Elderly careBarking and Dagenham

Types of elderly care in Barking and Dagenham

An older person in Barking and Dagenham can have care at home, from a visit a week to a carer who lives in, or move into a care home. 2,623 carers are based within about 45 minutes of Barking and Dagenham and 17 care homes in Barking and Dagenham take older people. This page sets out each kind of care, what it costs here and who provides it, with carers and client reviews from nearby.

By James Bowdler, founder of PrimeCarers  ·  Updated October 2026  ·  9 min read · See every kind of care, with local prices

Every kind of care

Every kind of care in Barking and Dagenham, with what it costs here

Each row is a level of help, with the price carers near Barking and Dagenham charge and how much of it there is locally.

Help during the day

Help at home during the day in Barking and Dagenham

Visiting care

A carer comes for an hour or more at the times you agree, such as a morning call to help someone up and washed.

  • 2,623 carers are based within about 45 minutes of Barking and Dagenham, charging £19 to £20 an hour with our fee included, typically £19.
  • 27 of the 55 with a rate on their profile drive, which matters for trips out and for visits outside the towns.

“We couldn't have hoped for more positive, supportive and pleasurable care experience. We will miss her.”

Sarah K., about Garikayi C. of Barking, 2023

Hourly care explainedPrivate carers in Barking and Dagenham

Companionship

Visits for company rather than personal care: a conversation, a walk, the shopping or a lift to a club.

  • Of the 50 nearest carers with a full profile, 30 write about companionship, conversation or days out in their own profile.

“I had Lynette V as a carer for my mother. Sadly my mother passed away in October. She was an excellent carer whose care I could not fault. She was always punctual and someone who I could rely on totally. She was always cheerful and looking for ways to stimulate my mother. She became her "friend" and provided best care always. As a senior nursing Sister myself I would recommend as a carer without hesitation.”

Julie G., about Lynette V., 2021

Companionship care explainedCarers who share a hobby in Barking and Dagenham

Personal care

Help with washing, dressing, the toilet and continence, from the same carer each time.

  • Of the 50 nearest carers with a full profile, 36 describe personal care in their own words, not just on a checklist.

“She treated my dad with dignity and patience, and her presence brought real peace of mind to our family during a challenging time. Paula was also a great listener. She took the time to understand not just what needed to be done, but how we wanted things done, and always carried out every task to an excellent standard.”

Steph F., about Paula M. of Barking, 2025

Personal care at home

Help with a condition

Care for a condition or a change in health in Barking and Dagenham

Dementia care

Care from someone who has looked after people with dementia before and knows how to keep a day calm.

  • Of the 50 nearest carers with a full profile, 36 write about caring for someone with dementia.

“Noami has been looking after my mother since 2022. My mother is unable to walk and suffers from dementia, so can be challenging to deal with.Noami copes with patience. She is a safe pair of hands and her years of experience certainly shine through. She deals with the district nurses who come occasionally to check up on mums health and anything else that’s needed. She is an invaluable part of our family”

Christine O., about Noami B. of Barking, 2025

Dementia care at home

Nights and round the clock

Care at night and around the clock in Barking and Dagenham

Live-in care

One carer lives in the home and is there through the day and night, with a daily break.

  • 100 live-in carers are based within about an hour of Barking and Dagenham.
  • A week here costs £1,015 to £1,120 with our fee included, typically £1,050.
  • Of the 50 nearest carers with a full profile, 25 also do live-in care as well as visits.

“Shamillah prepared and cooked delicious and interesting meals for Dad, and coaxed him to eat & drink, even when he was reluctant to do so. Her attention to detail with cleanliness and the personal care of Dad was faultless. She has the patience of a saint and a lovely sense of humour.”

Helen D., about Shamillah S. of Dagenham, 2023

Live-in care explainedLive-in care in Barking and Dagenham

Care homes

Care homes and nursing homes in Barking and Dagenham

17care homes in Barking and Dagenham take older people
8of them provide nursing
10are registered to care for people with dementia
632beds between them

14 of the 15 with a Care Quality Commission rating are rated good or outstanding, 1 of them outstanding, and 1 is rated requires improvement or inadequate. Few homes here publish their fees; across the UK a residential place costs about £1,160 a week and a nursing place about £1,410. A live-in carer here costs £1,015 to £1,120 a week, so for one person the two cost about the same, and for a couple live-in care costs far less.

Elderly care in Barking and Dagenham helps you weigh care at home against a care home, and care at home or a care home goes through what to ask a home before choosing it.

Agencies or private carers

Home care agencies and private carers in Barking and Dagenham

130 home care agencies for older people in Barking and Dagenham

Registered with the Care Quality Commission, and 49 of the 60 with a rating are rated good or outstanding. An agency usually charges £28 to £35 an hour and chooses which of its carers comes.

2,623 private carers near Barking and Dagenham

Self-employed carers near Barking and Dagenham charge £19 to £20 an hour on PrimeCarers, our fee included, and you choose who comes.

Every carer on PrimeCarers has passed an enhanced DBS, identity and right-to-work check and an online interview before they appear (how we check carers). Agency or private carer compares the two, and the best home carers in Barking and Dagenham profiles the best-rated private carers nearby.

Paying for care

Help paying for care in Barking and Dagenham

Attendance Allowance is not means tested and can go towards any of these. The council assesses needs for free and contributes once savings fall below £23,250, and NHS Continuing Healthcare pays in full when needs are mainly health needs. Funding home care in Barking and Dagenham sets out each route and who to contact.

Questions

Questions families in Barking and Dagenham ask about the types of care

2,623 carers within about 45 minutes of Barking and Dagenham offer care at home, from companionship visits to live-in care. Away from home, 17 care homes in Barking and Dagenham take older people, 8 of them with nursing and 10 registered to care for people with dementia.

For one person it is usually about the same: a live-in week here is typically £1,050 with our fee included, against about £1,160 for a care home place. For a couple, one live-in carer costs about £1,350 a week, far less than two care home places. Care at home or a care home goes through the decision.

A nursing home is a care home with registered nurses on shift, for people who need nursing as well as care, such as wound care or complex medication. Of the 17 care homes in Barking and Dagenham that take older people, 8 provide nursing. 10 are registered to care for people with dementia. The difference between a nursing home and a care home explains how to tell which is needed.

Often, yes. Attendance Allowance is not means tested and helps with the cost of care at any level. The council contributes once savings fall below £23,250, and the NHS pays in full when needs are mainly health needs. Funding home care in Barking and Dagenham sets out each route.

Where the nearest carers live

From the profiles of the carers based within about 45 minutes of Barking and Dagenham

Where the nearest carers live, from their profiles. For visits, a short drive makes early and late calls easier to cover.

Home care in the counties around Barking and Dagenham

The types of care in the areas around Barking and Dagenham

Home care by town in Barking and Dagenham

Each town page shows the carers who list it as home, with their rates and reviews.

See who could help in Barking and Dagenham

Search the carers near Barking and Dagenham by the kind of care you need, with their photos, experience, rates and reviews. Talking to them is free and nothing is booked until you say so.

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