What is a Home Carer? And how can I become one?

A home carer is someone who provides personal care services to people living in their own homes. They may live in the home with a patient or simply visit regularly. A home carer might be employed by a home care agency or work directly with a client.

How to Become a Self-Employed Carer?

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What are home carers called?

You might find a home carer called a domiciliary carer, care assistant or live-in carer. If you are unsure of the meanings of any of these terms, consult our guide on the definitions of various carer titles.

What are the duties of a home carer?

A home carer will take on various duties in performing their job. Some clients may be looking for simple companionship, while others will need help with personal care or even changing catheters.

A summary of all the duties a home carer may be asked to help with:

Personal Care Duties

• Bathing
• Feeding
• Toileting
• Dressing
• Grooming
• Medication reminders

Household Help

• Light housekeeping
• Meal preparation
• Transportation

Emotional Support

• Companionship
• Respite care

Home carers often work part-time and receive training through colleges, vocational schools, adult education programs, or other organisations.

How much do home carers cost?

The best answer to this question is to consult our pricing page. We have live and up-to-date prices for the 1000+ carers on our platform, with the average cost for a single hour of care sitting at around £17.50/hr, while the cost for 6 hours or longer shift drops to £16.40/hr.

If you’re looking for a live-in carer, you can expect to pay £140/day for a normal complexity job and up to £167/day for a more complex job involving a couple or highly dependent patients.

How can I become a home carer?

In short, to become a home carer, you should have a relevant qualification such as the care certificate. Failing that, you should have suitable experience from another similar role.

Your next step is finding a client if you’ve got these qualifications. We’ve got a full guide on getting set up as a self-employed carer.

We hope this article helps to clear up this question for you and gives you access to some followup reading should you need to find out more.