Arranging care for a parent is something most families come to at some stage, and the care system can be difficult to make sense of at first. This guide explains how to get care for a parent in England, from the early signs that support may be needed through to choosing a provider you can trust. It is written by a regulated home care provider, so it focuses on giving you clear, accurate information you can act on, whatever stage you are at.
How do you arrange care for a parent?
The first step is a free care needs assessment from your parent’s local council. This identifies the support they need. You then choose the type of care that suits them, arrange funding through a financial assessment or private payment, and select a care provider. Each stage is explained below.
Signs an elderly parent may need more support
Changes can appear subtly. You may notice one or two of these, or several at once.
Around the house and daily tasks:
- Meals skipped, or a fridge with little fresh food in it
- Post and bills left unopened or unpaid
- The home less clean or tidy than it used to be
- Difficulty with washing and dressing, or wearing the same clothes for several days
Health and mobility:
- Unsteadiness, a recent fall, or holding onto furniture to move around
- Weight loss, or clothes that no longer fit
- Medication left in the packet, or taken at the wrong times
Memory and mood:
- Repeating questions or forgetting recent conversations
- Missing appointments they would normally keep
- Seeming low, anxious, or withdrawn from friends and activities they once enjoyed
None of these on its own means a parent needs formal care. Taken together, they are a reasonable prompt to look into help at home with washing, dressing and daily tasks.
Starting the conversation with your parent
Many older people worry that accepting help means losing their independence, so how you approach the conversation is important.
Choose a calm moment instead of the middle of a difficult day.
Lead with what you have noticed and how you feel: “I’ve been worried about you managing the stairs” lands more gently than “you can’t cope on your own any more.”
Ask what they would find useful and listen to the answer. Your parent may have already given this some thought.
Keep their wishes at the centre. Where someone wants to stay in their own home, that preference should shape the plan.
If the first conversation does not go well, that is normal. It often takes a few attempts before a parent feels ready to talk properly.
The first step: a care needs assessment
A care needs assessment is the practical starting point for arranging care in England. It is carried out by the adult social services team at your parent’s local council, and it looks at what your parent can manage day to day and where they need support.
The assessment is free, and your parent is entitled to one regardless of their income or savings. Anyone can request it on their behalf, with their permission, so you can make the call for a parent who would rather not.
The right to an assessment is set out in the Care Act 2014, which places a duty on councils to assess anyone who appears to need care and support.
How to request a care needs assessment:
- Contact the adult social services team at your parent’s local council. You can find the right council at gov.uk/find-local-council.
- Explain the difficulties your parent is having with daily life.
- Take part in the assessment, which may happen at home, by phone, or online.
- Receive the outcome. If your parent is eligible for council support, a financial assessment follows to work out any contribution.
The outcome will help you understand which of the different types of care would suit your parent best. If your parent is not already claiming it, they should apply, as it can be backdated to the date of the claim.
Types of care for a parent at home
Most people would prefer to stay in their own home for as long as they safely can, and several types of care make that possible.
- Visiting care brings a carer to your parent’s home for planned visits, from a short daily call to several hours a day. It suits people who need help with specific tasks such as washing and dressing, medication, meals, or companionship, while staying otherwise independent. You can read more about visiting care and how visits are arranged.
- Live-in care places a carer in the home full time to provide round-the-clock support. It suits parents with higher needs who want to remain at home rather than move into a care home. Our guide to live-in care explains how it works in practice.
- Respite care is short-term support, often for a week or two, that gives a family carer a break or covers a period of recovery after illness or a hospital stay.
- A care home may become the right choice if needs grow beyond what can be managed at home, particularly where round-the-clock nursing is required. For many families, though, care at home meets the need while keeping a parent in familiar surroundings.
How to pay for care for a parent
How care is funded depends on your parent’s finances and the outcome of the financial assessment. The figures below apply to England; Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland run their systems differently.
