What home care covers
Home care typically includes personal care (washing, dressing, continence), medication prompting or administration, meal preparation, light household tasks, companionship, and sometimes more clinical tasks under direction from a nurse. Different agencies specialise in different ends of this range.
The three arrangement models
Home care can be arranged through a managed agency, an introductory agency, or by hiring a carer directly. The differences in cost, oversight, and family responsibility are significant. See How Care is Arranged for the full breakdown.
Continuity of carer
Continuity is arguably the most important quality factor in home care. Ask: how many different carers will visit in a typical week? Who covers when the regular carer is on holiday? A clear, confident answer is a good sign; a vague answer usually means continuity is not being actively managed.
Visit length
Fifteen-minute visits cannot deliver good personal care. They are the result of commissioning pressure, not a care standard. An adequate visit for personal care is usually 30 to 60 minutes depending on the tasks. Companionship calls and longer support sessions can run to several hours. Be clear about what each visit is meant to achieve.
What good home care looks like
Good home care means carers who know the person, not just the care plan. It means prompt communication when something changes, proactive flagging of health concerns, and a flexible response when needs change. It means the office answering the phone when you call.
CQC registration
Domiciliary care agencies must be CQC registered. Independent carers hired directly are not. See Regulated and Unregulated Care for what this protects you from and where the gaps are.