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Live-in care in Ashford

Award-winning live-in care since 1962

Live-in care means having a dedicated, professional carer living with you in your own home, offering personalised support day and night. It’s a flexible option that suits those who need help with everyday routines, people managing health conditions that affect independence, or anyone who would simply value companionship and an extra pair of hands.

Because the care is shaped around your lifestyle, you can carry on enjoying what matters most to you. Whether that’s time with family and friends, staying active in your community, caring for pets, or continuing to participate in your favourite hobbies.

About Ashford

Ashford, nestled in the heart of Kent, is a town that combines modern living with a rich sense of history. Known for its excellent connections to both central London and broader Europe, Ashford also benefits from a charming countryside, welcoming communities, and a thriving local culture. For those who need additional support, live-in care offers a compassionate and personalised alternative to residential care, enabling individuals to remain in the comfort of their own homes with dedicated, one-to-one assistance. Whether you enjoy the town’s busy centre, nearby villages, or the peaceful Kent Downs, live-in care in Ashford provides independence, companionship, and reassurance for both clients and their families.

Our live-in care services in Ashford

Live-in carer playing chess with a client


Introductory live-in care

With our introductory live-in care service, we recruit a self-employed carer who works in your home for you, independently of us.  In contrast to our managed live-in care service, with introductory care, we do not direct, supervise or manage the carers we introduce to you, and the carers are paid directly by you. 

Consultus client enjoying a party at home


Managed live-in care

Our fully managed live-in care service is regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in England, which results in regular inspections to ensure the care we provide is of the highest standard.  We fully manage the service, which means carers are supervised, managed and monitored by us when working in a client’s home. 

An elderly woman with her daughter


Live-in nursing

Our live-in nurses are fully qualified registered nurses, with a minimum of three years post qualification experience. They are carefully selected for their specific skills and knowledge and have a broad range of experience including community and acute nursing, and palliative care.

Compare our live-in care services

Introductory live-in care

Managed live-in care

Carers carefully selected and vetted

Carers matched to meet your needs

Market leading carer induction training

Service is fully managed by us

Dedicated support from a local Care Consultant

Monitored by the Care Quality Commission (CQC)

24-hour centralised support

Why choose to receive care at home in Ashford

Choosing a care home often means leaving behind the comfort of familiar surroundings, but live-in care in Ashford offers a different path. With a dedicated carer living alongside you, personalised support is available whenever it’s needed.

This approach allows you or your loved one to hold on to the things that matter most, whether that's time with a partner or family, the company of pets, or the reassurance of remaining part of your local community. There are no rigid schedules, no restrictions on visitors, and no compromises on how you live your day-to-day life. Instead, you can maintain your independence while enjoying the companionship and one-to-one support of a carer carefully chosen to suit your needs and personality.

Benefits of live-in care in Ashford

Live-in care makes it possible to receive tailored support while staying in the comfort of your own home, removing the need to move into residential care. It’s a flexible solution that can adapt as your care needs change, offering both independence and peace of mind.

Key benefits include:

  • Remain in your own familiar surroundings

  • One-to-one support tailored to your lifestyle

  • A cost-effective option for couples wishing to remain together

  • Flexibility as care needs develop over time

  • Continuity of care with a dedicated carer who really knows you

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Who can benefit from live-in care in Ashford?

People choose live-in care for many different reasons. Some may need regular assistance with daily tasks such as cooking, washing, or getting out and about. Others might be living with health conditions that make independent living more difficult. For many, simply having companionship and emotional support can make all the difference to their quality of life.

Support with ageing

Getting older can bring challenges such as reduced strength, balance issues, or difficulty with everyday tasks. A live-in carer provides gentle, practical support, from assistance moving around the home and preparing meals, to keeping the house running smoothly.

Living with long-term conditions
For those managing conditions such as dementia, Parkinson’s, or multiple sclerosis, having a carer on hand offers both safety and reassurance. Carers can assist with daily routines, help manage symptoms, and provide emotional companionship. For people living with dementia in particular, remaining in familiar surroundings is often comforting and can help reduce anxiety.

Physical disabilities and mobility needs
Individuals living with a disability or recovering from illness or injury may require ongoing assistance. Our live-in carers in Ashford offer dedicated support with personal care, mobility, and day-to-day activities, allowing greater independence at home.

Loneliness and social isolation
When family or friends aren’t nearby, it’s easy to feel isolated. A live-in carer not only provides practical help, but can also companionship.

Palliative and end-of-life care
When facing a terminal illness or advanced stage of a condition, live-in care can provide comfort and dignity. Carers offer round-the-clock support to manage symptoms, ensuring peace of mind for both the individual and their family.

Short-term or respite care
Live-in care isn’t only for long-term support. It can also be invaluable following a hospital stay, during recovery from surgery, or when family carers need respite. This flexible option provides temporary yet comprehensive support.

