Hire a specialist live-in carer
Pauline is a truly outstanding carer, bringing new meaning to “beyond the call of duty”. She is unbelievably kind and patient...”
Cinzia is absolutely amazing and so good with my mum. From the very first moment she arrived, my was very comfortable with her. V...”
Gaye has supported mum every step of the way particularly dealing with a nasty fall and transitioning to and from care homes. Help...”
Personally interviewed
DBS & Biometric ID checked
Fully insured
Companionship, cooking, housekeeping, medical prompting
Moving and handling, exercise, eating and drinking assistance
Early stage dementia, physical disabilities, late stage dementia
Personal care, dressing/undressing, bathroom assistance
A popular alternative to care homes, live-in care is the most comprehensive kind of care for anyone with needs that can be met at home. It’s practical, comfortable and allows you to remain as independent as possible. Curam’s experienced live-in carers provide specialist 24-hour support throughout the UK.
Our live-in carers support each individual to live independently, maintain routines, and most importantly, remain in the comfort of their own home.
Your choice of carer will live in your home with you. They’ll be on hand to cater to your needs and keep you comfortable and independent.
For long-term care, live-in carers typically require breaks after two or three weeks to prevent burnout and ensure great continuity of care. As a result, these live-in carers typically work for shifts on a rotation with another carer.
Live-in carers are there to provide around-the-clock care. Most live-in carers will work between six and a half and seven days a week, with a break of two hours during the day. Their exact hours, and other stipulations such as mobile phone use, travel and food expenses, can be noted in the service agreement. Most carers would expect to have 14 hours a week of free time for themselves.
Share your care needs24-hour carers provide overnight care and are available to assist with toilet breaks, changing position in bed following an injury and administering medication. Their presence can also provide peace of mind through the night if you live alone.
If you are only interested in having a carer present at night, rather than 24-hour live-in care, you can read more about overnight care.
Share your care needsLive-in care is a convenient and often more economical alternative to a care home, giving you independence alongside the security of having a carer on hand.
Curam carers provide great continuity of care – and our website allows you to choose exactly who will be caring for you.
Anyone who requires care can have live-in care. Live-in care is a popular choice for those who wish to remain in their own home and stay independent while receiving the support and care that they need.
It’s particularly useful for those who have complex care needs that require one-on-one attention, including those with progressive conditions such as multiple sclerosis (MS), Huntington's disease, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and dementia.
Live-in care is different from domiciliary care in that it provides around-the-clock support. Domiciliary care refers to regular home visits by carers rather than live-in support.
Domiciliary care is a good option for those who prefer support at set times each week but don’t require the constant presence of a carer. Domiciliary care could constitute anything from weekly housekeeping visits through to multiple daily visits to help with personal care, getting around the home or preparing meals.
If you’ve been receiving domiciliary care but visits throughout the day can no longer meet your needs, live-in care might be right for you.
While a care home might be right for you, live-in carers can support you in numerous ways that care homes cannot:
Enable you to remain living independently in your own home
Maintain your privacy and existing schedule
Provide focused one-on-one care
Help you to keep in contact with your family, friends and community
Keep you close to, and help care for, your pets
There are also tangible physical and mental health benefits to live-in care. Being able to maintain your social network and keep up with your favourite hobbies while being cared for is great for your mental well-being. Physical health benefits include reducing the risk of falling and the likelihood of being housebound.
While it depends on the complexity of the care and the rate charged by the carer, yes, live-in care is generally more affordable than a care home. The average live-in rate charged by carers on the Curam platform is £1,040 per week. For those paying privately for care, there is an additional Curam client fee of 10% and VAT.
A live-in carer will fulfil the tasks agreed to in their service agreement. These tasks can range from personal care to domestic tasks and chores including shopping, laundry, meal preparation and transport. The focus is on making sure you feel safe, independent and cared for through your regular routines.
The personal care provided by in-home carers can be tailored to include whatever level of assistance you need. A live-in carer is there to meet your needs, however personal or complex.
Responsibilities of a carer will vary according to your needs but typically will include:
Live-in care is tailored to you. Carers on the Curam platform provide many different kinds of live-in care:
If you have pets, there are carers that can help to look after them. Many carers also drive their own vehicles and can help you with transport or accompany you as you need.
Hiring a carer through Curam is a 4 step easy process with you having all the control.
Filter and search for verified carers near you
Message suitable carers - we suggest a minimum of three to give you the best choice
Hire your insured and vetted carer via Curam - you only pay for the care delivered
Alternatively, in an emergency or if you need care for a specific period of time Share your care needs' with our carers
Our self-employed carers set their own rates on the Curam platform. The cost of live-in care is often determined by the level of care required and the number of people needing care. These rates can vary according to the carer’s experience and qualifications.
Live-in care is the most cost-effective kind of care for those who need 24/7 support but would like to maintain their independence. Contrary to what many people assume about live-in care, it can actually be more cost effective than moving to a care home.
The average live-in care rate charged on Curam is £1,040 per week, with rates starting at £770 per week. Rates vary depending on where you live in the UK.
Invoices are also subject to the Curam client fee of 10% and VAT. However, this client fee may be lower or waived for our business partners or those receiving local authority or NHS funding for their care. Please email client@curamcare.com to learn more about your costs with Curam.
With Curam you pay less but your carer earns more
Clients on the Curam platform pay on average 22% less than the current suggested UK Home Care Association hourly rate of £25.95
You can pay for live-in care privately, with assistance from the NHS or local authority, or from some combination of different sources.
Most people who pursue live-in care will pay for it privately. However, you may be able to get funding to help pay for your care. There are three steps that you can follow to ensure that you receive all the money to which you are entitled:
Check your eligibility for benefits with a benefits calculator
1Check your eligibility for NHS continuing healthcare funding
2Apply for local authority funding
3If you still have difficulty funding your own care after checking the above services, you may consider other options such as equity release.
