Live-In Care In Eastbourne
A live-in carer in your own home
Cheriton Homecare has been arranging live-in care for families across Eastbourne for almost 30 years. We’re rated Outstanding in Caring by the Care Quality Commission, and we work with people who’d rather have one-to-one support at home than move into a care home.
The situations we step into are different every time. A parent recovering after a stay at the Eastbourne District General Hospital. Someone living with dementia who shouldn’t be uprooted. A couple who want to stay together rather than be placed apart. Whether someone lives in Eastbourne or nearby Seaford, the principle stays the same: a familiar home, a familiar face, and a carer who fits around the life that’s already there.
Why families across Eastbourne trust us with their loved ones
For nearly 30 years, we’ve supported families in Eastbourne through some of the hardest decisions they’ll ever make. The care we provide is personal, whether we’re helping a family locally or supporting relatives nearby in Newhaven, and the standards behind it are not negotiable.
- CQC regulated. Every aspect of our service is overseen by the Care Quality Commission, with safety, dignity, and quality built into how we work, not bolted on.
- Carers we’d trust with our own families. Enhanced DBS checks, a thorough induction programme, and continuous mandatory training across the team.
- You meet your carer before they move in. We share full carer profiles and match thoughtfully, because the right personality matters as much as the right qualifications.
- Care plans that fit your loved one, not the other way round. Routines, preferences, hobbies, and health needs all shape how we deliver support, and the plan adapts as things change.
- Digital records and real conversations. Live care notes families can see, plus regular check-ins from the management team so nothing slips through the cracks.
- Cover when life happens. A second matched carer is always organised for breaks, and we can start live-in care quickly when a hospital discharge or sudden change can’t wait.
The case for staying at home
Whether home is a bungalow in Old Town, a flat overlooking the seafront, or a family house tucked under the Downs, live-in care is built around the place where the rest of someone’s life already happens. The benefits aren’t abstract. They show up in the small parts of the day.
- Familiar surroundings. The kettle in the same place, the same view from the same chair, neighbours who wave. Familiarity matters most when other things are getting harder.
- One carer, one focus. In a care home, staff are split across a dozen residents. At home, your carer is there for one person, which means support that fits the day rather than a rota.
- Life carries on. The dog still gets walked. The garden still gets tended. Sunday lunch still happens. A live-in carer fits into the household, not the other way around.
- No visiting hours. Family come and go on their own terms. Grandchildren stay over, friends drop in for tea, nothing has to be scheduled around an institution’s clock.
- The same face every day. A primary live-in carer means your loved one builds a real relationship, instead of meeting different staff across morning, evening, and night shifts.
Up to 30% less than residential care. One-to-one live-in care often comes in below the cost of a care home placement in East Sussex, particularly for couples sharing a single carer.
Request a printed brochure to browse with your loved one at your leisure and find out more about live-in care.
Read what families are saying about our care
How care gets arranged, from enquiry to handover
- Your first call. Reach out by phone, callback, WhatsApp, or email. This first chat is informal, with no pressure to decide anything.
- A home visit from Richard or Nastasha. Our Registered Manager Richard Barnett or our Field Care Supervisor Nastasha will visit in person to carry out a risk assessment and shape the care plan around the person who needs care. There’s no obligation to go any further afterwards.
- Choosing your carer. Daisy, our Care Coordinator, puts together a shortlist of suitable carers and shares their full profiles. The final choice is yours, so nobody is allocated sight unseen.
- Your carer moves in. On the agreed start date, your carer arrives, meets the family, and we walk through the care plan together. We stay in close touch through the first few days while everyone settles in.
- Ongoing oversight. Each client has a dedicated case manager, and senior management monitor the case managers. That second layer keeps the care plan current and stops small issues from becoming bigger ones.
What can live-in carers help with?
Our carers are there to support you with all aspects of your daily life, from personal care and medication assistance to cooking, cleaning, and shopping. Every care plan is unique to the individual, shaped around their routines, preferences, and circumstances. Many of the families we support in Eastbourne also have relatives in nearby Peacehaven, so we understand the importance of keeping everyone informed and involved. Care plans can also change over time, adapting to changing mobility requirements or the progression of conditions.
Your care plan could include:
- Help around the house, including cooking, cleaning and pet care.
- Personal care, including washing, dressing and grooming.
- Help with health and medications.
- Mobility support.
- Companionship and facilitating social activities.
What you'll pay each week
What you’ll pay depends on how much support is needed and whether care is for one person or two. We quote clearly and in writing, so families know exactly what’s coming before anything is signed, including when relatives are helping coordinate care from nearby towns such as Uckfield.
- From £1,190 per week for one person
- From £1,476 per week for couples sharing the same home
- Billed weekly, with no hidden add-ons
- One fee covers a dedicated carer in the home day and night, with one-to-one support included
How live-in care can be funded
Most of our clients pay privately, but we also support publicly funded care. We don’t provide funding ourselves, but we’ll help you work out which routes apply.
- Private funding. Self-funded from savings, income, or assets.
- NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC). For clients with significant ongoing health needs.
- East Sussex County Council. Means-tested support for those eligible.
- A combination of the above. Often the most realistic route for long-term care.
Worried about a loved one managing at home?
Whether you’re ready to arrange care or just starting to weigh up the options, our team is here to listen. One conversation is often enough to bring some clarity, whether you’re calling from Eastbourne or helping a loved one further inland in Crowborough, and there’s no pressure to decide anything today.
What families wonder before they call
How quickly can live-in care start in Eastbourne?
Once we’ve completed a home assessment and matched you with a carer, care can usually begin within a few days. For urgent situations like a discharge from the Eastbourne DGH, we’ll do everything we can to move faster.
What if our carer isn't the right fit?
Personality fit isn’t always clear until people are actually living together. If something isn’t working, we’ll arrange a different carer rather than push on. We’d rather get it right.
Can a live-in carer drive me to appointments around Eastbourne?
Where appropriate, yes. Many of our carers can drive your car to GP appointments, the DGH, the shops, or for a walk along the seafront. Driving arrangements are agreed as part of your care plan.
Do you provide live-in care for couples?
Yes. A single carer can often support both partners in the same home, which keeps you together and tends to be far more cost-effective than two separate care home placements.
Will my GP and district nurses still be involved?
Yes, completely. Live-in care works alongside your existing healthcare team, not in place of it. We’re used to coordinating with local GPs, community nurses, and district teams across Eastbourne.