What care costs
Visiting care in the UK typically costs around £26 to £38 per hour, with an average close to £32; London and the South East sit at the higher end. The exact rate depends on the provider, the length of each visit, and the level of support needed.
The financial assessment
After the care needs assessment, the council carries out a financial assessment to work out whether it will contribute.
In 2026/27 the capital limits are:
- Above £23,250 in savings and assets: your parent pays the full cost of their care.
- Between £14,250 and £23,250: the council contributes, and your parent pays a share, calculated as £1 per week for every £250 of capital above the lower limit.
- Below £14,250: the council funds care based on income, and this capital is not counted.
For care at home, your parent’s property is not included in the financial assessment while they live in it, which makes home care more accessible for many property-owning families than a care home would be.
Attendance Allowance
This is a benefit for people over State Pension age who need help with personal care, and it is not means-tested, so savings and income do not affect it. In 2026/27 it pays £76.70 a week at the lower rate and £114.60 a week at the higher rate.
Other funding routes
Direct payments let you receive the council’s budget and arrange care yourself, giving you a free choice of provider. NHS Continuing Healthcare covers the full cost of care for people with a primary health need, with no means test, though the criteria are strict.
How to choose a care provider for a parent
Once you know the type of care your parent needs, the next decision is who provides it.
An introductory agency matches you with a self-employed carer and steps back. You become responsible for managing that carer, and for the arrangements around them.
A fully managed, regulated provider takes on that responsibility instead, handling carer recruitment, training, supervision and cover, and remaining accountable for the quality and safety of the care.
In England, care provided by a regulated agency is overseen by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the independent regulator for health and social care. The CQC inspects providers, speaks to clients and staff, and rates each service.
For a family, choosing a CQC-regulated provider means the training, oversight and safeguarding behind the care are professionally managed and independently checked, rather than left to you to arrange and monitor.
Trinity Homecare is rated Outstanding by the CQC, a rating held by only around the top 4 per cent of home care providers in England. This reflects the consistent standards families can expect from a fully managed, regulated service. You can read more about Trinity Homecare and how our care is delivered.
Looking after yourself while caring for a parent
Arranging care for a parent is demanding, and it often falls to one person in a family. Your own wellbeing counts too, both for your sake and your parent’s.
If you provide regular unpaid care yourself, you can request a carer’s assessment from the council. It is free and separate from your parent’s assessment, and it looks at the support that would help you keep going, which may include practical help, equipment, or a break.
Sharing responsibilities with siblings or other relatives also eases the load. Even those who cannot help hands-on can often take on paperwork, finances, or regular phone calls.
Taking the next step
If you are at the start of this, the most useful thing you can do is request a care needs assessment from your parent’s local council. It is free, it is your parent’s right, and it sets everything else in motion. If you would like to talk through the options for care at home, you can speak to our care team for a no-obligation conversation.
Frequently asked questions
Who can arrange a care needs assessment for a parent?
Anyone can request one on a parent’s behalf, with their permission, by contacting the adult social services team at their local council. The assessment is free and available regardless of income or savings.
How much does home care for a parent cost?
Visiting care in the UK typically costs around £26 to £38 per hour, averaging about £32, with London and the South East at the higher end. What you pay varies by provider, by how long and how often a carer visits, and by how much help your parent needs. Council funding, Attendance Allowance and NHS Continuing Healthcare can reduce the amount a family pays.
Can my parent stay at home instead of moving into a care home?
In most cases, yes. Visiting care and live-in care are designed to support people safely in their own home, often for years. A care home tends to become necessary only when needs grow beyond what home care can manage.
What is the difference between visiting care and live-in care?
Visiting care involves a carer coming to the home for planned visits, from a short daily call upwards. Live-in care means a carer lives in the home and provides round-the-clock support. Which suits your parent depends on how much help they need through the day and night.
Does the council pay for a parent’s care?
It depends on the financial assessment. In England, a parent with savings and assets above £23,250 pays the full cost; below that, the council contributes on a sliding scale. For care at home, the value of the property is not counted while your parent lives there.
