What is a private nurse?
At Consultus Care and Nursing, we understand how important it is for individuals to remain in the comfort, familiarity, and security of their own homes - especially when facing old age or poor health. People naturally 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. Whether recovering from surgery, managing a chronic medical condition, or if you require end-of-life care, having access to high-quality nursing at home can make all the difference.
A private nurse offers one-to-one medical care in your own home - ensuring your physical and emotional wellbeing are prioritised, retaining your independence and providing your family with much needed peace of mind.
What does a private nurse do?
A private nurse is a qualified, registered healthcare professional that delivers expert clinical care to individuals outside of traditional healthcare environments such as hospitals and hospices. Unlike these environments where nurses support multiple patients, our private nurses provide care on a one-to-one basis, often around-the-clock.
The role of a private nurse will vary significantly based on the individuals needs, but can include:
Administering injections, managing most intravenous therapies, wound care, catheter management, ventilator care, and other complex medical procedures that require professional nursing expertise.
Regularly monitoring vital signs, for example, blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen levels, blood glucose levels, and other health indicators to track your condition and adjust your care as needed.
Administering and managing pain relief strategies, including the use of prescription pain medications, and ensuring your comfort.
Administering prescribed medications, including those that require precise dosing or monitoring, and managing a complex medications regime.
Assisting with physical therapy exercises, mobility training, and other rehabilitation activities prescribed by healthcare professionals.
Providing compassionate and sensitive care focused on comfort, dignity and quality of life for people with terminal illnesses, including symptom management and emotional support.
Ongoing care for chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, COPD, multiple sclerosis, and others that require regular medical intervention.
Providing care after surgery, including wound management, pain control, and assistance with rehabilitation.
Benefits of private nursing at home
Choosing private nursing comes with a range of benefits that extend far beyond medical care:
With a dedicated nurse, individuals benefit from consistent, familiar care, something that is difficult to achieve in a hospital or residential setting. Our nurses build long-term relationships with their clients, leading to a better understanding of individual healthcare needs.
Private nursing care is tailored to each individual’s medical needs, preferences, and lifestyle. Each individual receives a holistic care plan that goes far beyond clinical checklists.
Having a professional nurse on hand brings enormous reassurance to families, knowing their loved one is receiving expert levels of care, day or night. Whether you’re nearby or living at a distance, you can trust our 60 years of care experience.
Our live-in nursing services adapt to your schedule - no the other way around. Whether you need temporary post-operative support or long-term complex care, we design care plans that revolve around the individual in every manner.
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 (a Skills for Care Centre of Excellence), 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.
Download our brochure
To find out more about our award-winning live-in care services, download our brochure below.
Conditions a private nurse can support
Our private nurses are equipped to manage a wide range of health conditions, including but not limited to:
Our nurses provide high-quality, compassionate stroke care that focuses on your needs, routines, and your lifestyle to aid recovery.
Our private live-in nurses understand the complexities of dementia care, and are committed to providing highly personalised care that ensures your loved one receives the support they need, all from the familiar and comforting environment of their own home.
With a private live-in nurse, you can avoid the often disruptive move into a hospice. With a one-to-one nurse by their side, your loved one can experience dignity, respect, and peace during this time.
Our private nurses are trained to support those living with Parkinson’s, whether in the early stages or later stages of the disease.
Our nurses offer tailored care plans that evolve with the individual, ensuring that as their condition changes, their care adapts to meet their needs.
Our nurses are trained to support individuals living with cancer, whether they are undergoing treatment, in recovery, or managing advanced stages of the disease.
Avoid a prolonged hospital stay with a private live-in nurse. While convalescent home care is available, private nursing at home care can significantly enhance the recovery process and provide much needed peace of mind.
Our live-in nurses have been providing diabetes care in the UK for over 20 years, offering peace of mind to families. Our nurses work with you to create a care plan suited to your needs, helping to manage the condition with confidence.
Our nurses provide consistent, round-the-clock support to individuals with spinal injuries, whether that’s intensive care or rehabilitation care.
