When you’re looking at home care vs care homes or nursing homes, it can feel hard to know which is right. It’s often an urgent decision too, coming after an illness or injury, or when you suddenly realise that you or a loved one can no longer manage alone. 

In this guide, we’ll talk about the pros and cons of domiciliary and residential care, and look at whether a care home or home care is right for you or your loved one.

If you’re urgently looking for help, Find Your Room is here for you. Use our care home finder and home care search to find care near you. 

Home care: the basics

Home care is where a professional care worker supports you in your own home. They might deliver personal care, provide companionship, or help you with housekeeping.

Some people only need a few short care visits each week, whereas others need 24-hour care and supervision. Depending on your needs, home care workers can visit you to provide care, or they can live in with you to provide support throughout the day and night.

You may also hear home care called domiciliary care, in-home care, or care at home. If your carer lives with you, it’s known as live in care.

Find out more about home care.

Why choose home care?

Lots of people like home care because they get to stay in their own home and keep some of their independence. This is usually much less stressful than moving. Staying at home is often especially important for people who live with family members and pets. 

Advantages of home care:

 

  • Independence: Home care is designed to suit you and your needs. With the help of your carers, you can stay as independent as possible. For example, you can choose your own daily routines, getting up and eating meals when you choose. Many people appreciate staying involved in shopping, meal preparation and housekeeping, too. 

 

  • Familiarity and comfort: You can stay in your own home, surrounded by familiar belongings, and remain part of your community. There’s no need to move away from your partner, family, or pets, and you can continue to see your local GP, dentist, and other healthcare providers.

 

  • Individual care: When your carer is visiting you, they’re focused solely on your needs. In a care home, care workers might be called away to emergencies with other clients.

 

  • Cost: Home care generally costs less than full-time care in a care or nursing home. With home care, you usually only pay for the hours of care that you need. 

 

  • Quicker to set up: If you need care urgently, you can usually find a care agency that can provide support quickly. 

Disadvantages of home care

Home care isn’t right for everyone, though. For example, if you need a lot of care and supervision throughout the day and night, it might be safer and more cost-effective to consider residential care. 

Disadvantages of home care:

 

  • Risk of isolation: Many older people and those with care needs are at risk of loneliness, especially if they live alone or find it hard to leave the house. Some weeks, you might only see your carer. 

 

  • Safety risks: Some people may need constant supervision – for example, some people with dementia, learning disabilities, or significant mobility issues might not be able to live safely on their own. Home care doesn’t always provide 24-hour supervision, and some clients may be at risk of falls, injuries, or other incidents.

 

  • Need to adapt your home: If you’ve recently developed mobility issues, your home may not be suitable. You might need to install a stair lift or grab rails, or even widen doorways. These adaptations can all be time-consuming and expensive.

 

  • Potentially high costs: If you or your loved one need 24-hour care or a live in carer, home care might not be cheaper than residential care. 

Residential care: the basics

Residential care is where you live in a care home, nursing home, or supported living scheme, and receive support from the staff team there. Depending on the residential care facility, your care might be delivered by carers or trained nurses. 

Care and nursing homes generally provide meals, activities, and housekeeping services for their residents. The facilities and services offered in a supported living scheme may vary, but care, activity support, and housekeeping are all usually available. 

Some care and nursing homes cater mainly for people with certain health conditions, or people in a particular age group. Others accept people with a variety of conditions, as long as they can support their needs. 

Find out more about how to choose a care home and make sure you’ve found the right place for you or your loved one.

If you or your loved one have complex health needs, or require medical support throughout the day and night, you may want to consider a nursing home. Nursing homes provide 24-hour care to their residents, and always have at least one nurse on site. 

Why choose residential care?

Many people choose to move to care or nursing homes because they can no longer live safely in their own home. They may want the peace of mind that comes from knowing care workers are available in an emergency, as well as the ability to live in a building that’s fully accessible. Lots of care home residents also really appreciate the opportunity to socialise with other people living in the facility.