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Cost of live-in care

Live-in care can be a cost-effective alternative to residential care, especially for couples who are able to share support from a single carer while remaining together at home. The price will vary depending on the level of assistance required, whether specialist care is needed, and whether care is for one person or two.

Unlike the fixed costs of a care home, live-in care is tailored to individual needs, so you only pay for the support that’s right for you. Alongside professional one-to-one assistance, live-in care also offers excellent value in terms of independence, comfort, and the reassurance of staying in familiar surroundings.

How to arrange live-in care in Ashford

Speak to a Care Advisor

Our friendly, expert Care Advisors are here to guide you through your options, answer your important questions, whilst providing support along the way.

Care assessment

If you would like our managed live-in care service, a Care Consultant local to you, will complete a free assessment of your needs in your home.

Care starts

A fully trained carer will be carefully matched to meet your needs, and will start to provide our high-quality service in your home.

Meet your Care Advisor in Ashford

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Gemma

I began working at Consultus in February of 2023.

I take pleasure in my work because I observe the positive impact it has, allowing clients to stay in their own homes. It gives me a sense of accomplishment to know that my clients are maintaining their independence and familiarity.

I adore working with carers that go above and beyond to make their clients smile and who have the kindest of hearts.

Why choose Consultus Care and Nursing?

One of the longest-established and most trusted providers

Founded in 1962, we have always been innovators in live-in care and live-in nursing. With over 60 years’ experience, we are one of the country’s longest-established, most highly recommended and experienced providers.

Unrivalled choice and control over your care

We understand that every person’s needs are different and every family’s situation is unique. With our choice of fully managed live-in care and nursing, and our introductory service, we offer more flexibility and personalisation than any other provider.

Highly trained nurses and carers

We are nationally recognised for the quality of our nurses and carers. With market-leading training, delivered at our own, multi-award-winning training centre, they provide exemplary, compassionate care tailored to individual needs, offering total peace of mind for clients and their families.

Expert care and support, dedicated to you

Our Care Consultants oversee our nursing and managed care services supporting only a small number of families.  This means our service is truly personal, with unrivalled support and continuity of care. Reassurance that we are there when you need us most.

Family-founded, family-owned

We continue to be a family-owned and family-managed business. The largest wholly family-owned live-in care provider in the UK, we focus on what our clients and their families need from a high-quality care service, not on meeting investors’ expectations.

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Talk to us today

Give us a call to discuss your needs with one of our friendly, expert Care Advisors. They will guide you through your options to ensure you make the right choice for you and your family.

Your live-in care questions, answered

Live-in care is a highly personalised care service where a professional carer lives in your home to provide one-to-one care and support, around the clock.  It enables people to maintain independence and safety in the comfort and familiarity of their own home, whilst receiving all the support they need.  We know through our decades of experience that people feel better in their own homes, and our live-in care and live-in nursing give more people the freedom to make their own choices, and to live life their way.

A live-in carer is there to support your holistic needs, including all your care and support requirements, lifestyle and social preferences and companionship.  They will help with:

·        Personal care

·        Medication support

·        Mobility support

·        Companionship and emotional support

·        Meal preparation and cooking

·        Housekeeping and domestic tasks

·        Health monitoring

·        Transportation and running errands

·        Ensuring a safe and secure environment

·        Specialist care of conditions, such as dementia and Parkinson’s

·        Family support

·        Ensuring connections with your local community

·        Respite for family carers

Carers cannot perform any medical procedures, such as administering injections, dressing wounds or handling complex medical equipment.  If you need medical care, we provide expert live-in nursing to support clients who have nursing needs.  Additionally, carers cannot provide services outside of the scope of their role, like heavy lifting or manual tasks requiring specialist equipment.

We work closely with you and your family to match you with a carer based on your preferences, lifestyle and care needs.  To ensure you have continuity of care, you will have a team of carers who will get to know you and provide cover for each other’s time off.  We have over 60 years’ experience in successfully matching carers with clients ensuring peace of mind for everyone.

The cost of live in care is based on your specific care needs and circumstances, but ranges from a starting package of between £1,036 to £1,540 per week. Find out more about our live-in care services.

Live-in care is ideal for individuals who need continuous support due to age, illness, disability or who are recovering from surgery.  It is also suitable for couples who want to stay together whilst receiving the care they need, or for anyone preferring not to have to leave their home and move into residential care.

Yes.  We offer short-term live-in care, which can be arranged for respite care to give a family carer a much-needed break or following surgery to support rehabilitation and recovery.  Short-term respite care also offers an opportunity for a family to try live-in care for the first time to make sure it is the right long-term care choice.

Yes.  Live-in care is the ideal choice for couples who both need care.  It provides a cost-effective way to provide tailored support, whilst allowing both individuals to remain together in the comfort of their home, avoiding the need to be separated through a move to a residential care home.

