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Alternatives to Elder for live-in care

Elder is an introductory agency for live-in care: it introduces you to a self-employed carer and you engage them directly. The alternatives fall into two groups, other introductory services that work the same way, and managed agencies that employ the carer and are registered with the CQC. These are the ones families are most often pointed to.

By PrimeCarers, the service that wrote this comparison  ·  Updated October 2026  ·  6 min read

What it is

What Elder is, in its own words

Elder describes itself as an introductory care agency helping families find vetted, self-employed carers for care at home, and says introductory agencies like it do not need to register with the CQC. You engage the carer directly. It says each carer passes identity, right to work and enhanced DBS or PVG checks, that it verifies at least two professional references where possible, and that it runs a situational and character assessment.

Care starts with a two-week trial, then a two-week notice period applies, and Elder introduces cover carers when you need them. We did not find a live-in price on Elder's own pages. On Trustpilot Elder showed 4.8 from 908 reviews on 19 October 2026.

The alternatives

8 alternatives to Elder

Listed in no particular order. Each is labelled by how it works, with one line from its own website and a price only where it publishes one. Checked on 19 October 2026.

  • Country Cousins

    Introductory

    Calls itself the UK's longest-serving introductory live-in care provider. Its carers are self-employed and contracted by you, and it says it is not CQC registered. Its sister company, Trinity Homecare, is.

    Source: country-cousins.co.uk, checked 19 October 2026

  • Curam

    Both

    Describes itself as a home care platform that connects families directly with self-employed carers. It also runs Curam Managed Care, which it says is CQC registered.

    Published price: Average hourly rate £20.50 and £1,200 a week for live-in (Curam's figures for August 2025), with a 12% client fee added to invoices.

    Source: curamcare.com, Curam Managed Care, Curam client information, checked 19 October 2026

  • Hometouch

    Both

    Runs an introductory model, which it says has operated since 2015 and is not regulated by the CQC, and a separate managed care service that is CQC regulated.

    Published price: Introductory care from £1,400 a week, regulated care from £1,500 a week.

    Source: myhometouch.com, Hometouch pricing, checked 19 October 2026

  • Consultus Care & Nursing

    Both

    Founded in 1962. It offers an introductory service, where a self-employed carer works for you, and a fully managed live-in service that it says is regulated by the CQC in England. It also offers live-in nursing.

    Source: consultuscare.com, checked 19 October 2026

  • PrimeCarers

    Introductory

    The service that wrote this page. Families search self-employed carers near them, see each carer's own rate and choose who to hire. It is not a care agency and is not CQC registered. Every carer has an ID check, a right to work check, an enhanced DBS (or PVG or Access NI) issued within the last 2 years and an online interview. We do not verify references, qualifications or training.

    Published price: Hourly visits £18 to £25, live-in £1,050 to £1,400 a week, our fee included.

    Source: PrimeCarers pricing, what we check, checked 19 October 2026

  • Edyn

    CQC-registered managed agency

    Fully managed live-in care, which it describes as CQC-regulated in England, with a carer in the home supported by a care team.

    Published price: Live-in from £1,395 a week for one person, final price after an assessment.

    Source: edyn.care, checked 19 October 2026

  • The Good Care Group

    CQC-registered managed agency

    Live-in care provider that says it directly employs, trains and supervises all its carers, is inspected by the CQC in England and the Care Inspectorate in Scotland, and is rated Outstanding in all five CQC categories.

    Source: thegoodcaregroup.com, checked 19 October 2026

  • Helping Hands

    CQC-registered managed agency

    Says it directly employs and trains all its carers and is regulated by the CQC and Care Inspectorate Wales. It offers visiting care and live-in care, with local care managers and a team of specialist nurses.

    Published price: Live-in from £1,675 a week for one person and £2,125 for a couple (page reviewed 17 April 2026).

    Source: Helping Hands live-in care, Helping Hands live-in cost, checked 19 October 2026

Which kind suits you

Introductory or managed: which kind suits you

If you liked the idea of Elder, the introductory services below will feel familiar. If what you want is for somebody else to run the care, a managed agency is the different choice.

Who employs the carer

Introductory service
Nobody. The carer is self-employed and works for you
CQC-registered managed agency
The agency

Who chooses the carer

Introductory service
You, from profiles
CQC-registered managed agency
The agency, usually with your input

Who directs the care day to day

Introductory service
You and the carer
CQC-registered managed agency
The agency, through a care plan

If the carer cannot come

Introductory service
You find cover, with whatever help the service offers
CQC-registered managed agency
The agency arranges cover

Registered with the CQC in England

Introductory service
No, because it does not provide the care
CQC-registered managed agency
Yes, and its inspection reports are public

Price

Introductory service
Usually lower. On PrimeCarers, live-in is typically £1,120 a week
CQC-registered managed agency
Usually higher. A typical managed live-in week is £1,120 to £1,750

Some providers run both models, so ask which one you are being offered. The managed range is a typical figure, not any named agency's price.

An introductory service tends to suit a family that wants to choose the carer, can be the person the carer answers to, and wants more of the price to reach the carer. A managed agency tends to suit care that is complex or clinical, a family that cannot be on hand to direct it, or anyone who wants the provider to be responsible for cover. Either way, ask which checks were done on the carer you would get, not on the company in general.

Questions

Questions about alternatives to Elder

Elder describes itself as an introductory care agency. It introduces families to self-employed carers, who you then engage directly, and it says it is not required to register with the CQC. A managed agency, by contrast, employs its carers and is registered.

Country Cousins, Curam and PrimeCarers all introduce self-employed carers, and Hometouch and Consultus run an introductory service alongside a managed one. Each publishes different checks and fees, so ask what was checked on the carer you are introduced to.

Of the providers on this page, Edyn, The Good Care Group and Helping Hands are managed agencies regulated by the CQC, and Hometouch, Consultus and Curam each run a managed service they say is regulated. You can look up any registered service's inspection reports on the CQC website.

Usually, because the price also covers the carer's employment and the agency's management. Of the providers here that publish a price, Edyn's live-in starts from £1,395 a week and Helping Hands' from £1,675. On PrimeCarers, an introductory service, live-in is typically £1,120 a week with our fee included.

Sources

Sources checked on 19 October 2026

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