Advantages of residential care:

  • Constant care and supervision: If you need care throughout the day and night, a residential care facility could be the right choice for you. Staff will be on site 24-hours a day, and will be available if you need help in an emergency, as well as for your scheduled care visits. 

 

  • Nursing care available: For people who need medical support, nursing homes should be able to accommodate your needs. Whether you have a lifelong complex health condition or you’re recovering from an illness or injury, the on-site nurses and care assistants should be able to support you.

 

  • Meals and housekeeping provided: Care home residents don’t need to worry about preparing meals, cleaning, or doing laundry, as this is usually included as part of the service charge.

 

  • Socialisation with other residents: Living with other people means that you’re less likely to feel lonely and isolated. Most care and nursing homes run a variety of activities to help residents socialise and stay busy.

 

  • Accessibility: The building should be fully accessible, and you won’t need to make alterations to your home. Most residential care facilities will have wider doorways for your wheelchair, grab rails in the bathroom and hallways, step-free access to the outside, and lift access to upper floors. 

Disadvantages of care homes and nursing homes

Residential care might not be the right choice for you or your loved one. Care homes and nursing homes can be expensive, and some people struggle with the stress of moving and the loss of independence. 

Disadvantages of residential care:

  • Cost: Residential care is often significantly more expensive than home care. 

 

  • Loss of independence and privacy: Care home residents often need to follow the home’s schedule for meals, activities, and bedtimes. You might not have much choice when it comes to food, decoration, or outings. Some people also find it hard to adjust to living out of one room – especially if you’re encouraged to leave your bedroom door open or unlocked for safety.

 

  • Stress of moving: It’s difficult and stressful to move house – especially if you need to do it urgently, or as a result of an illness or injury. People with dementia and autistic people might find the change particularly hard to handle. 

 

  • Leaving family and community: In many cases, moving to a care home means living away from your partner, pets, and other family members. When you move to a care or nursing home, you’ll also probably need to find a new GP. Depending on your situation, you may have to move to a care home in a different area, which means your family and friends will find it more difficult to visit. 

Care home or home care: which is right for me?

Deciding between care homes and home care is a very personal decision, and there’s no right or wrong answer. However, sometimes one option feels safer or makes more sense for your personal circumstances.

If you can’t continue to live safely in your current home, but don’t feel ready for a care or nursing home, you could consider supported living. 

We’ve put together some questions that might help you choose whether you’d prefer a care home or home care. 

Home care vs care home: which is right for you?

 

  • Do you need 24-hour care or supervision, or nursing care? If so, a care or nursing home might be the safer and more cost-effective choice – although home carers may be able to handle your needs.

 

  • Do you want to stay with your partner, family, or pets? If so, home care might be the right choice for you.

 

  • Are you lonely in your current home? Residential care might give you more opportunities for socialising.

 

  • Do you enjoy preparing meals, gardening, or housekeeping? Home care will allow you to stay involved with all of these tasks.

 

  • Do you prefer to keep to your usual routines? If you have strong preferences for your own routines, timekeeping, and meal choices, home care might be preferable.

 

  • Would you need to make significant changes to your current home? If you need to widen doorways, install lifts, or change the layout of your home, it might be easier to move to a care home. 

Home care vs nursing home for someone with dementia

People with dementia might find it traumatic to move from their current home, and they may become more confused after they’ve moved to a care home. However, as their illness progresses, home care might not be suitable – they may need more specialised care and constant supervision than home carers can provide. 

If you’re looking for dementia care for a loved one, involve them in your decisions. Encourage them to visit care and nursing homes with you, and talk to them about their wishes for the future. 

Is home care cheaper than a care home?

Home care is usually cheaper than moving into a care home. However, if you or your loved one need 24-hour support or live in care, this might be more expensive.

Depending on your situation, you may be entitled to help from your local authority or the NHS when it comes to paying for care.

How do I find a care home or home care?

You may already have a residential facility or home care worker lined up. But if you don’t, Find Your Room can help. Simply use our care search, enter your location, and look for suitable care services near you.