Domiciliary care costs (UK home care) glossary: 36 terms explained in plain English

The words you’ll come across with cost of domiciliary care (UK), explained simply by Rising Star Care Solutions. Each term starts with a short answer, then why it matters to you. A What is Attendance Allowance? Attendance Allowance is a tax-free benefit paid by the Department for Work and Pensions to people over State Pension […]

The words you’ll come across with cost of domiciliary care (UK), explained simply by Rising Star Care Solutions. Each term starts with a short answer, then why it matters to you.

A

What is Attendance Allowance?

Attendance Allowance is a tax-free benefit paid by the Department for Work and Pensions to people over State Pension age who have an illness or disability and need help with personal care or supervision. It is not means-tested and is paid at a higher or lower rate.

Why it matters: Because it is not means-tested, your parent may be able to claim it whether or not they self-fund, and it can help towards the cost of care.

C

What is care coordinator?

A care coordinator is the office-based person who organises an agency’s care. They typically match carers to clients, build rotas, handle schedule changes, and act as the main contact for families when something needs to be arranged or sorted out.

Why it matters: With a busy job, having one named person to call about visit times or changes saves you chasing around and helps problems get fixed quickly.

What is care needs assessment?

A care needs assessment is a review of what help someone needs with daily life, such as washing, eating, moving around or managing medication. Your local council must offer one to adults who may need care, whatever their finances. Private agencies often do their own assessment too.

Why it matters: It sets out what your parent actually needs, which shapes the visits, the cost and any council funding you might be entitled to.

What is care plan?

A care plan is a written record of the support a person will receive, how it will be delivered and what matters to them. It is based on their assessment and covers tasks, visit times, preferences and risks. It should be reviewed as their needs change.

Why it matters: It gives you and your relative a clear reference for what should happen at each visit, which helps when you can’t be there yourself.

What is Care Quality Commission (CQC)?

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and social care in England. It registers, inspects and rates home care agencies, and publishes its reports and ratings publicly. Families can check whether a provider is meeting required standards before choosing one.

Why it matters: A quick look at an agency’s CQC report gives you independent evidence of its quality, which is useful when you can’t be there to see the care yourself.

What is care review?

A care review is a scheduled check on whether someone’s care is still working for them. It looks at their health, routine, safety and wishes. It can lead to changes in visits, tasks or support, and it is also usually held after a hospital stay or a change in needs.

Why it matters: Needs often change gradually, so a review lets you adjust care as your parent’s needs change, for example by adding help with meals or mobility, without having to start again.

What is care worker (carer)?

A care worker, often called a carer, is a trained person who supports someone in their own home with daily living. This can include washing, dressing, meals, mobility, medication prompts and companionship, all following the person’s agreed care plan and preferences.

Why it matters: Your parent will spend the most time with their carer, so the carer’s training, manner and consistency shape how safe and happy they feel at home.

What is companionship care?

Companionship care is support that focuses on company and wellbeing rather than physical help. A care worker might chat, walk, share a meal, join a hobby or go with your parent to appointments. It can ease loneliness and can be combined with personal care if needs change.

Why it matters: If your parent is safe physically but isolated while you are at work, a regular visit for company may suit them better than a full care package.

What is continuity of care?

Continuity of care is being supported by the same small group of carers, following one consistent plan, over time. Carers learn your parent’s routines, preferences and small changes in health. Your parent also avoids explaining their needs to a stranger at every visit.

Why it matters: If you work full-time, a familiar carer is more likely to notice and report small changes in your parent that you would otherwise miss.

D

What is dementia care?

Dementia care is support designed for people living with memory loss, confusion or changes in behaviour. At home it usually means consistent carers, calm routines, prompting with daily tasks and patient communication. The aim is to keep the person comfortable, safe and as independent as possible in familiar surroundings.

Why it matters: If your parent’s memory is declining, familiar faces and steady routines at home can reduce distress, and they can ease your worry while you are at work.

What is direct payment vs agency-managed care?

A direct payment is money the council pays to you or your relative so you can arrange care yourself. Agency-managed care is where a care provider recruits, trains, schedules and supervises the carers for you. With a direct payment you do more of the organising. With an agency, the provider handles it.

Why it matters: If you have a demanding job, an agency can handle rotas, cover for sickness and supervision, whereas arranging care yourself with a direct payment means you take on those tasks and responsibilities.

