Home Care > Nursing Care At Home | Professional and Dignified Support From a Paid Nurse

Nursing Care At Home | Professional and Dignified Support From a Paid Nurse

Older man and female nurse walking together

Estimated Reading Time: 10 minutes

Katy Jones

Customer Care Expert

Last Updated: 18/04/2024

If your loved one’s care needs have progressed and they now require specialist medical support, the best option is nursing care. This can be provided in a nursing care home or through nursing care at home, where you’re supported by trained nurses in the comfort of your own surroundings.

In this article, we’ve explained what nursing care at home is, different examples of the support available, whether your loved one needs it, how much it costs, the benefits and how to find nursing care at home near you.

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Find Nursing Home Care Near You

Our care experts are here to help you and your loved ones find the best nursing home care in your area. We provide free expert assistance and advice, allowing you to make the right choice.

You can also use our free home care shortlist to be sent suitable home care providers near you. Simply fill in the form through the link above and we’ll send you the best options with carer availability!

To ease your search for nursing home care, we’ve partnered with some of the best home care providers throughout the UK, many offering specialist nursing care services.

Nationwide home care agencies that offer nursing care

You can use our service to find nursing care at home in the following regions:

What Is Nursing Care At Home?

Nursing care at home is a specialist form of care aimed at people with long-term and complex care needs or disabilities. Registered nurses give this care, which includes specific medical procedures that regular carers aren’t able to provide, such as treating wounds, placing a feeding tube and administering certain medications (usually intravenous medication).

These registered nurses can recognise symptoms and know what treatment to provide, while also being supported by other healthcare professionals like GPs and pharmacists to ensure an excellent care standard.

A registered nurse will either visit your loved one regularly (hourly care, also known as domiciliary care) or move in with them to provide this care, depending on their needs.

If hourly care is chosen, your loved one can choose how often and how long visits last. This might depend on when certain procedures need to be performed or when medication needs to be administered.

One aim of nursing care at home is to empower your loved one, helping them to continue feeling independent and fulfilled. This empowerment could come through emotional support such as encouraging them to make decisions for themselves where possible, such as about the care they receive and their daily routine.

Above all, nursing care at home allows people with complex conditions to remain safe within their own homes.

How does nursing care at home differ from nursing care in a care home?

The same care is provided in a nursing home and through nursing care at home. If your loved one receives nursing live-in care, 24/7 support will also be provided, just like in a nursing home.

While both settings offer person-centred care, home care can take this a step further, as care is given one-on-one, so it can be tailored to your loved one’s exact needs and preferences.

The location itself is also different. Care at home allows your loved one to remain comfortable in familiar surroundings, while a care home is a purpose-built environment designed to keep residents safe and happy. Residents also have access to shared facilities and enjoyable activities throughout the week.

There is a difference in the cost of care, too. Home care only covers the cost of care provided, while the cost of living in a care home includes care, accommodation, food and more. Hourly home care can be a cheaper alternative, as it’s only provided when your loved one needs it, often for a couple of hours at a time.

When it comes to paying for care, somebody in a nursing care home can access NHS-funded nursing care, so the NHS will pay a proportion of this person’s nursing care. However, this funding isn’t accessible to home care recipients.

Newton House care home bedroom

We can help you find the best home carer for you or your loved one’s care needs, including domiciliary (hourly) and live-in carers. Request a free list of home care agencies, and our care experts will match you with suitable carers with availability in your local area.

Examples of Nursing Care At Home

The home care providers we list on Lottie offer several nursing care-specific services, including:

They also offer support for conditions that often require nursing care, such as:

Other types of care provided through nursing care at home include:

Managing pain
Controlling infections
Fall prevention
Managing diabetes e.g. through insulin injections and monitoring blood glucose levels
Complex continence issues
Monitoring ventilation
Tracheostomies

Nursing live-in care

Through nursing live-in care, a trained nurse moves in with your loved one full-time. They’ll always be on hand to provide whatever care and support is required.

This is the most common form of nursing home care, as the people who receive it usually have complex medical conditions requiring regular attention, meaning more than hourly weekly visits are needed.

Your loved one could need urgent help at any time, so again, a nurse may be needed to look after your loved one full-time, rather than at different points throughout the week.

Nursing domiciliary care

Also known as hourly care, nursing domiciliary care is provided at different times throughout the week. It’s more flexible, so the length of visits can be tailored to suit your loved one (though what’s available will vary from provider to provider). Depending on your loved one’s care needs, they may require domiciliary care a couple of times a week for an hour each time, or they may need it multiple times each day.

Nursing domiciliary care is often given to people by a district nurse who are recovering from an accident or operation, or who have a cognitive condition such as a type of dementia. Any services provided are tailored to the individual, as everyone will require slightly different nursing care.