According to the NHS, you might be eligible for local council support towards the cost of your social care if you have less than £23,250 in savings (called the upper capital limit, or UCL). From October 2023 this will ris
Exactly how much your council will pay depends on what care you need and how much you can afford to pay.
The first step is for your council to do an assessment to check how much help you need. This is called a needs assessment. The needs assessment is free and anyone can ask for one. Find out more about getting a needs assessment..
Some people with long-term complex health needs qualify for free social care arranged and funded solely by the NHS. This is known as NHS continuing healthcare..
TTo be eligible for NHS continuing healthcare, you must be assessed by a team of healthcare professionals (a multidisciplinary team). The team will look at all your care needs and relate them to:
Your eligibility for NHS continuing healthcare depends on your assessed needs, and not on any particular diagnosis or condition. If your needs change then your eligibility for NHS continuing healthcare may change.
With Curam, you pay for live-in care though a secure payment system on our app or website. Your carer of choice will create a service agreement and shift invoice, which will automatically be sent to your Curam account for your approval.
Once you have approved these, you will be taken to the payment portal. Your payment is held securely until the shift is completed and is then released to the carer two working days after the end of the shift, minus the Curam fee. Shift invoices typically cover one to two weeks of care at a time, but specific payment frequency can be agreed with your carer.
Off-platform and cash payments are not accepted. These are liable to a fee of £2,000. Please see our terms and conditions for more information, specifically point 9.3.
We know that hiring a carer is an emotionally charged decision, so we’ve done everything we can to make it as safe, seamless and stress-free as possible.
Choice is at the heart of Curam. By connecting carers and those who need care, we enable people to take control of their lives.
We’ve made it possible to hire a carer within a matter of hours. With Curam you can search, interview, message, hire and pay approved and vetted carers throughout the UK.
We are building a care community that allows each of us to live an independent life.
Curam is a community of experts. Every carer on Curam’s platform has been interviewed and fully vetted by our recruitment team. They have had a DBS check, are legally entitled to work in the UK and any qualifications mentioned on their profile are backed up with certificates.
Curam does things differently. Unlike care agencies, we make sure the choice of care is in your hands. You can interview carers personally before hiring them and have a final say on what their responsibilities will be in your home.
Our carers are self-employed. Their Curam fee covers the cost of their insurance, easy-to-use service agreements and a hassle-free payment system. This means that the client pays less than they would with an agency, and the carer in turn receives a higher wage.
In-home care with Curam respects independence. It is tailored to each individual while allowing them to live in the comfort of their own home. Receiving care at home can be a safer and more cost-effective alternative to a care home.
To arrange live-in care on the Curam platform, create an account. If you provide us with your postcode, your care requirements, your gender preference for carers and more detail as needed, carers that fit your demonstrated needs will then apply to your Curam account.
We recommend that you call or meet your carer of choice before contracting with them. Read our advice on interviewing a potential carer.
Alternatively, you can use our search tool to find a carer that suits your needs. You can filter by care type, condition, experience, languages spoken and more in your search. If you see a particular carer that fits your criteria, send them a message outlining your care needs and checking their availability.
All carers can be tried on a trial basis and any specific arrangement can be changed or cancelled with a minimum notice of 48 hours.
Please note that Curam does not provide managed care. It’s critical to our mission that both the client and the carer have choice and control over their care relationship.
A live-in carer generally works between eight and ten hours per day, with a two-hour break every day. The specific hours a live-in carer works can vary and should be noted in your service agreement. Live-in carers normally provide 'sleeping night' care.
Although the decision is up to you, most people pay for the meals that a live-in carer prepares or eats during their time in their client’s home. As live-in carers often cook for their clients, you may prefer to share meals together or eat separately. Their responsibilities may also include meal planning and grocery shopping. Expectations around food can be agreed in the service agreement.
Many live-in carers are comfortable helping with or managing an array of household chores, including laundry, basic cleaning, gardening, mail and email management, taking out the rubbish, grocery shopping, running errands, preparing meals and more. These expectations around housework can be agreed upon in the service agreement.
While live-in carers are not professional cleaners, they are often happy to do basic household cleaning chores such as vacuuming, wiping down counters and cleaning up after their client. Expectations around cleaning can be agreed in the service agreement.
Your live-in carer will need their own bedroom with a bed and bed linen. They are entitled to privacy in your home during their breaks and rest periods. They should have the resources they need to feel comfortable, including storage for their things, towels and basic furniture.
PPE such as face masks, plastic gloves and aprons are the responsibility of the carer, but you are free to provide your own equipment if you have specific requirements or standards.
Live-in carers residing or occupying their room in a client’s home are not required to pay any rent to the client.
Although the decision is up to you, most people pay for the meals that a live-in carer prepares or eats during their time in their client’s home. If you or your live-in carer has a special dietary requirement, you may choose to pay them a food allowance for them to purchase their own food separately from your groceries. A food allowance would usually be between £30-£50 per week and would be agreed upon in the service agreement.
Live-in carers are 'disregarded' (treated as not liable) when it comes to calculating council tax.
Full choice over who provides care
Get a carers for your care needs
You can join for free, no tie-in contracts.
Hours of high quality
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Experienced &
vetted carers
people hired
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Average experience
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time from carers
Finding and managing your carer is much easier on our Curam client app. Lots of new features including digital health care plans and family sharing apps coming very soon.
per hour
per hour
per hour
For hourly care you will pay £4.30 less than the average agency rate.
All rates are negotiable.
Carers set their own rates.
10% Curam fees