What is direct payments?

Direct payments are money the council pays to you or your parent so you can arrange and buy the care in the personal budget yourselves, instead of the council arranging it. They can be used to pay a registered home care agency. Records of spending are usually required.

Why it matters: They let you choose an agency that fits your parent’s routine and your working hours, though you take on some of the admin.

What is domiciliary care?

Domiciliary care is support delivered in your own home by trained care workers from an agency, so you can stay independent. It can include help with washing, dressing, meals, medication and company. In England, agencies providing personal care must be registered with the Care Quality Commission.

Why it matters: Knowing the term helps you compare agencies on equal terms and check that the one you choose is properly registered before you rely on it for a parent.

F

What is financial assessment (means test)?

A financial assessment, or means test, is a council check of your parent’s income, savings and some assets. It decides whether the council will contribute to their care costs and how much your parent pays. It takes place after a care needs assessment and is separate from it.

Why it matters: The result shows whether you should plan for council help, partial contributions or paying privately, so it is worth preparing your parent’s financial paperwork in advance.

H

What is home care?

Home care is any practical or personal support that helps someone live safely in their own home. It covers everything from a short daily visit to regular longer visits. The term is used loosely and often means the same as domiciliary care, so check what a provider actually includes.

Why it matters: Because providers use the phrase differently, asking exactly which tasks are covered stops you paying for something that doesn’t match what your parent needs.

What is hourly rate?

Hourly rate is the price an agency charges for each hour of care delivered at home. Agencies usually set it by the type of visit, the time of day and the level of support needed. It often differs for evenings, weekends and bank holidays.

Why it matters: A low headline rate can hide extra charges, so ask what the quoted rate covers before you compare agencies on price.

L

What is live-in care?

Live-in care is when a care worker stays in your relative’s home for an agreed period and provides support throughout the day. They usually have a break and a bedroom of their own. It suits people who need regular support, or company, at many points through the day and night.

Why it matters: If visits are no longer enough, it is the main alternative, so understanding it helps you plan ahead and compare costs.

What is local authority funding?

Local authority funding is help from the council towards care costs for adults who qualify under the Care Act 2014. The council first assesses care needs, then checks finances. Some people get full or partial support, while others pay the full cost even though their needs are recognised.

Why it matters: Knowing how this works early helps you plan: your parent’s needs may be recognised without the council paying for their care.

M

What is medication support?

Medication support is help with taking medicines safely and on time. Depending on the care plan, it can mean a reminder, prompting, or a carer handing over or giving medicines and recording each dose. The level of help should be agreed in writing beforehand.

Why it matters: Missed or doubled doses can be dangerous, so a clear written arrangement means you know exactly who is responsible for your parent’s medicines.

What is minimum visit length (30 minutes / 1 hour)?

Minimum visit length is the shortest time an agency will book for a single home care visit, often 30 minutes or 1 hour. You pay for at least that time even if the tasks finish sooner. Longer minimums usually allow a less rushed, more personal visit.

Why it matters: It affects both the total bill and the quality of each visit, so choose a length that matches the tasks your parent needs help with.

What is mobility and transfers (hoisting)?

Mobility and transfers describes the help someone needs to move safely. That includes standing, walking, getting in and out of bed or a chair, and using the toilet. Hoisting means using a mechanical lift for people who cannot safely move themselves, and it needs trained carers and suitable equipment.

Why it matters: If your parent needs help to move, ask whether the carers are trained for it, whether one or two carers are needed per visit and who provides the equipment, because this affects both safety and cost.

N

What is NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC)?

NHS Continuing Healthcare is ongoing care arranged and paid for by the NHS for adults with a primary health need, meaning their care is driven mainly by health rather than social needs. It is not means-tested, and eligibility is decided through a formal NHS assessment.

Why it matters: If your parent’s needs are mainly medical, eligibility could change who pays for care, so it is worth asking the NHS about an assessment before committing to private costs.

What is no minimum hours?

No minimum hours means an agency does not require you to buy a set number of care hours each week. You arrange only the time your relative needs, and can usually change it as their needs change. Check how this works alongside the minimum length of each visit.

Why it matters: If your parent only needs help at certain points in the week, or your needs are still unclear, you can start small and avoid paying for hours you don’t use.

What is notice period and cancellation terms?

Notice period and cancellation terms are the rules in your contract for ending or changing care. They state how much warning you or the agency must give. They also say whether you pay for visits cancelled at short notice, for example when a parent goes into hospital.