Every brain injury is unique, and the level of care needed will vary based on the severity of the injury and its long-term effects. Our nurses are trained to provide tailored care that reflects the individual needs of your loved one.
Our nurses understand the complexities of living with heart disease and work to ensure that each care plan is tailored to meet your loved one’s specific needs, whether they are in the early stages of the condition or managing more advanced symptoms.
What our clients say
"Consultus Care allowed us to keep our Mum at home following a fall and a hip break. This meant that she had a really good quality of life; her friends could visit her easily. It made a huge difference to her to be in her own surroundings.
The quality of care was excellent throughout."
Alison
How to arrange live-in care
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.
Live-in nursing FAQs
Live-in nursing is specialist form of care and support, where a registered nurse resides in your home to provide one-to-one medical care around-the-clock. Our live-in nursing service means you can avoid a prolonged stay in hospital or a disruptive move to a nursing home or hospice to get the specialist care you need. Our live-in nurses are qualified and trained to provide support with medical conditions and chronic health concerns, recovery and rehabilitation following surgery, and sensitive and compassionate end-of-life care.
Live-in nursing is suitable for individuals, or couples with complex medical conditions, such as:
Acute medical needs requiring clinical supervision
Post-surgical care and rehabilitation
Chronic illness and disease management
Neurological conditions, such as dementia and Parkinson’s
Palliative and end-of-life care
Recovery support following a hospital stay to transition back into daily life
All our nurses are thoroughly vetted through a rigorous process, including:
Right-to-Work and an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks
Registration verification with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)
Employment reference checks to ensure a minimum or three years post-registration experience in an acute, community or palliative care setting
Face-to-face interviews to assess suitability, professionalism and compassion.
Whilst we provide you with a couple of nurse profiles to review, our experienced Nurse Consultants will recommend the best match based on your specific needs and preferences. We have over 60 years’ experience of matching suitable nurses that meet our clients’ needs to ensure they have the right level of nursing care.
A live-in nurse typically works from 8am to 8pm, with a two-hour break during the day.
A live-in nurse can provide up to two-night calls per night, which are chargeable. If you require more frequent nighttime assistance, your dedicated Nurse Consultant will review your nursing needs, and we may recommend a dedicated night carer, or nurse.
You’ll 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 does not need to be a dedicated bathroom. Nurses will also need access to WIFI to enable them to communicate and complete administration tasks. Most families provide food for our nurse, but if this is not possible, we ask for an £8 per day allowance if the nurse needs to make their own provision.
Our live-in nursing service is highly flexible. Care plans are regularly reviewed by your nurse and dedicated Nurse Consultant to ensure it accurately reflects the clinical support you require working closely with healthcare professionals involved in your care.
Nurses are trained to respond effectively to emergencies, such as contacting emergency services, notifying family members, and following agreed protocols to ensure your safety. Our live-in nursing service is fully managed, so you have around-the-clock emergency support from our office-based nursing team.
The minimum booking for our live-in nursing service is four days.
Live-in nursing can typically be arranged within 24-48 hours, depending on the complexity of your needs.
Live-in nursing care costs from £2,780 per week, subject to an assessment of you or your loved one’s needs.
When considering funding live-in nursing, it is worth noting that in the UK, healthcare is provided free at the point of delivery. If you need live-in nursing at home due to an identified health care need, you may be eligible for NHS Continuing Healthcare Funding. This funding is managed and provided by your local Integrated Care Board (ICB), formerly the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG). This funding covers the treatment, management or prevention of diseases, illnesses, injuries or disabilities, as well as aftercare those living with these conditions. At Consultus Care and Nursing, our Nursing Co-ordinators are here to guide you through your options, so you can make the right choice for you or your loved one.
It starts with a friendly discussion with a member of our experienced Care Advisory team who will talk through your requirements and expectations and guide you as to the suitability of our services. Should you wish to proceed, a Nurse Co-ordinator will discuss with you, and your family and other healthcare professionals involved in your care, your specific healthcare needs to ensure we match you with the perfect nurse to meet your needs. Once the contractual paperwork is concluded a service start date is agreed.
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.