Elderly man smiling joyfully as a caregiver gently places a hand on his shoulder outdoors

How to Choose Home Care: A Family’s Guide to Researching Care Options in Lancashire

When it comes to finding care for an elderly parent or a loved one with health needs, knowing where to start can feel overwhelming. Knowing how to choose home care properly before making any decisions is one of the most valuable things a family can do. It can save money, reduce stress, and most importantly, lead to a better quality of life for the person receiving care.

At Unique Homecare, we support families across home care in Lancashire including Preston, Longridge, Garstang, Lancaster and Ribchester and we know from experience that the families who take time to explore their choices end up with far better outcomes. This guide walks you through everything you need to know.

This guide walks you through everything you need to know about how to choose home care that truly fits your loved one’s needs.

What Types of Care Are Available?

One of the first steps in how to choose home care is understanding what options actually exist, because the right type of care makes all the difference. Before settling on a provider, it helps to understand the main types of care available:

Domiciliary (Home) Care

Domiciliary care — also called home care or care at home is where a trained carer visits your loved one in their own home. Visits can range from 30-minute check-ins to multiple calls a day. This is one of the most popular choices because it allows people to remain in familiar surroundings while receiving professional support.

Live-In Care

A live-in carer moves into the home and provides round-the-clock support. This can be a genuine alternative to a residential care home, particularly for those with complex needs or who simply prefer to stay at home.

24-Hour Care

For those who need continuous support, 24-hour home care ensures someone is always on hand, day and night. This is particularly valuable for people living with dementia or recovering from a serious health episode.

Dementia Care at Home

Dementia care at home is a specialist service tailored to the unique challenges of the condition. A well-trained dementia carer can provide consistency, familiarity, and calm, all of which are vital for someone with dementia. Unique Homecare is an award-winning provider of dementia care across Lancashire, and our approach has been recognised at a national level.

Respite Care

Respite care gives family carers a break, whether for a few hours, a weekend, or longer. It ensures the person they care for continues to receive professional support in their absence.

Reablement Care

Reablement care is short-term, goal-focused care that helps someone regain independence after a hospital stay or illness. The aim is to help people get back to doing things for themselves rather than relying on long-term support.

End of Life Care

End of life care provides comfort, dignity, and emotional support for people approaching the end of their lives, allowing them to remain at home surrounded by loved ones. This often works alongside district nurses and hospice teams.

Companion Care

Companion care focuses on social and emotional support — conversation, walks, days out, and shared activities. For people who are otherwise independent but lonely or socially isolated, companion care can make an enormous difference to wellbeing.

Personal Care and Daily Assistance

This covers support with bathing, dressing, grooming, meal preparation, medication reminders, and household tasks, everything needed to help someone maintain their independence with dignity.

Key Things to Research Before Choosing a Home Care Provider

1. CQC Registration

When researching how to choose home care, the first thing to check is whether the provider is registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Always check that any provider you consider is CQC-registered. Unique Homecare is a CQC-registered provider, and you can verify our registration directly on the CQC website.

2. Experience and Specialisms

If your loved one has a specific condition — such as dementia, Parkinson’s, or a physical disability — look for a provider with proven experience in that area. Ask what specialist training their carers have received and whether they have dedicated care pathways for that condition.

3. Staff Training and Consistency

One of the most important (and often overlooked) factors in quality care is carer consistency. Constantly changing carers can be distressing, particularly for those with dementia or anxiety. Ask how the provider manages continuity of care and how staff are trained.

At Unique Homecare, all our Health and Wellbeing Team members are fully trained and DBS-checked. We prioritise matching carers to clients based on personality, interests, and needs — not just availability.

4. Reviews and Reputation

Read independent reviews on platforms such as homecare.co.uk and Google. Speak to people in your local area who have used the service. Word of mouth still carries enormous weight when it comes to choosing a home care provider in Preston, Longridge, or anywhere across Lancashire.

