Live-In Care in Saltdean
Day-and-night care at home in Saltdean
When everyday life gets harder for an older parent or partner, live-in care lets them stay in their Saltdean home with a trained carer alongside them, whether they are living with dementia, recovering from a hospital stay or less steady on their feet. Our Brighton-based team has arranged this one-to-one support for nearly 30 years, with every placement overseen by our Registered Manager.
Homes here climb the valley sides above Saltdean Oval, so we plan around steps and steep drives from the first visit. We also arrange live-in care in Brighton & Hove and across the Tye in Peacehaven.
Everyday help a Saltdean live-in carer can provide
Support is shaped to the person, so a carer might do very little one month and a great deal the next. Our overview of a live-in carer’s responsibilities explains the full range.
Personal care
Your carer learns exactly how someone likes to be helped in the bathroom, the bedroom and on the stairs, then quietly handles washing, dressing, continence and safe transfers without fuss.
Companionship
Loneliness often creeps in before anything else changes. A carer brings company to meals and hobbies, and makes outings easy again, from a slow walk along the Undercliff to lunch with old friends in Rottingdean.
Medication reminders
Missed or doubled doses are a common worry for families. Your carer prompts each dose on time, records it, and stays in touch with the surgery and pharmacy whenever a prescription changes.
Alzheimer’s and dementia care
People living with dementia tend to cope best in rooms and routines they know, and live-in care keeps both in place. Our dementia-trained carers are matched to each person’s personality and history, so trust builds from the first week.
Palliative care
Many people would rather be at home at the end of life, and a live-in carer can make that wish workable. Working alongside district nurses, they provide steady, dignified support, and extra help can be added quickly if needs change.
Household chores and assistance
A tidy kitchen and a full fridge matter more than they sound. Your carer keeps meals, laundry and cleaning on track, and takes on the uphill jobs, like hauling shopping to the front door or wheeling bins down a sloping drive.
What families get from a team based minutes away
National agencies often cover this stretch of coast from a head office outside Sussex, matching carers from a database and managing each case by phone. Cheriton is run differently, by founder Richard Barnett, who learned the job caring for a man with Alzheimer’s in his own home and still oversees every placement as our Registered Manager.
- Rated Outstanding in Caring by the Care Quality Commission, a level only a small share of UK providers reach
- Enhanced DBS checks on every carer, followed by specialist training that continues throughout their placement
- An office minutes away. We are based in Whitehawk, on Brighton’s eastern edge, so home visits, reviews and urgent changes are handled by people who know this coast
- A named case manager for every placement, with senior management monitoring the case managers themselves
- Joined up with local health professionals. We work alongside GP surgeries, community nurses and chiropodists, and with the discharge team when someone leaves the Royal Sussex County Hospital
- Cover arranged before it is needed. Digital care records keep relatives up to date, and holiday cover comes from a carer you have already met
Why staying in a Saltdean home often beats a residential move
Many older residents have lived in the same Saltdean bungalow for decades, some with a sea view no care home could match. Live-in care lets them keep it, along with everything else that makes the house theirs.
- Surroundings that support memory. Knowing where everything is helps a person stay oriented and confident as memory or mobility changes.
- A single, consistent carer. Support comes from one person who learns the small preferences, rather than a changing shift team.
- Pets, gardens and hobbies stay. Nothing needs to be rehomed, sold or given up to make care work.
- Open-door visiting. Relatives call round whenever suits, whether that is a quick weekday stop or a long Sunday lunch.
- Local ties remain intact. The same surgery, pharmacy and neighbours stay part of daily life, and a residential vacancy nearby is never guaranteed.
- A cost that often compares well. Live-in care can come in up to 30% below a residential placement, and the saving is widest for couples. We have set out further benefits of live-in care worth considering.
Request A Brochure
Request a printed brochure to browse with your loved one at your leisure and find out more about live-in care.