Yes of course.  One of the many benefits of live-in care, when compared to moving into a residential setting, is that you do not need to be separated from your beloved pet.  When we are planning care and matching you to the perfect carer, we will take this into consideration when making our carer selection.  Many carers are happy to help with pet care, such as feeding, walking and companionship.

You will need to provide a private bedroom with basic amenities, including a bed and somewhere to store their clothes.  They need to have access to a bathroom, but this doesn’t need to be a dedicated bathroom.  Carers will also need access to WIFI to enable them to complete administration tasks.  Meals and food allowance will also need to be agreed between the you and the carer.  Most of our carers enjoy cooking and eating with their clients.

It is expected that your live-in carer sleeps during the night, so they are rested and refreshed to provide high-quality care during the daytime.  We understand that occasional night calls are required, which the carer will respond to.  Your dedicated Care Consultant will monitor this, to ensure it is not impacting our carer’s wellbeing and their ability to perform their role.   Should you need more care during the night, then a second carer can be provided to cover a waking night package of care.

This will completely depend on your care and support needs. Should you have healthcare needs that a professional carer cannot support, for example help with administration of injections or PEG feeds, or tracheostomy care then you would need a live-in nurse. Our Care Advisors are here to guide you through which of our services would best meet you or your loved one’s needs, to ensure you have the right level of care and support.

There are many differences in the level of care and oversight provided between our fully managed, regulated live-in care service and our introductory service.

Fully managed care is just that. Our service is fully managed by a dedicated Care Consultant local to you, who provides high levels of oversight, management and support to the client, their families and our care team. In addition, there is 24/7 around the clock emergency support. This service is regulated and inspected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in England, to ensure the highest possible standards of care. We are very proud to be rated a ‘Good’ service by the CQC.

Introductory care is when we match you with a self-employed carer, providing initial support, but with on-going oversight and management of the care provided by a nominated family member or representative. 

All our carers are thoroughly vetted through a rigorous selection process, which covers all background checks, including Right-to-Work, an enhanced DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check and employment reference checks.  Carers then complete an aptitude test to ensure they have the necessary skills, ability and personality traits to provide high-quality live-in care.  Candidates then go through an interview process and once successful complete our market-leading training, followed by a two week on-boarding in a client placement, overseen by their local Care Consultant, as they work to complete their Care Certificate.  We are dedicated to ensuring all our carers are compassionate and have the necessary skills and experience to meet our client’s needs.

If you’re not satisfied with the carer for any reasons, we will work quickly with you to address your concerns and arrange an alternative carer.  Our priority is to ensure continuity of care whilst a change of carer is facilitated.

Live-in carers will typically work over a 12-hour period, working up to 10 hours a day with a two-hour daily break. If a client cannot be left alone, a family member or other care provider will need to ensure their care needs are met during the carers break.

Carers are entitled to adequate breaks and time off.  We ensure you have a small team of carers who get to know you or your loved one, and understand your needs who then cover each other’s time off ensuring continuity of care.

Our live-in care service is highly flexible.  Care plans are regularly reviewed by your dedicated Care Consultant, who will ensure it accurately reflects the support required working closely with the care team, the client’s family and any healthcare professional involved in your care.  Should your health needs evolve and cannot be met by a professional carer, we can offer our expert live-in nursing service and seamlessly transition you to this level of care.

Carers are trained to respond to emergencies, such as contacting emergency services, notifying family members, and following agreed protocols to ensure your safety. If you are receiving our high-quality managed live-in care service, you have around-the-clock support from a Care Consultant local to you and our office-based team.  Should you be receiving our introductory live-in care service, the appointed family member or representative would need to be contacted in an emergency.

Depending on your financial and health circumstances, there may be financial support for funding live-in care, including local authority funding, or NHS Continuing Care funding from your Integrated Care Board (ICB), formerly a Clinical Commissiong Group.  Many families are faced with having to fund live-in care themselves. However, there are many options including Care Fees insurance policies, and equity release schemes that can provide the financial support you need.  At Consultus Care and Nursing, our Care Advisors are help you get the best advice, so you can make the right choice for you or your loved one.

Depending on the complexity of an individual’s needs, we can generally set up live-in care within 24-48 hours. 

It starts with a friendly discussion with a member of our experienced Care Advisory team who will talk through your requirements, expectations and guide you as to the suitability of our different live-in care services.  Should you wish to proceed with our managed care service, a Care Consultant who is local to you will conduct a comprehensive assessment of your needs in your home, alongside your family if you choose.  If you decide to go ahead with the service, will then match you with the most suited carer. Once all the contractual paperwork is concluded a service start date is agreed.  If you choose our introductory service, we will discuss your care and support needs with you as part of our registration process.  We then match you with a suitable carer who we introduce to you to provide the care you need.

Download our brochure

To find out more about our award-winning live-in care services, download our brochure below.

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The Consultus Care and Nursing brochure

Looking for care?

Please fill out the enquiry form below and we will aim to contact you within 24 hours. Looking to work for Consultus Care and Nursing? Please apply here.

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