Dementia Care Home Costs In The UK | 2024 Statistics
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This article was reviewed by Sara Chapin, Director of Finance at Lottie, on 6th December 2024, to ensure accurate and trustworthy information for care seekers. Sara Chapin has been a Certified Public Accountant with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy since 2017. Next review due January 2025.
The average weekly cost of residential dementia care in the UK is £1,430. Depending on the type needed and your location, the cost of dementia care in the UK will vary. Whether you pay for dementia care in a care home depends on the total value of your savings and assets.
Dementia homes are designed to keep residents happy, engaged and safe, with features like key-coded doors, sensory gardens and secure activity areas. Care is provided by trained dementia care professionals, who will look after every resident with care and compassion.
This article lists dementia care home costs for 2024 across the main types of dementia care, including residential and nursing dementia care.
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In this article:
- The cost of dementia care homes in the UK
- Who pays for dementia care?
- Find a dementia care home through Lottie
- Best dementia care home providers
- What do dementia care homes offer?
The Cost of Dementia Care Homes In the UK
Below, we’ve provided the cost of privately funded dementia care home fees throughout the different regions of the UK.
This information is based on the care homes listed on our website.
Region | Weekly residential dementia care cost | Weekly nursing dementia care cost | Weekly residential dementia respite care cost | Weekly nursing dementia respite care cost |
---|---|---|---|---|
East Midlands | £1,448 | £1,657 | £1,514 | £1,721 |
East of England | £1,440 | £1,642 | £1,486 | £1,689 |
London | £1,435 | £1,637 | £1,506 | £1,706 |
North East England | £1,424 | £1,623 | £1,483 | £1,682 |
North West England | £1,434 | £1,636 | £1,503 | £1,703 |
South East England | £1,435 | £1,632 | £1,509 | £1,704 |
South West England | £1,456 | £1,655 | £1,525 | £1,723 |
West Midlands | £1,455 | £1,655 | £1,519 | £1,719 |
Yorkshire and the Humber | £1,451 | £1,645 | £1,518 | £1,709 |
England | £1,469 | £1,666 | £1,508 | £1,707 |
Scotland | £1,487 | £1,656 | £1,551 | £1,718 |
Wales | £1,460 | £1,670 | £1,476 | £1,685 |
UK | £1,430 | £1,585 | £1,519 | £1,673 |
Source: Lottie's internal data, based on the care homes we're partnered with.
Residential dementia care
In a residential dementia care home, people living with dementia have their personal care needs looked after, including help with using the toilet, washing, bathing and getting in and out of bed. This type of care is perfect for people who need some extra help and support on a daily basis.
People living with early-stage dementia can often live in a residential home if they don’t yet require specialist dementia care.
The average cost of privately funded residential dementia care in the UK is £1,430 a week, £6,197 a month and £74,360 a year.
Privately funded residential dementia care costs £1,448 a week in the East Midlands, £1,440 a week in the East of England and £1,435 a week in London.
Nursing dementia care
In a nursing dementia care home, people living with dementia have complex healthcare needs as a result of their condition. These residents are looked after 24/7 by qualified nurses who provide specialist nursing care, including administering medication and dressing wounds.
Some homes will say someone requires nursing dementia care if they're living with advanced-stage dementia, but each home is different, so it'll be subject to the home's pre-admission assessment to determine where someone is best placed.
The average cost of privately funded nursing dementia care in the UK is £1,585 a week, £6,868 a month and £82,420 a year.
Privately funded nursing dementia care costs £1,623 a week in North East England, £1,636 a week in North West England and £1,632 a week in South East England.
Residential dementia respite care
This is the same as residential dementia care, but it is provided on a short-term basis, often for two or three weeks at a time, while the regular carer takes a well-earned break from their caregiving duties.
The average cost of privately funded residential dementia respite care in the UK is £1,519 a week, £6,582 a month and £78,988 a year.
Privately funded residential dementia respite care costs £1,525 a week in South West England, £1,519 a week in the West Midlands and £1,518 a week in Yorkshire and the Humber.
Nursing dementia respite care
This is the same as nursing dementia care, but it is provided on a short-term basis like other kinds of respite care. People often receive this care for two or three weeks at a time.
The average cost of privately funded nursing dementia respite care in the UK is £1,673 a week, £7,250 a month and £86,996 a year.
Privately funded nursing dementia respite care costs £1,707 a week in England, £1,718 a week in Scotland and £1,685 a week in Wales.