Choosing between live-in, 24-hour and visiting care
These three options are easily confused. Once you see how live-in care works, the difference is clearer: a carer moves into the home, takes set rest periods, and is either asleep or awake overnight depending on the plan. Round-the-clock care with no break in cover at all requires two carers working in rotation.
Visiting care is shorter and scheduled. A carer calls at agreed times, completes particular tasks and then moves on to the next client. It suits people who manage well for most of the day, but it leaves long gaps between calls and nobody in the house overnight.
What happens between your first call and day one
Whether care is needed straight after a hospital stay or planned months ahead, the steps are the same. Only the pace changes.
- Talk to the people arranging your care. Ring the office, message Shane, our Assistant Manager, on WhatsApp, or book a callback. There is no switchboard between you and the team.
- A home visit from Richard or Nastasha. Our Registered Manager or Field Care Supervisor completes the risk assessment in person and builds the care plan from it. In Saltdean, that means checking front steps, sloping drives, handrails and where a carer can park.
- You choose the carer. We send written profiles of suitable carers, and you can ask anything before deciding. Where the plan involves driving, we only shortlist carers who drive.
- A supported first week. Your carer moves in on the agreed date, and Daisy, our Care Coordinator, stays in close contact while the new routine settles.
- Reviews as needs change. Your case manager updates the care plan whenever health, mobility or confidence shifts, so support can increase or ease without starting over.
Weekly costs, with nothing hidden
Fees are charged weekly and cover a dedicated carer living in the home, providing one-to-one support day and night. There are no hourly supplements and no surprise extras.
- From £1,190 per week for an individual
- From £1,476 per week for a couple living together
The exact figure depends on the care involved and the type of overnight support required.
- Sleeping nights. The carer rests in their own room and can be woken if help is needed. This works for most clients.
- Waking nights. The carer remains awake and working through the night, which carries a higher weekly fee.
These are private rates, and funding may cover part or all of the cost.
Funding options across Saltdean's two councils
Which council handles funding depends on your address. Homes west of Longridge Avenue come under Brighton & Hove City Council, while East Saltdean falls under East Sussex County Council, the same authority that assesses families arranging live-in care in Newhaven or in Lewes.
- NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC). Can cover the full cost where there is a primary health need. We are experienced in supporting NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) funded care packages.
- Council funding. Either council may contribute after a financial assessment.
- Direct Payments. The council pays its share to you, so you choose the provider.
- Attendance Allowance. Not means-tested. It won’t cover a live-in fee alone, but it often goes unclaimed.
Noticing things slipping at home? Talk it through with us
Maybe the post is piling up, meals are being skipped, or a neighbour has mentioned a fall on the front steps. You do not need to know what type of care to ask for before you ring.
Tell us what you are seeing and we will give you an honest view, even if a different type of care turns out to be the better fit.
Questions worth asking before care begins
How quickly can live-in care begin after a stay at the Royal Sussex County Hospital?
Urgent placements can usually start within 48 to 72 hours. Without that pressure, setting up care typically takes one to two weeks from the first assessment.
Is a two-bedroom Saltdean bungalow big enough for a live-in carer?
Usually, yes. The carer needs the second bedroom as a private space to rest and keep their belongings. A separate bathroom is not required.
Who arranges grab rails or a stairlift for a hillside home in Saltdean?
Adaptations and occupational therapy assessments go through the council that covers your address, so it depends on which side of Longridge Avenue you live. We flag what the home needs during our visit and point you to the right team.
How will my parent get to hospital appointments in Brighton?
A carer with a valid licence can drive your parent’s car once named on the insurance, or use their own vehicle by arrangement. The regular buses along the coast are another option for anyone steady on their feet.
Will the planned council changes affect care funding in East Saltdean?
Not yet. The government agreed in July 2026 to move East Saltdean into Brighton & Hove, then paused the plan for review in September. For now, East Sussex County Council still handles assessments there, and we can help you confirm who to contact.
