Elderly careBristol

Types of elderly care in Bristol

An older person in Bristol can have care at home, from a visit a week to a carer who lives in, or move into a care home. 2,329 carers are based within about 45 minutes of Bristol and 62 care homes in Bristol, City of 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 Bristol, with what it costs here

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

Help during the day

Help at home during the day in Bristol

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.

  • 2,329 carers are based within about 45 minutes of Bristol, charging £19 to £24 an hour with our fee included, typically £21.
  • 36 of the 54 with a rate on their profile drive, which matters for trips out and for visits outside the towns.

“She built a wonderful relationship with Mum, taking great care to do things just as Mum wanted, and joining us on family day trips. I always found her reliable, kind, sensitive, intelligent and responsible. She brought good humour and warmth to her work, and related well with our whole family. We hope she will be able to come back soon!”

Susanna H., about Sekai M. of Cheltenham, 2026

Hourly care explainedPrivate carers in Bristol

Companionship

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

  • Of the 42 nearest carers with a full profile, 27 write about companionship, conversation or days out in their own profile.

“She enabled mum to lead a high quality life in her own home until the very end and Lena and her family became close personal friends to me and my family. We still miss not having her around. I have already recommended Lena to close personal friends who have used her to care for their elderly parents and I have no hesitation in recommending her most highly to you.”

Simon C., about Jelena N. of Bath, 2022

“Julie quickly built a fantastic relationship with my mother treating her with respect, as with an older relative. The firmness needed to get things done was achieved with loving good humour.”

Stuart A., about Juliet D. of Wiltshire, 2024

Companionship care explainedCarers who share a hobby in Bristol

Personal care

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

  • Of the 42 nearest carers with a full profile, 32 describe personal care in their own words, not just on a checklist.

“One of her strengths is her ease at being a companion - in fact she became a good friend to my mother in law, chatting with her, dancing with her, knitting with her and the list goes on. She would pull up a chair next to my mother in law (so that she could hear and see Lynette) and they would look at magazines or watch tv together.”

Nicola B., about Lynnette M. of Bristol, 2023

Personal care at home

Help with a condition

Care for a condition or a change in health in Bristol

Dementia care

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

  • Of the 42 nearest carers with a full profile, 33 write about caring for someone with dementia.

“She was very caring, kind and patient to all his needs, she built up a wondetful rapport with him, she was dedicated and was there for him through good times as well as well as through the tough times like when he was in hospital a couple of times, she was there by his side, helping to keep him safe and be a familiar face through the confusion for him of being in hospital.”

Katrina O., about Sekai M. of Cheltenham, 2026

Dementia care at home

Nights and round the clock

Care at night and around the clock in Bristol

Overnight care

A carer spends the night in the house, either sleeping and on hand, or awake all night.

  • Of the 42 nearest carers with a full profile, 33 offer overnight care.
  • £130 to £145 for a sleeping night and £150 to £160 for a waking night on PrimeCarers.

Overnight care explained

Live-in care

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

  • 39 live-in carers are based within about an hour of Bristol.
  • A week here costs £1,047 to £1,246 with our fee included, typically £1,120.
  • Of the 42 nearest carers with a full profile, 12 also do live-in care as well as visits.

“There was strength in her compassion for my father when he reached his end-of-life stage and as a family we felt he was in safe hands during that extraordinarily difficult time. I wish Lynette all the best in her future endeavours. ~~~o0o~~~”

Jane W., about Lynnette M. of Bristol, 2023

Live-in care explainedLive-in care in Bristol

Care homes

Care homes and nursing homes in Bristol

62care homes in Bristol, City of take older people
33of them provide nursing
38are registered to care for people with dementia
2,640beds between them

56 of the 57 with a Care Quality Commission rating are rated good or outstanding, 3 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 £1,047 to £1,246 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 Bristol 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 Bristol

81 home care agencies for older people in Bristol, City of

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

2,329 private carers near Bristol

Self-employed carers near Bristol charge £19 to £24 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 Bristol profiles the best-rated private carers nearby.

Paying for care

Help paying for care in Bristol

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 Bristol sets out each route and who to contact.

Questions

Questions families in Bristol ask about the types of care

2,329 carers within about 45 minutes of Bristol offer care at home, from companionship visits to live-in care. Away from home, 62 care homes in Bristol, City of take older people, 33 of them with nursing and 38 registered to care for people with dementia.

For one person it is usually about the same: a live-in week here is typically £1,120 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 62 care homes in Bristol, City of that take older people, 33 provide nursing. 38 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 Bristol sets out each route.

Where the nearest carers live

From the profiles of the carers based within about 45 minutes of Bristol

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

See who could help in Bristol

Search the carers near Bristol 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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