We’re here to help you find the right dementia care home for you or your loved one. You can request a free list of dementia care homes from our care experts, who will then share homes matching your budget and location. You can also search for a dementia care home through our easy-to-use directory.
Who Pays For Dementia Care?
Whether you pay for dementia care in the UK depends on the total value of your savings and assets. This value is determined through a financial assessment, which immediately follows a care needs assessment.
If the total value of your savings and assets is above the upper threshold, you’ll be classed as a self-funder and must pay for your care. If it’s below the lower threshold, you’ll qualify for full funding from your local authority. If it’s between the upper and lower thresholds, you’ll qualify for partial funding.
Here are the UK savings thresholds for 2024/2025:
Country | Upper threshold | Lower threshold |
---|---|---|
England | £23,250 | £14,250 |
Scotland | £35,000 | £21,500 |
Wales | £50,000 | N/A |
Northern Ireland | £23,250 | £14,250 |
In some cases, the NHS will pay for your loved one’s dementia care. If your loved one receives nursing care in a care home, they could be eligible for NHS-funded nursing care, where the NHS will contribute to your loved one’s fees.
Meanwhile, if your loved one is classed as having a ‘primary health need’, they could be eligible for NHS continuing healthcare, where the NHS arranges and entirely funds care. This often covers people living with advanced dementia.
You can only claim one of these two types of NHS funding.
Find a Dementia Care Home Through Lottie
Using Lottie, you can find dementia care homes throughout the UK. You can also request a free list of dementia care homes, where our knowledgeable care experts will share dementia homes matching your requirements, including specific care needs, budget and location.
Every dementia home we list offers a fantastic standard of care and is packed with state-of-the-art facilities, such as cosy communal lounges, communal and private dining spaces, cafés, restaurants and activity rooms.
Dementia care at home
You can also use Lottie to find dementia care at home. This type of care is perfect if your loved one has dementia but would prefer to receive care in the comfort of their own home.
We’ve teamed up with the country’s best home care agencies across domiciliary (hourly) care, live-in care and overnight care, so we can match your loved one with the perfect care type, whatever their requirements.
You can also request a free list of home care agencies matching these specific needs. Many of the home care agencies we’re partnered with provide specialist dementia care, including for people living with early-stage or late-stage dementia.
Best Dementia Care Home Providers
We list the UK’s largest care home providers on Lottie. Many of these operators have homes offering early-stage and late-stage dementia care. These include:
- Abbey Healthcare
- Barchester Healthcare
- Bupa
- Care UK
- Four Seasons Healthcare
- Hallmark Luxury Care Homes
- Hamberley Care Homes
- Meallmore
- Springfield Healthcare
- The Orders of St John Care Trust
- We Care Group
What Do Dementia Care Homes Offer?
In a dementia care home, your loved one will be looked after by carers who are fully trained in specialist dementia care techniques. People living with early-stage or late-stage dementia can be cared for in these homes, depending on the level of support they’re able to offer.
People with early or mid-stage dementia can usually live in a home offering residential dementia care. Here, personal care needs are taken care of, including help with washing and bathing, getting dressed and undressed, and getting in and out of bed.
Many care homes comprise residential and dementia communities, meaning somebody can continue living in the same home throughout their care journey, while still receiving the person-centred care they require.
People with late-stage dementia may also have care needs that require the attention of registered nurses. At this point, nursing dementia care can be provided. This includes administering intravenous medications, dressing wounds and monitoring vital signs.
Dementia care homes contain dementia-specific facilities and features such as reminiscence rooms, sensory gardens, colour-coded areas and key-coded doors for those with a tendency to wander.
Lottie matches care seekers with the best dementia care homes for their needs. You can also request a free list of dementia care homes from our care experts, who will share homes matching your budget and location.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do people living with dementia have to pay care home fees?
Usually, people living with dementia have to pay for their own care home fees. You have to pay if the total value of your savings and assets is above the threshold of the country you live in. For example, the upper threshold in England is £23,500.
Some people living with dementia could qualify for NHS-funded nursing care (where the NHS pays towards your care) or NHS continuing healthcare (where the NHS pays for all of your care). You can only qualify for one of these.
When should someone living with dementia go into a care home?
There are several reasons why somebody living with dementia should go into a care home, such as:
- Their needs have increased, so they can no longer be looked after at home by family members or friends
- They require around-the-clock supervision
- They’d benefit from specialist dementia care home features such as key-coded doors, sensory gardens and reminiscence rooms
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Written by our team of experts and designed to help families fund later life care in England.