Three decades of round-the-clock support across Wealden
We’ve been arranging live-in care in Hailsham and the surrounding Wealden villages for close to thirty years. That time teaches the practical side of care here. A relative in Herstmonceux still needs to reach a morning clinic at Eastbourne DGH, and a bungalow up a single-track lane beyond Hellingly is no place for a carer without a car.
You keep one carer for as long as the match works, backed by a care manager who knows the area. We cover the whole of East Sussex, from the Cuckoo Trail villages west along the coast to Brighton & Hove.
Testimonials from families we have helped
How our live-in carers help in and around Hailsham
Support scales up or down with your relative. If a hand getting up each morning is all that’s needed, hourly home care may be enough. Once help is needed around the clock, a live-in carer takes over, and what a live-in carer does changes as needs do.
Personal care
Bathing, getting dressed, toileting and moving safely around the house, done without the clock-watching that comes with short visits.
Companionship
Someone to chat with over breakfast, and a willing partner for the outings that keep a week interesting: a slow loop of Common Pond, a browse at the farmers’ market, or an afternoon film at the Pavilion.
Medication reminders
Doses prompted at the right times and logged, with the carer picking up repeat prescriptions from the local pharmacy and flagging any changes with the surgery.
Alzheimer’s and dementia care
People living with dementia tend to cope best among their own things, with a face they recognise. Our carers are dementia trained and chosen for temperament as much as experience, so the pairing fits the person.
Palliative care
For anyone who has decided to stay at home for their final months, a live-in carer works alongside the community nurses and GP to keep them comfortable. If needs rise suddenly, we add support quickly.
Household chores and assistance
Meals from scratch, washing, ironing and a tidy home. For clients in Upper Dicker or Magham Down, it also means the supermarket run into town and lifts to appointments that buses don’t reach.
A local team, not a call centre three counties away
Many Hailsham families start with a big introductory agency, then find their case is run from miles away. Our setup is smaller and closer. We visit the house ourselves, introduce the carer before anyone unpacks, and give you a manager with a direct line.
- CQC rated Outstanding in Caring, a grading that very few home care providers in England hold
- Enhanced DBS checks on every carer, plus ongoing training for as long as they work with us
- A proper introduction before day one, with a written profile and a chance to talk, so the first morning isn’t awkward
- Care plans built around real routines, updated whenever health or preferences shift
- Existing links with local health services, from Hailsham GP practices and community nurses to the discharge team at Eastbourne DGH
- Rural placements planned differently. A cottage on the back roads toward Uckfield calls for a carer who drives and a plan for getting to the shops. A flat a short walk from the town centre shops rarely does
- Cover arranged before it’s needed. Families see updates through digital care notes, managers check in often, and a known relief carer steps in for holidays
Why staying home beats moving into a care home
A semi near the town centre, a converted barn by the Pevensey Levels or a bungalow in Polegate: live-in care means none of it has to be sold or left behind.
- Home keeps its meaning. Knowing where the kettle lives helps enormously when confusion or frailty creeps in.
- A carer who becomes familiar. Your dad sees the same person each morning instead of whoever is on shift.
- Routines survive. The cat keeps her chair, the roses still get pruned, the Sunday paper still arrives.
- Open door for family. Drop in whenever suits, with no visiting slots or sign-in book.
- Community ties stay intact. Same surgery, same pharmacist, same neighbours. The nearest home with a free bed could be over in Eastbourne or further, miles from everyone they know.
- Frequently the cheaper option. Live-in care can cost up to 30% less than a residential place, and the saving grows for couples. There are more reasons families choose it worth reading about.
Choosing between live-in, round-the-clock and visiting support
People often treat live-in care and 24-hour care as one service, but there is a real difference, so it pays to know what live-in care actually involves before choosing. A live-in carer shares the home, has planned daily breaks and covers the night either asleep or awake. Someone who can’t be left for a moment needs two carers taking turns.
With visiting care, a carer calls in at fixed times for set tasks and then heads off. That works well for a fairly independent person in town. Out beyond Hellingly, though, it depends on a carer driving the lanes several times a day, whatever the weather.
From first phone call to a carer at the door
Some families ring us the week Dad comes home from Eastbourne DGH, or after a spell on a ward at the Conquest in Hastings. Then we can usually have a carer in place within days. Others are planning ahead, and the timetable is theirs.
Ring, message us on WhatsApp or book a callback. A short chat is enough for us to say whether live-in care fits and what comes next.
Richard Barnett, our Registered Manager, or Nastasha, our Field Care Supervisor, visits in person. Alongside the care plan, they note what shapes a placement here: whether a carer can park outside, how far the pharmacy is, how the stairs and bathroom work.
We send profiles of carers who suit your relative, and you can speak to them before deciding. No one starts without your agreement.
Daisy, our Care Coordinator, stays in close touch from move-in day while the new routine beds in.
A case manager reviews how things are going, and senior management review the case managers, a check many agencies never add.
Clear weekly pricing for live-in support
One weekly fee covers a carer living in and one-to-one help all day, with no extra hourly charges.
- From £1,190 a week for one person
- From £1,476 a week for a couple sharing a home
The biggest thing that moves the figure is what happens after dark:
- Settled nights. If your relative sleeps through, the carer rests in their own room and gets up when called. This is the standard rate.
- Disturbed nights. If your relative wanders, needs turning or calls out often, a carer stays awake overnight at a higher weekly rate. In an isolated home toward the Levels, that can let the family sleep too.
These are private fees, and funding can reduce what you actually pay.
Paying for care: What East Sussex families can access
Many families assume they’ll pay every penny themselves. That isn’t always the case, and we’ll help you work out what applies before care begins.
- NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC). When care is driven mainly by a health need, the NHS can fund it in full. We’re experienced in supporting CHC-funded care packages.
- East Sussex County Council. Adult Social Care assesses your relative’s needs first, then their finances. Savings below £23,250 may mean help toward the cost.
- Direct Payments. The council can pass its share straight to you, so choosing your own provider stays in your hands.
- Attendance Allowance. A weekly benefit for people over State Pension age who need help day to day, paid whatever their savings. It won’t cover live-in care alone, but it’s easy to overlook.
Not sure what kind of help mum or dad needs?
That’s normal. Our calls usually come after something has shifted: a hospital letter, a near miss on the stairs, a neighbour mentioning that the curtains stayed shut all day.
You don’t need the right terminology before you ring. Tell us what’s happening and we’ll give you a straight answer, even if another type of care would suit your family better. There’s no sales pitch waiting at the end.
What Hailsham families ask before they call
Will a live-in carer fit in a Hailsham bungalow?
Usually, yes. All your carer needs is a spare bedroom of their own. They can share the bathroom, though a second one makes life easier.
I live away from Hailsham. Can I still arrange and oversee mum's care?
Yes. Plenty of the families we support live well outside Sussex. We handle everything on the ground in Hailsham and keep you updated by phone, so distance doesn’t leave you out of decisions.
If dad moves nearer family in Lewes or Seaford, does care have to start again?
Can my carer use our car for trips around Hailsham?
Yes, as long as they hold a full licence and your insurer adds them as a named driver. If you’d rather they used their own car, we can arrange that.
Can we book a few weeks of respite care in Hailsham?
Yes. Families book short live-in stays to recover after hospital, cover a family carer’s holiday, or try the arrangement before committing.
