How to arrange live-in care: what happens after you contact Hometouch

Ellie Garratt Mar 24, 2026 6 min

Hometouch carer meeting an elderly man at home, both smiling during a relaxed conversation

Taking the first step towards live-in care can feel daunting. Many families contact Hometouch in moments of urgency – following a hospital discharge, a fall, or a sudden change in their loved one’s condition. Others have been thinking about it for weeks, unsure where to start.

Whatever brings you to us, the process is designed to be straightforward, calm, and clinical from the very first conversation. This article walks you through what actually happens after you get in touch – step by step, from first contact to carer in place.

Key insights

Most families can have a carer in place within 24-72 hours of first contact
The process begins with a no-pressure conversation – no forms, no commitment required
Hometouch’s clinical team reviews every enquiry, not just the admin team
You choose your carer from a shortlist of recommended profiles – the final decision is always yours
If a carer isn’t the right fit, our team will find an alternative quickly
Hometouch offers two ways to arrange care: fully regulated (CQC-registered) or introductory – your adviser will explain which suits your situation

What to expect when you first get in touch with Hometouch

Whether you call, complete the online enquiry form, or message the team directly, your first contact is handled by a care adviser – not a call centre or automated system.

The aim of this first conversation is simply to listen. Your adviser will ask a few questions to understand the situation: who needs care, what’s prompting the enquiry, and how urgently support is needed. There’s no pressure to commit to anything at this stage. As Hometouch’s approach puts it: no pressure, just answers.

You don’t need to have everything figured out before you call. Many families reach out with only a partial picture – a recent diagnosis, a discharge date from hospital, or a sense that things at home are no longer quite manageable. That’s entirely normal, and the team is used to working with incomplete information to help families think clearly.

What’s useful to have ready, if you can:

A rough sense of the level of support needed (personal care, medication, overnight supervision, dementia care)
The person’s current living situation and whether there is a spare room for the carer
Any immediate time pressures, such as a hospital discharge date
A rough idea of the location

If you don’t have all of this, it doesn’t matter – your adviser can help you work through it.

How does Hometouch review enquiries?

Once your adviser has a clear picture of what’s needed, the details are passed to the clinical team for review. This is one of the things that sets Hometouch apart from many introductory agencies.

Because Hometouch was founded by Dr Jamie Wilson, a NHS-trained dementia specialist, clinical oversight sits at the heart of the matching process – not as an afterthought. For families whose loved ones are living with dementia or a complex condition, this means the carer recommendation takes clinical needs seriously from the outset, not just practical ones.

The team considers:

The medical and care needs of the person, including any specialist requirements (dementia care, medication management, complex care at home)
Personality, daily routines, and personal preferences – the things that make a carer feel like a good fit, not just a competent one
Practical factors such as location, timing, and the physical environment of the home

This is what Hometouch means by finding a carer who clicks – someone who understands both the clinical picture and the person.

How does carer matching work?

Within 24-72 hours, your adviser will share a shortlist of carer profiles that match your loved one’s needs. These are not computer-generated suggestions – they’re recommendations from a team that has reviewed the situation carefully.

Each profile includes details about the carer’s experience, training, and background. You can take time to look through the profiles, ask questions, and, where circumstances allow, speak to a carer before any contract is in place.

The final decision is always yours and your family’s. Hometouch will guide the process and make recommendations, but you choose who comes into your loved one’s home.

For families in urgent situations – a same-day hospital discharge, for example – the team can move quickly to recommend carers who are available immediately and have supported similar needs before. In these cases, care can be arranged within 24–72 hours.

“I contacted as many agencies as I could find online and Joshua at Home Touch was the first to respond and had arranged two carers to alternate, within 48 hours, which was greatly appreciated and a huge relief.”
Victoria Powell, whose mother needed urgent care after her previous agency let the family down at short notice.

What happens once you’ve chosen a carer

Once you’ve confirmed a carer, the team helps you set up the contract and agrees a start date. For regulated care (Hometouch’s CQC-registered service), a clinical care manager will also arrange an in-home assessment – reviewing the care environment, confirming the care plan, and making sure everything is in place before the carer arrives.

This clinical assessment is an important step, not a formality. It’s the point at which a custom care plan is created – covering personal care routines, medication, daily activities, and any specific clinical requirements. The plan is shared with the carer before they begin and reviewed regularly by the clinical team as needs change.

For introductory care (where Hometouch matches and vets the carer but the family manages the arrangement directly), the process is lighter – but the matching process and commitment to finding the right fit remain the same.

If you’re unsure which model is right for your situation, your adviser can explain the difference clearly. There’s more detail on the Hometouch live-in care page, including a breakdown of costs.

What if the carer isn’t the right fit?

It happens. Even with careful matching, a carer who looks right on paper doesn’t always work in practice – a personality clash, a different approach to routine, or simply a sense that things aren’t quite clicking.

Hometouch’s team expects this to come up occasionally and handles it without fuss. You contact the team, explain what isn’t working, and the matching process begins again. There is no blame, no difficult conversation to navigate, and no lengthy delay.

A note on complex care and dementia

For families whose loved ones are living with dementia or another complex condition, the process above is the same – but with additional clinical care taken at every stage.

Hometouch’s clinical team has specialist experience in dementia care at home, and every carer working with someone living with dementia receives training from the clinical team before they begin. The care plan is more detailed, the matching takes longer to get right, and the ongoing clinical oversight is more active.

If you’re in this situation, it’s worth mentioning this clearly from the first conversation. The clinical team can then be involved from the outset rather than introduced later.

Arranging live-in care: Frequently asked questions

How quickly can live-in care be arranged through Hometouch?

In urgent situations, such as a hospital discharge or a sudden change in a loved one’s condition, Hometouch can typically have a carer in place within 24–72 hours of first contact. In less urgent situations, most families have care arranged within a few days. The team will always be clear about what’s realistic given your specific circumstances.

What happens during a live-in care assessment?

For regulated care, a clinical care manager visits the home before care begins. They review the care environment, confirm the person’s clinical and personal needs, and create a custom care plan in collaboration with the family. This plan is shared with the carer before their first day and reviewed regularly as needs change.

Do I have to meet the carer before care starts?

Where circumstances allow, Hometouch encourages families to speak to or meet a recommended carer before confirming the arrangement. For urgent placements, this may not always be possible – but the team will ensure you have a full profile and the chance to ask questions before agreeing. Many clients find that a short phone or video call is enough to feel confident.

What is the difference between regulated care and introductory care?

Regulated care means Hometouch directly manages the care arrangement under CQC registration – with a clinical care manager overseeing the plan, monitoring outcomes, and providing continuity if a carer needs to be replaced.

Introductory care means Hometouch matches and vets the carer, but the family manages the arrangement independently. Both models involve the same careful matching process. Your adviser can explain which is more appropriate for your loved one’s needs.

What information should I have ready when I contact Hometouch?

It’s helpful (but not essential) to have a broad sense of the level of care needed, the person’s current situation and any immediate time pressures, and confirmation that there is a spare room for the carer. If you have a hospital discharge date or a specific medical diagnosis, that’s useful to share early.

The team is experienced at working with families who are still working things out – you don’t need to have all the answers before you call.

If you’re ready to find out more, or if you need care in place quickly, the Hometouch team is available to help. No pressure, just clear guidance on next steps. Speak to one of our care experts today.

Ellie Garratt

How to arrange live-in care: what happens after you contact Hometouch ￼