Elderly carePortsmouth

Types of elderly care in Portsmouth

An older person in Portsmouth can have care at home, from a visit a week to a carer who lives in, or move into a care home. 2,099 carers are based within about 45 minutes of Portsmouth and 24 care homes in Portsmouth 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 Portsmouth, with what it costs here

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

Help during the day

Help at home during the day in Portsmouth

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.

  • 2,099 carers are based within about 45 minutes of Portsmouth, charging £19 to £21 an hour with our fee included, typically £19.
  • 25 of the 57 with a rate on their profile drive, which matters for trips out and for visits outside the towns.

“Samuel is an incredibly kind;conscientious and effective carer. My husband looks forward to his visits and we enjoy his company as well as being grateful for the respectful and expert care he provides. He also provides a lightness when appropriate and shares our sense of humour and we all manage to have a laugh at times which I think is invaluable to my husbands wellbeing. He is invaluable to us Jill”

Jill O., about Olabode Samuel O. of Eastleigh, 2025

Hourly care explainedPrivate carers in Portsmouth

Companionship

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

  • Of the 48 nearest carers with a full profile, 31 write about companionship, conversation or days out in their own profile.

“He stayed with her throughout the pandemic, refusing to visit his own family, who lived nearby, to reduce the risk of infection. He always kept the family informed and kept meticulous notes. He had an excellent relationship with my sister and also with the local GP who allowed Jaison to be put directly through to him as his judgements were valued. The house was kept neat and tidy and he looked after the cat as well.”

Roderick N., about Jaison M. of Portsmouth, 2023

“Veronica (Ronnie) is amazing! She is so very kind and patient with my 92 year old mother in law. She helps in every which way she can from cooking, washing, accompanying to GP appointments and just being an ear! She has made such a difference to our lives! Thanks Ronnie! 😊”

Andrea P., about Veronica Joan B. of Chichester, 2024

Companionship care explainedCarers who share a hobby in Portsmouth

Personal care

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

  • Of the 48 nearest carers with a full profile, 37 describe personal care in their own words, not just on a checklist.

“He trusted her completely and died holding her hand. I also trusted her completely and we only ever had problems with other carers when she went on holiday. Dad enjoyed her company and cooking and I must add with my experience of other carers her cleaning was as though it was her own house. I would not hesitate to recommend Charmaine”

Suzanne E., about Charmaine T. of Portsmouth, 2026

Personal care at home

Help with a condition

Care for a condition or a change in health in Portsmouth

Nights and round the clock

Care at night and around the clock in Portsmouth

Overnight care

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

  • Of the 48 nearest carers with a full profile, 31 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.

  • 62 live-in carers are based within about an hour of Portsmouth.
  • A week here costs £1,031 to £1,124 with our fee included, typically £1,054.
  • Of the 48 nearest carers with a full profile, 22 also do live-in care as well as visits.

Live-in care explainedLive-in care in Portsmouth

Care homes

Care homes and nursing homes in Portsmouth

24care homes in Portsmouth take older people
9of them provide nursing
20are registered to care for people with dementia
861beds between them

16 of the 24 with a Care Quality Commission rating are rated good or outstanding, and 8 are 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 £1,031 to £1,124 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 Portsmouth 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 Portsmouth

52 home care agencies for older people in Portsmouth

Registered with the Care Quality Commission, and 19 of the 24 with a rating are rated good or outstanding. An agency usually charges £28 to £35 an hour and chooses which of its carers comes.

2,099 private carers near Portsmouth

Self-employed carers near Portsmouth charge £19 to £21 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 Portsmouth profiles the best-rated private carers nearby.

Paying for care

Help paying for care in Portsmouth

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 Portsmouth sets out each route and who to contact.

Questions

Questions families in Portsmouth ask about the types of care

2,099 carers within about 45 minutes of Portsmouth offer care at home, from companionship visits to live-in care. Away from home, 24 care homes in Portsmouth take older people, 9 of them with nursing and 20 registered to care for people with dementia.

For one person it is usually about the same: a live-in week here is typically £1,054 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 24 care homes in Portsmouth that take older people, 9 provide nursing. 20 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 Portsmouth sets out each route.

Where the nearest carers live

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

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 Portsmouth

Search the carers near Portsmouth 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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