Good or Outstanding) is 7th out of 7 local towns, led by Cramlington (78%). 92% of rated agencies covering Dudley are Good or Outstanding, compared with 94% of those rated among the 152 we list across Northumberland. Tailored Health Care 4 You Limited is the most recently registered, joining the CQC register in August 2026.

How much 24-hour care costs in Dudley

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

What the council pays (Northumberland County Council): £28.24 an hour for home care (2025/26 average paid to agencies); £881.86 a week for residential care (2025/26 average, over-65s); £883.09 a week for nursing care (2025/26 average, over-65s) (source).

Agencies differ more than regions do on hourly rates, so request a complete tariff from each one, covering weekends and bank holidays too. For 2026/27, the Homecare Association says council-funded home care in England is only sustainable at £34.42 an hour or more. Source: Lottie Care Index, Q3 2026. Check what you would pay · Weekly cost calculator

Your questions on 24-hour care in Dudley

Who provides 24-hour care in Dudley?

CQC does not record which agencies provide 24-hour care. 115 CQC-registered home care agencies have an office within 7 miles of Dudley; 83 are rated Good or Outstanding. Ask each whether it provides 24-hour care.

How much does 24-hour care cost in Dudley?

Typical prices across England in 2026: 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 Northumberland 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.

How good are home care agencies around Dudley?

92% Good or Outstanding (83 of 90 rated). 33 were inspected or rated within two years, and 88 are registered for dementia.

Need 24-hour care in Dudley?

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

Compare local prices

More about care in Dudley

Nearby towns for 24-hour care

24-hour care in Cramlington 2.0 mi
24-hour care in Longbenton 2.6 mi
24-hour care in Seaton Delaval 2.7 mi
24-hour care in Wallsend 4.7 mi
24-hour care in Whitley Bay 5.0 mi
24-hour care in Newcastle upon Tyne 5.1 mi
24-hour care in Blyth 5.1 mi
24-hour care in Tynemouth 6.0 mi

Compare local prices Back to agencies

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 Dudley