5. How Personalised Is the Care Plan?

Good home care is never one-size-fits-all. Before choosing a provider, ask how they assess needs, how the care plan is created, and how often it is reviewed. A reputable provider will carry out a proper assessment and tailor every aspect of the service to the individual.

Understanding Home Care Costs

Understanding costs is an essential part of how to choose home care that works within your budget. Prices vary depending on the type of support needed, the hours required, and the provider. Here is a general overview to help you plan:

Visiting home care (hourly): Typically ranges from £19–£35 per hour for private home care in Lancashire, depending on the level of care required.
Live-in care: Costs for a full-time live-in carer in the UK typically range from £900–£1,500 per week, again depending on the complexity of needs.
24-hour care: Costs vary significantly; speak directly to providers for an accurate quote based on individual circumstances.
Dementia care costs: Specialist dementia care may carry an additional cost due to the level of training and expertise required.

It is worth understanding that home care is often more cost-effective than a residential care home, especially when you factor in quality of life and the ability to remain in familiar surroundings.

For more detailed guidance on funding and paying for care, visit our Paying for Care page or read our What Families Need to Know guide.

Could You Be Eligible for Funded Care?

Many families don’t realise that funding options can completely change how to choose home care, what feels unaffordable privately may be partially or fully covered. Many families are not aware that they may be eligible for financial assistance towards the cost of care. Options worth exploring include:

NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC): Fully funded care for those with significant, complex health needs. Eligibility is assessed by your local NHS Clinical Commissioning Group.
Local Authority Care Funding: If your loved one has been assessed by social services and meets the eligibility criteria, the local authority may contribute towards care costs.
Attendance Allowance / Personal Independence Payment (PIP): These benefits can be used to help fund care at home.
Carer’s Allowance: If you are caring for someone yourself, you may be entitled to Carer’s Allowance.

We strongly recommend speaking with your local council’s adult social care team and, where possible, seeking independent financial advice before committing to any arrangement.

Questions to Ask a Home Care Provider

Many families don’t realise that funding options can completely change how to choose home care, what feels unaffordable privately may be partially or fully covered.

Are you CQC-registered and what was your most recent inspection rating?
How do you match carers to clients?
What happens if my regular carer is unavailable?
Do you have experience in caring for someone with specific condition?
How is the care plan created and how often is it reviewed?
What are your hourly rates and what is included?
Are your carers employed directly by you or are they self-employed?
Can we meet the carer before care begins?
How do you handle feedback and complaints?
Do you cover our area? (Unique Homecare covers Preston, Longridge, Lancaster, Morecambe, Ribchester, Garstang, Kendal, and surrounding areas.)

Why Families in Preston, Longridge & Lancashire Choose Unique Homecare

Unique Homecare was founded with a single aim: to do homecare differently. We recognised that the traditional model wasn’t working for many families — too many different carers, rushed visits, and care that felt impersonal. Our relationship-led approach puts the individual at the centre of everything.

Here is what sets us apart:

Award-winning dementia care — we are national finalists in the Dementia Care Awards
Consistent carers — we match carefully and prioritise long-term relationships
Holistic care model — our approach covers wellbeing, nutrition, stimulation, and exercise, not just task completion
Local knowledge — our teams are based in the communities they serve across Preston, Longridge, and the wider Lancashire area
Fully trained and DBS-checked staff
CQC-registered with strong inspection outcomes

Whether you are in the early stages of researching care options or ready to start a conversation, we are here to help — with no pressure and no obligation.

Start Your Research With a Conversation

Sometimes the most helpful thing when working out how to choose home care is simply speaking to someone who knows the sector well. Our team is happy to answer your questions, talk through the options for your loved one, and explain exactly how our service works.

📞 Call us: 01524 751751
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Unique Homecare Services Ltd — CQC Registered. Serving families across Preston, Longridge, Lancaster, Morecambe, Ribchester, Garstang, Kendal, and surrounding Lancashire communities.