Types of Home Care Compared
The direct answer
Home care comes in seven main forms, and most families use more than one over time. Visiting care is scheduled visits at set points in the day. Overnight care puts a carer in the home at night. Live-in care means a carer lives in the home. Respite care is any of these for a fixed period to give a family carer a break. Reablement and post-hospital care are short, goal-led packages after illness or a hospital stay. End of life care supports someone to die at home. Companionship care is visits built around company and activity rather than personal care. The right type depends on how much support is needed, when, and whether the person is safe alone between visits.
Written by the Starling Homecare leadership team and reviewed by Rupen Faldu, Managing Director and the provider’s nominated individual. Last reviewed 24 October 2026; next review by April 2027. Sources are listed at the end of this page.
The types at a glance
- Visiting care: the foundation; from one visit a week to several a day.
- Overnight care: sleeping or waking nights, 10pm to 7am.
- Live-in care: one carer living in, the usual alternative to a care home.
- Respite care: a break for the family carer, for a weekend or a fortnight.
- Reablement and post-hospital care: short-term, aimed at getting independence back.
- End of life and palliative care: comfort and dignity at home, alongside the NHS and hospice.
- Companionship care: company, activities and getting out.
Side by side
| Type | What it is | Who it suits | Starling Homecare fee (2026) | Our page |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visiting care | Scheduled visits from 30 minutes, 7am to 10pm | Most people; help at set points in the day | From £34 per 30-minute visit | Visiting care |
| Overnight care | A carer in the home 10pm to 7am, sleeping or waking | Night-time falls, confusion, end of life, respite for a family carer | From £357 per night | Overnight care |
| Live-in care | A carer lives in the home and is on hand through the day | Round-the-clock need; couples; the alternative to a care home | From £255 per day | Live-in care |
| Respite care | Any of the above for a fixed period | Giving a family carer a break; recovery after illness | As visiting, overnight or live-in | Respite care |
| Reablement and post-hospital care | Short-term, goal-led visits to rebuild independence | The weeks after a hospital stay, operation or illness | As visiting care; council reablement may be free for up to six weeks | Post-hospital care |
| End of life and palliative care | Visits, overnight or live-in, with comfort and dignity first | Someone who wants to die at home, and their family | As visiting, overnight or live-in | End-of-life care |
| Companionship care | Visits focused on company, activities and getting out | Loneliness, isolation, keeping active | As visiting care | Companionship care |
Fees are Starling Homecare’s 2026 weekday rates, checked on 24 October 2026; weekend rates are slightly higher and the full fee sheet is on our cost of home care in Hertfordshire page.
Visiting care or live-in care
The question is whether the person is safe and content alone between visits. If they are, visiting care is cheaper, less intrusive and keeps the home their own. If they are not, because of dementia, falls at night, or needs that arise at unpredictable times, live-in care or a move to a care home are the options, and for many families live-in care at home is the one they choose. Our guide to live-in care or a care home sets out that comparison.
When overnight care is the answer
Many people manage well by day and struggle at night: getting to the bathroom, confusion in the dark, a partner who cannot lift them. Overnight care solves the night without changing the day, and is often the step that lets a couple stay together at home.
Short term first
After a hospital stay, a fall or a bereavement, families often start with a short, intensive package and step it down as the person recovers. Hertfordshire County Council can provide reablement free of charge for up to six weeks where the person is eligible, after which care is means tested; our care funding guide explains the rules. A regulated provider has no fixed-term contracts, so a package can start, grow, shrink or stop as life changes. Starling Homecare’s arrangement is 90 days in which the client can stop at any time, then 28 days’ notice.
Every type above can be shaped around a specific condition: the tasks are similar, but the planning and the carers’ knowledge differ. Starling Homecare has dedicated pages for care with dementia, Parkinson’s, stroke, MS, FND, brain injury, cancer, arthritis, diabetes, sensory impairment and physical disability, plus falls prevention and stoma and catheter care.
Nursing care at home, where registered nurses deliver clinical treatment, is a separate regulated service that most home care providers do not offer. Day centres, sheltered housing, extra care housing and care homes are settings rather than home care, though home care can be provided into sheltered and extra care housing. A privately employed carer or one introduced by an agency is not regulated home care; our guide to private carers versus regulated care explains the difference.
Common questions about the types of home care
Can the types be combined?
Yes, and they usually are. A typical package might be morning and evening visits with an overnight carer twice a week, or live-in care with a second carer for a daily break. The care plan sets it out and it changes as needs do.
Is live-in care cheaper than a care home?
Often, for one person it is comparable and for a couple it is usually cheaper, because one live-in carer supports both. Starling Homecare’s live-in care is from £255 a day for one person and from £295 a day for a couple (2026 rates). Our guide to live-in care or a care home compares the two in detail.
What is reablement?
Short-term, goal-led support, usually up to six weeks, aimed at helping someone regain skills and confidence after illness or a hospital stay rather than doing things for them. Councils can provide it free of charge where a person is eligible; providers also offer it privately as post-hospital care.
Where to go next
- Read the cost of home care in Hertfordshire for the full fee sheet and funding routes.
- Read how to choose a home care provider before you contact anyone.
- To talk through which type fits, call Starling Homecare on 01727 324 127 or request a callback.
Sources
- Care and support statutory guidance, Department of Health and Social Care, GOV.UK, accessed 24 October 2026.
- Adult social services, Hertfordshire County Council, accessed 24 October 2026.
- Minimum Price for Homecare 2026 to 2027, Homecare Association, 19 January 2026, accessed 24 October 2026.
Arranging Care Is Simple
Starting care can feel like a big step. We keep it calm and straightforward, and we are here from your very first call to help you explore what might feel right, whether that is with us or simply pointing you in the right direction.
1. Talk to us
Get in touch by phone or request a callback. We will listen, answer your questions and help you understand the options, so you can decide in your own time.
2. A home visit and initial consultation
We arrange a visit to understand your routines, your home and what matters most to you. Together we agree an initial consultation and shape the support that feels right.
3. Your care begins
A small, familiar team starts your care, arriving at the agreed times and staying involved as your needs change. We remain your trusted adviser throughout.
Whenever you are ready, we are here to help.