Elderly careKent

Types of elderly care in Kent

An older person in Kent can have care at home, from a visit a week to a carer who lives in, or move into a care home. 1,029 carers are based within about 45 minutes of Kent and 366 care homes in Kent 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 September 2026  ·  9 min read · See every kind of care, with local prices

Every kind of care

Every kind of care in Kent, with what it costs here

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

Help during the day

Help at home during the day in Kent

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.

  • 1,029 carers are based within about 45 minutes of Kent, charging £19 to £22 an hour with our fee included, typically £20.
  • 34 of the 55 with a rate on their profile drive, which matters for trips out and for visits outside the towns.

“Always on time and with a lovely smile for my mum. Theresa is kind and sensitive to my mum's needs. So happy that Theresa's part of our caring team.”

Anthea D., about Theresa L. of Greenhithe, 2020

Hourly care explainedPrivate carers in Kent

Companionship

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

  • Of the 44 nearest carers with a full profile, 30 write about companionship, conversation or days out in their own profile.

“She was more than just a nurse to grammie, she was her friend. Kerry always went the extra mile to take care of my grandma in her final days, including consoling me when I couldnt be there. She has a passion for what she does, and I dont think we could have asked for a better carer”

Lara S., about Kerry C. of Sevenoaks, 2020

Companionship care explainedCarers who share a hobby in Kent

Help with a condition

Care for a condition or a change in health in Kent

Dementia care

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

  • Of the 44 nearest carers with a full profile, 35 write about caring for someone with dementia.

“Annette is a most compassionate CARER. She listened intently to my description of my mothers needs and her own feedback to me was also most helpful. We asked Annette to do “night duty” twice a week to relieve the 24/7 CARER as my mother was waking throughout the night, sometimes in some state of confusion. Her kindness and patience was exactly what we needed.”

Sue A., about Annette C. of New Romney, 2019

Dementia care at home

Nights and round the clock

Care at night and around the clock in Kent

Respite care

Cover so the person who does the caring can stop for a while, from a few visits to a fortnight.

  • Of the 44 nearest carers with a full profile, 37 do nights or live-in care, which is how most respite is covered.

“Annette was fantastic, she looked after my mother for 2 weeks. She is incredibly caring and knows exactly what to do to connect with her and help her out.”

A previous client, about Annette C. of New Romney, 2018

Respite care explained

Care homes

Care homes and nursing homes in Kent

366care homes in Kent take older people
133of them provide nursing
229are registered to care for people with dementia
14,655beds between them

252 of the 332 with a Care Quality Commission rating are rated good or outstanding, 5 of them outstanding, and 80 are rated requires improvement or inadequate. The homes here that publish their fees charge a median of £1,500 a week for a residential place and £1,535 for nursing. A live-in carer here costs £1,015 to £1,145 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 Kent 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 Kent

348 home care agencies for older people in Kent

Registered with the Care Quality Commission, and 158 of the 188 with a rating are rated good or outstanding. An agency usually charges £28 to £35 an hour and chooses which of its carers comes.

1,029 private carers near Kent

Self-employed carers near Kent charge £19 to £22 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 Kent profiles the best-rated private carers nearby.

Paying for care

Help paying for care in Kent

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 Kent sets out each route and who to contact.

Questions

Questions families in Kent ask about the types of care

1,029 carers within about 45 minutes of Kent offer care at home, from companionship visits to live-in care. Away from home, 366 care homes in Kent take older people, 133 of them with nursing and 229 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 a median of £1,500 for a care home place in Kent. 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 366 care homes in Kent that take older people, 133 provide nursing. 229 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 Kent sets out each route.

Where the nearest carers live

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

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 Kent

Search the carers near Kent 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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