Hourly home care provides a flexible and reassuring way to support your loved one, giving them the help they need without requiring them to leave their cherished home. It’s a solution designed around your family's schedule and your loved one's specific needs, balancing professional support with the desire to maintain independence.
Many families find themselves trying to juggle work, their own lives, and the growing needs of a loved one. You might worry that the only options are either a disruptive relocation to residential care or overwhelming full-time support. This guide is here to explain a practical and popular alternative. We will explore what hourly in-home care involves and who it best suits.
You will discover how this type of home care and support works in real-life situations, giving you the clarity to decide if it's the right choice for your family. It allows your loved one to receive tailored assistance and person-centred care, from help with morning routines to companionship in the afternoon, all within their familiar surroundings.
When we describe hourly care services, we are referring to a service where a professional carer visits your loved one's home for a set amount of time. This can be for as little as a few hours a day or week, depending entirely on your family’s needs. Unlike live-in care, where a carer resides in the home, hourly care is about providing support at specific, scheduled times. This is often called visiting care.
The focus is on providing targeted assistance exactly when it’s needed. Perhaps your loved one struggles with their morning routine but is fine for the rest of the day. Or maybe they need help preparing an evening meal and assistance with their medication routine.
An hourly carer can be organised for these specific periods. This approach ensures that help at home is always there at the most crucial times of the day, allowing your loved one to live their day-to-day life with confidence and dignity in their own home. It is a fully managed service, ensuring reliability and peace of mind.
Hourly home care is an excellent option for a wide range of situations. It is particularly well-suited for people who are still largely independent but require some additional support with certain aspects of their daily routine.
It bridges the gap for those who don’t need the constant presence of a live-in carer but would benefit from regular, professional assistance. Our compassionate carers are trained to support people in many different circumstances.
Consider if any of these situations sound familiar:
One of the greatest strengths of hourly home care services is the sheer breadth of support available. A visiting carer can help with a wide variety of tasks, making a real difference in your loved one’s ability to live life to the full.
At Tiggo Care, we create a bespoke hourly care package tailored to each person’s specific needs. Our goal is to provide practical help that improves quality of life. Here are some of the key services our hourly carers can provide:
Personal care includes sensitive assistance with washing, dressing, grooming, and using the toilet. Our professional carers deliver this support with the utmost dignity and respect.
Our carers can assist with routines, ensuring your loved one takes their prescribed medicines at the correct times. This is a vital part of medication management.
Keeping a house in order can become challenging. Our carers can help with light housekeeping, laundry, and changing bed linens, ensuring the home remains a clean and pleasant place to live.
Good nutrition is vital. A carer visiting can cook nutritious meals, prepare snacks, and ensure your loved one is eating and drinking well, following any dietary advice from other health professionals.
We can assist your loved one with moving safely around their home, reducing the risk of falls, and helping them with exercises outlined by their physiotherapist.
A carer can do the weekly food shop or collect prescriptions, which can be a huge help for someone with limited mobility.
Sometimes, the most valuable thing a carer can offer is their company. They can chat over a cup of tea, play a game of cards, or simply be a friendly face, enhancing your loved one’s mental well-being.
We can escort your loved one to medical appointments with their GP or other healthcare professionals. They can also help them attend social clubs or visit friends in the local community.
Choosing a care service is a big decision, and you want to be sure it offers real, tangible benefits. Hourly home care provides a unique blend of flexibility, support, and independence that can transform your loved one’s quality of life and give you peace of mind. It allows you to organise support for as many hours as you need, without the upheaval of moving into a specialist setting.
First and foremost, this service helps your loved one maintain independence. They stay in control of their life and daily routines, receiving help only where it is needed. This is much preferred to the rigid schedules often found in residential homes.
Your loved one receives the full attention of a dedicated carer during their visit. This one-to-one care is simply not possible in a care home environment. We often ensure it is the same carer for each visit to build rapport and trust.
There is no substitute for the comfort of one’s own home. Being surrounded by treasured memories, pets, and a familiar neighbourhood provides immense emotional comfort, particularly for people with conditions like dementia.
Needs can change. Hourly visiting care is incredibly flexible. You can easily increase or decrease the number of hours or change the types of support required as your loved one’s personal circumstances change. We can provide ongoing support that adapts to you.
Knowing that a trained and compassionate professional is checking in on your loved one offers incredible reassurance. It relieves the pressure on family carers and allows you to enjoy quality time with your relative, rather than worrying about their practical needs.
Compared to the high fees of a care home or full-time live-in care services, hourly care is a more affordable option. You only pay for the time and support you actually need, making care costs more manageable.
Understanding the potential care costs is a crucial step in planning for care. The hourly cost for a carer in the UK typically starts from around £20 per hour, but this can vary based on your location and the complexity of care needs.
For example, providing specialist care may have a different rate than companionship visits. The key benefit is that you are only paying for the support you require, whether it is for a one-hour visit or several hours each day.
There are several ways to fund home care, and it is worth exploring all the options available to you.
If your loved one has savings and assets above £23,250 in England, they will likely be expected to fund their own care or self-fund.
If their assets are below this threshold, you may be eligible for partial or full funding from your local authority. You can request a needs and financial assessment from your local authority to see if you qualify for financial support.
If the council agrees to contribute to funding, you can ask to receive the money as a direct payment. This gives you more control to organise care visits with a provider you choose, like Tiggo Care.
If your loved one has significant and ongoing health needs, they may be eligible for NHS CHC funding. This is not means-tested and would cover the full cost of their care. You should consult their GP for advice on whether they may be eligible.
Many families use a combination of these funding sources to cover the cost. It is also worth checking eligibility for benefits like Attendance Allowance, which is not means-tested and can help with the costs of care.
Choosing a reputable home care provider like Tiggo Care ensures transparency in hourly care costs from the very beginning.
Choosing how to support a loved one is one of the most important decisions you will make. Hourly home care offers a practical, flexible solution that puts your loved one's needs and wishes first. It allows them to thrive in the comfort of their own home, knowing all our carers are dedicated to providing the highest quality service. From assistance with personal care tasks to providing companionship, this form of support is designed to maximise well-being and independence.
At Tiggo Care, we are committed to providing a home service that you can trust. We follow standards set by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). We start with a comprehensive assessment to fully understand your needs and create a personalised care plan. Our care team is built on a foundation of compassion, professionalism, and respect.
If you believe your loved one could benefit from some extra hourly support, we invite you to get in touch. Contact us to discuss arranging care for your loved one in London.
Hourly care is a type of care service where a professional carer visits you at home for a set number of hours to provide help with specific tasks. This can range from just one hour to several hours a day, offering a flexible way to receive ongoing support. It allows you to get the help you need while maintaining your daily routine.
The most common services revolve around helping people with their daily routines to live comfortably and safely at home. This often includes personal care, such as help with washing and dressing, assistance with medication, and meal preparation. Companionship and help with household tasks are also very common requests.
The main difference is that with live-in care, a carer lives in the home to provide round-the-clock support, which is suitable for people with more intensive needs. With hourly care, a visiting carer comes to the home for scheduled visits each day or week. This makes hourly home care visits a more flexible option for those who do not require constant nursing care.
Yes, Tiggo Care is proud to offer our full range of hourly care services across London and the surrounding areas. We have a dedicated care team of local carers ready to provide the same service excellence our clients expect.
Get in touch with Tiggo Care today to see how we can help you or your loved one.
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