Why it matters: Needs can change quickly, so knowing these terms in advance helps you avoid paying for care you can’t use and lets you adjust without penalty.

O

What is overnight care (waking night / sleeping night)?

Overnight care is support given through the night in your own home. With a waking night, the carer stays awake and alert all night. With a sleeping night, the carer sleeps on the premises and is woken only if needed. Waking nights usually cost more because they involve more active support.

Why it matters: Choosing the right type means your parent gets safe cover at night, and you aren’t paying for more support than they need.

P

What is personal budget?

A personal budget is the amount of money the council has worked out is needed to meet your parent’s eligible care needs, as set out in their care and support plan. It can be managed by the council, taken as direct payments, or split between the two.

Why it matters: It tells you how much funding is available for care, so you can check whether it covers the hours and type of support your parent actually needs.

What is personal care?

Personal care is hands-on help with intimate everyday tasks such as washing, bathing, dressing, using the toilet, and eating and drinking. In England, agencies providing it must be registered with the Care Quality Commission, which sets it apart from help with housework or shopping alone.

Why it matters: If your parent needs this kind of help, you should confirm that the agency is registered and that the care workers are trained to provide it.

What is power of Attorney (Lasting Power of Attorney)?

A Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) is a legal document that lets someone you trust make decisions for you if you can no longer make them yourself. There are two types: one for health and welfare, and one for property and financial affairs. It must be registered before it can be used.

Why it matters: If your parent’s health declines, having an LPA in place lets you arrange care and handle bills for them, and it can avoid delays when decisions are urgent.

R

What is registered manager?

A registered manager is the person approved by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to run a care service day to day. They are legally responsible for making sure the agency meets required standards. They oversee the care staff, the quality and safety of care, and how complaints are handled.

Why it matters: Knowing who the registered manager is gives you a named person to contact if you are worried about your parent’s care and the day-to-day running of the service.

What is respite care?

Respite care is short-term care that gives a regular carer, such as a family member, a break. It can happen at home or in a care home, and can last a few hours, days or weeks. People use it for holidays, illness or simply to rest.

Why it matters: If you are a working professional covering most of your parent’s care, home-based respite with no minimum hours lets you arrange only the cover you need, such as a few hours or a weekend.

S

What is safeguarding?

Safeguarding is protecting adults from abuse, neglect and harm, and supporting their right to live safely. In home care, that means carers are safely recruited and trained, know the warning signs and report concerns promptly. Under the Care Act 2014, councils have legal duties to look into safeguarding concerns.

Why it matters: Your parent will be alone with carers in their own home, so you need to be confident the agency vets and trains its staff and knows how to raise a concern.

What is self-funding?

Self-funding means paying for care yourself from income, savings or other resources, rather than relying on the council or NHS. Some people choose this and others do so because their finances are above the council’s limits. You can then contract directly with the agency you prefer.

Why it matters: Self-funding gives you more choice over the agency, visit times and type of care, but you will want to understand the hourly rate and any extra charges before you agree.

What is service user agreement (contract)?

A service user agreement is the written contract between the person receiving care and the care agency. It sets out what care will be provided, visit times, charges, how and when you are billed, what happens if plans change, and how to make a complaint.

Why it matters: Reading it before you sign shows you the full cost and your rights, so there are no surprises later.

T

What is travel time charges?

Travel time charges are fees some care providers add for the time carers spend getting between visits. Some agencies build this cost into the hourly rate. Others show it as a separate line on the invoice. Practice varies, so it is worth asking before you sign anything.

Why it matters: Knowing how travel is charged lets you compare quotes fairly, because two agencies with the same hourly rate can give very different final bills.

V

What is visiting care?

Visiting care is when a care worker comes to your relative’s home for set visits, such as morning and evening, and then leaves. Visits vary in length and number depending on need. It suits people who are fairly independent but need help at key points in the day.

Why it matters: It lets you pay only for the times of day when help is needed, which can fit a parent who manages well in between.

W

What is weekend and bank holiday rates?

Weekend and bank holiday rates are the higher hourly charges some agencies apply for care on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. Not every agency charges them, and the size of the uplift varies from one agency to another.

Why it matters: If your parent needs visits at weekends or on public holidays, these rates can change your monthly cost, so check how they appear on your quote and invoice.

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