Specialist Home Care

Find CQC-registered home care agencies offering specialist care across England. Whether you're arranging hospital discharge, looking for dementia support, or planning longer-term care — start with the right context for your situation.

How to use this page

Specialist home care means home care shaped around a particular condition or situation, rather than a different service altogether. Most CQC-registered agencies provide several of the types below, and many people need more than one at once, for example dementia care during the day with waking night support overnight.

You do not need to choose the right category perfectly before you get in touch. Agencies carry out an assessment before care starts and will tell you what they think is needed. Use these pages to understand the language you will hear, the funding routes that apply, and the questions worth asking.

Not sure which you need? Compare the main types of home care side by side.

Browse specialist areas

Each area has city-specific guidance, funding routes, and a listing of CQC-registered local agencies.

Personal Care at Home

Hands-on help with washing, bathing, dressing, toileting and continence needs, delivered at home. This is the core of most home care packages and the service that legally requires CQC registration. Often arranged as short visits once or several times a day.

Available in 86 locations

Hospital Discharge Care

Care arranged quickly when someone is coming out of hospital and cannot manage alone at first. It often needs to start within 24 to 72 hours, and it is usually short-term while the person recovers or a longer-term plan is worked out. Many families use this as their first experience of home care.

Available in 86 locations

Dementia Care at Home

Support for people living with Alzheimer's, vascular, Lewy body, frontotemporal or mixed dementia, in the surroundings they know best. Familiarity matters enormously in dementia, so continuity of carer tends to be the thing families weigh most heavily. Needs usually change gradually, and the care package changes with them.

Available in 86 locations

Stroke Recovery Care at Home

Support during recovery after a stroke, from Early Supported Discharge in the first weeks through to longer-term rehabilitation. Care often works alongside NHS physiotherapy and speech and language therapy rather than replacing them. Needs commonly reduce over time as independence returns.

Available in 86 locations

Parkinson's Care at Home

Care for people living with Parkinson's disease, where medication timing is critical and symptoms fluctuate through the day. Carers need to understand what an "off" period looks like and how to respond safely. Support typically increases as the condition progresses.

Available in 86 locations

Live-in Care

A carer lives in the home and is there throughout the day and night, providing continuous support. It is usually charged as a daily rate rather than by the hour, and it is the main alternative to moving into a care home. Often chosen when visiting care is no longer enough.

Available in 86 locations

Respite Care at Home

Short-term care that gives an unpaid family carer a genuine break, from a few hours to several weeks. It can also cover a family carer's illness or holiday. Arranging respite before reaching breaking point tends to work far better than arranging it afterwards.

Available in 86 locations

Palliative Care at Home

Care for someone with a serious, life-limiting illness, focused on comfort, dignity and quality of life. It works alongside GP, district nursing and hospice teams rather than replacing them, and it is not only for the final days. Many people receive it for months or longer.

Available in 86 locations

Companionship Care at Home

Regular visits centred on social contact, conversation and light help around the home. It suits older people living alone where loneliness, not personal care, is the main concern. Often the first kind of support a family arranges.

Available in 86 locations

Waking Night Care at Home

A carer stays awake in the home overnight, on hand for toileting, repositioning, medication and reassurance. It suits people who need active help during the night, including those who wake disoriented or are at risk of falls. Usually charged as a flat rate per night.

Available in 86 locations

Sleep-in Care at Home

A carer sleeps in the home overnight and is available if help is needed, rather than staying awake throughout. It suits situations where the reassurance of someone being there matters more than active night-time care. Usually charged as a flat rate per night, and lower than waking night care.

Available in 86 locations

Learning Disability Support at Home

Support for adults with a learning disability who live in their own home or with family, helping with daily living, routines and independence. Care is shaped around what the person can do as well as what they need help with. This covers visiting home care, not supported living or residential settings.

Available in 86 locations

Frequently asked questions

What does specialist home care mean?

Specialist home care is ordinary home care shaped around a particular condition or situation, such as dementia, recovery after a stroke, or the first few weeks after a hospital stay. The regulated activity is the same and the agency must still be registered with the Care Quality Commission. What changes is the training the carers have, how visits are planned, and what the care plan pays attention to.

How do I choose the right care type?

Start with what the person needs help with day to day rather than with a diagnosis. If you are not sure, ask your local authority for a needs assessment under the Care Act 2014, which is free and open to anyone who appears to need care. A GP or hospital discharge team can also advise. The care type is not a permanent label, and it is normal for it to change as needs change.

Can one agency provide more than one type of care?

Yes. Most CQC-registered home care agencies cover several care types, and many families use one agency as needs change over time. When you speak to an agency, ask how many of their carers have direct experience of the specific condition, and how they cover visits when a regular carer is away.

Does CareAH charge families?

No. Browsing agencies, comparing CQC ratings and making an enquiry are free for families, and you do not need an account to search. CareAH is a marketplace that connects families with CQC-registered agencies; we do not provide care ourselves, and the care itself is paid for in the usual way, whether that is by the local authority, the NHS, or privately.

How does CQC registration work?

Any provider carrying out regulated personal care in England must register with the Care Quality Commission under the Health and Social Care Act 2008. Registered services are inspected and given a rating of Outstanding, Good, Requires improvement, or Inadequate, though a newly registered service may not have been rated yet. You can look up any agency by name on the CQC website to see its current rating and inspection reports.

Don't see what you need?

The care types above are a curated selection covering the most common reasons families look for home care. We currently feature guidance for 86 cities across England — if your area isn't listed, you can still search the full directory.

Tell us a bit about your situation and we'll match you with CQC-registered agencies near you. Free for families, no account needed.

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