Nursing domiciliary care is usually best suited to people whose care needs aren’t as significant (so round-the-clock care isn’t needed). Otherwise, live-in care would probably be the better option.

Older woman having a bandage applied

When Does Your Loved One Need Nursing Care At Home?

You should consider the following questions. If any of these apply, your loved one may need nursing care at home or a similar form of support:

Do they have a chronic health condition or illness such as diabetes or heart disease and would benefit from nursing care at home to help manage symptoms and have any medication administered?
Are they recovering after an accident, illness or operation? Nursing care may be needed during this recovery process, including wound care and managing medication
Do they take multiple medications that a healthcare professional such as a nurse needs to administer?
Do they require other specialist medical procedures such as inserting a catheter, tube feedings, wound care or ventilator use?

The main thing to consider is whether your loved one can continue living safely in their current circumstances. If not, they probably need some form of nursing care, whether that’s at home or in a nursing home.

Getting a care needs assessment

If your loved one is unsure of the specific type of care they need, a care needs assessment can help determine this, along with what setting would be best suited, such as their home or in a care home.

If home care is decided on, home adaptations that will help your loved one to continue living safely in their home may be recommended. These adaptations could be smaller (less than £1,000), such as grab rails or stair rails, or larger (more than £1,000), such as wheelchair ramps, widened doorways or a stair lift. A disabled facilities grant may be able to help with these larger adaptations and installations.

How Much Does Nursing Care At Home Cost?

Home nursing care can be included as part of domiciliary, live-in and overnight care (which includes overnight sleeping and overnight waking care).

The average cost of the home care provided by our partner providers is:

Domiciliary care - £28 per hour
Live-in care - £228 per day (or £1,596 per week)
Overnight sleeping care - £187 per night (or £1,309 per week)
Overnight waking care - £244 per night (or £1,708 per week)

We also have an article explaining care at home costs throughout the UK.

The Benefits Of Nursing Care At Home

Comfort and familiarity - Your loved one will feel more at ease in the familiar surroundings of their own home, helping them to feel positive and happy
Personalised care - Care can be tailored to your loved one’s specific needs. One-on-one attention is given and care can be adapted to any routines or preferences. There’s also greater flexibility, as care can be scheduled to suit your loved one’s routine best. For instance, when they need to receive specific medication or treatment
More cost-effective - Hourly nursing care at home can be more cost-effective as your loved one will only receive as much care as they need, rather than round-the-clock support, making it less expensive
Peace of mind - Your loved one will be in safe hands, so they’ll be much less likely to injure themselves, giving family members and friends peace of mind
Greater independence - Nursing care at home encourages people receiving it to remain independent. The familiarity of their environment makes it easier to participate in their own care and make important decisions
Ease of communication - There’s usually lots of communication between professional caregivers, the care recipient and family members or friends. This means that everybody better understands your loved one's condition, their care plan, and any lifestyle changes that need to be made. It’ll also be easier for family members to participate in their loved one’s care
Less disruption - Nursing care at home minimises disruption to your loved one’s lifestyle and routine. This lack of upheaval is especially important if they have long-term or heightened care needs

Learn About Other Types of Home Care

We’re here to help you and your loved ones choose the right type of home care, whether this is nursing care at home or something similar. Click the links below to learn more about the different types of home care offered by the care agencies we work with:

Lottie matches care seekers with the best home carers for their care needs. You can request a free home care shortlist, where we’ll find you home care providers with availability in your local area.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can nursing care be provided at home?

Yes, nursing care can be provided at home. If you’re unsure what’s required, a care needs assessment can help determine what type of care your loved one needs and whether they’d be best suited to receiving this care at home or in a care home.

Is nursing home care free in the UK?

Nursing home care isn’t free in the UK. The total value of your savings and income will determine whether you or your loved ones will pay for care or if you qualify for local authority funding. A financial assessment will answer this question, and this immediately follows a care needs assessment.

Your loved one could also be eligible for NHS continuing healthcare. Here, care is entirely arranged and funded by the NHS for people who are classed as having complex and unpredictable needs.

Another option is NHS-funded nursing care. However, this only applies to people receiving care in a nursing care home, and you can only receive one of NHS continuing healthcare and NHS-funded nursing care.

How much does a home nurse cost per hour?

The average cost of domiciliary care offered by our home care partners is £28 per hour, with many home nursing care procedures provided through domiciliary care.

The cost of nursing care at home varies from provider to provider, so if your loved one requires specialist nursing support such as stoma care or wound dressing, it could be slightly more expensive.

The cost of nursing home care could also be affected by the location and the length of the visit (with shorter visits usually costing more per hour).