Live-in care for people living with cancer

Yes. Treatment can leave people exhausted, sick and more prone to infection. A live-in carer helps with personal care, light meals and drinks, keeping the home clean, getting to and from appointments, and company on difficult days. They follow the plan and advice your treatment team gives you, and know which warning signs, such as a high temperature, mean calling the hospital's acute oncology helpline straight away. Clinical care stays with the nurses and hospital.

Carers prompt and help with medication as prescribed, such as anti-sickness tablets and pain relief, and keep a simple record. Injections, central line care and other clinical tasks are carried out by district or specialist nurses. If your loved one's medication changes often, the carer works from the current prescription and tells you or the nurses if doses are missed or side effects worry them.

Often, yes. Many people continue with the same live-in carer as their condition changes, with district nurses and hospice teams providing the medical care. Continuity means your loved one is supported by someone who already knows them well. We'll talk honestly with you about what support is right as needs change, and whether NHS Continuing Healthcare Fast Track funding may apply.

Live-in care for cancer starts from £1,090 a week paid to the carer, plus our weekly agency fee of £250, and a one-off registration fee of £250. The household also provides the carer's food and a private room. The exact weekly rate depends on how much help is needed, especially at night, and we confirm it after a free assessment call, with no long contracts. Some people qualify for NHS Continuing Healthcare, including Fast Track funding at the end of life. Our cost page and cost calculator show how live-in care compares with a care home.

Yes. The carer can help your loved one get ready for appointments, travel with them by taxi or, if they drive, by car, and keep them company while they wait. They can write down questions beforehand and help remember what the doctor or nurse said. This takes a lot of pressure off family members who are juggling work and treatment days.

Yes. Caring for someone with cancer is exhausting for families. A live-in carer takes on the practical day-to-day tasks, so relatives can spend time with their loved one rather than doing all the care, sleep properly and keep up with work or children. Macmillan and local hospices also offer emotional and practical support for families, and the carer can help you connect with it.

Medicare People currently provides introductory live-in care services. We have submitted our application to the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and intend to introduce a fully managed live-in care service following registration. As an introductory agency, we find, check and introduce self-employed live-in carers, and the family agrees the day-to-day care with the carer directly. Before any introduction we carry out right-to-work, DBS and reference checks and interview every carer. Our team stays in touch after the carer starts, arranges relief cover for breaks and holidays, and finds a replacement carer if the match isn't working.