We’re experts in providing rapid-response emergency care within just 24 hours of your call.
EMERGENCY CARE AT HOME
What is urgent home care?
Whatever your situation, the team at Ashridge Home Care can provide you with specialist care at short notice.
Urgent home care covers a wide range of situations. Perhaps you’ve had a sudden change in your circumstances and can no longer care for your relative. Or, a loved one may have fallen ill or suffered an injury and suddenly needs more support than you’re able to offer.
Emergency home care is for anyone in urgent need of support, covering all facets of care: from completing daily tasks to assisting with appointments. Despite having a sudden change in circumstances, Urgent home care means that, even with a sudden change in circumstances, your loved one can remain in the comfort of their own home whilst receiving professional care.
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What does our emergency home care include?
We take the time to create a personalised care plan specifically for your loved ones’ needs. Here are just a few things we can offer:
- Personal care with bathing and getting dressed
- Help administering medication
- Shopping for food and supplies
- Cooking meals and cleaning the house
- Laundry, doing the dishes and running errands
- Arranging appointments and attending if needed
- Companionship and helping with hobbies
The list is endless, with the option for as much or little support as you’d like. We can offer emergency live-in care with 24-hour assistance for those that need hands-on support on a daily basis. Providing extra support to continue living life on their own terms. We can also offer home care services such as visiting care or hourly care. This gives you the flexibility to have a carer visit your loved one a few times a week to take care of certain tasks.
FAQ’s
Get all the information you need
Every situation is different, so you can turn to our urgent care services in several scenarios:
- Quick response for an unplanned discharge from hospital
- Home care and confidence building following a fall or an accident
- Situations where another agency has let your relative down
- Rehabilitation after an operation
- Help when unforeseen circumstances occur
- Urgent palliative care so a loved one can return home and have the comfort and dignity of spending their final days in their own surroundings
Either live-in care services or visiting home care services such as hourly care can be arranged, depending on the need.
We are experts in providing rapid-response emergency care. We have many years’ experience in providing urgent care, aiming to help within 48 hours of your call (01494 917 344).
Within 24 hours of your call, one of our Care Managers will visit your relative at home to assess their needs. From that point on, the same person who carried out the assessment will oversee the care arrangements for as long as we are needed.
Once we’ve assessed their needs and got to know them, we’ll assign a dedicated carer to your loved one who matches their personal preferences.
It can be hard to recognise when your loved one may need more support than you can offer. Every situation is unique, but if they’re experiencing any of the following it could be a a good time to consider elderly care:
- If your relative struggles to complete daily tasks, such as cooking, washing, cleaning or going to the bathroom, without support
- If your family member is struggling to meet medical needs, such as taking medications on time and attending appointments
- If your relative feels isolated and lonely, or if your family is unable to frequently visit and provide the support needed.
At Ashridge Home Care, one of our care managers will work with you to design a care plan that meets all of your loved one’s needs. Hourly care could suit your family if they require care during a few core hours of the day, whilst live-in care can offer 24-hour care for round-the-clock support.
When it comes to choosing the right care for you and your family, nothing matters more than finding a solution that works for you. Elderly home care and residential care are both alternatives that you’re likely to consider, both offering similar services. But how do they differ?
Whilst residential care does offer 24/7 care support, live-in care offers all of the following benefits:
✔ One-to-one care from a dedicated carer
✔ 24/7 care support
✔ Stay in the comfort of your home
✔ Stay with your partner and all your possessions
✔ No accommodation fees
✔ Flexibility to choose between hourly visits or 24/7 care
COSTS
How much do home care services cost?
The cost of care can vary depending on your family’s individual needs and the level of care needed.
Live-in care starts at £1,650 per week. To get a more accurate idea of how much your family’s care will cost, you can contact our team, who will be able to point you to the service you need and explain the pricing structure in more detail.
The fees cover the cost of a personalised, fully managed care service, with the cost of a dedicated carer and care manager included.
ABOUT US
Why choose Ashridge Home Care?
The Ashridge Team
We have been rated as Outstanding in the Caring Category by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). With an overall rating of Good in all other categories for being safe, effective, well-led and responsive to people’s needs.
The team at Ashridge can arrange the help and support you need within just 24 hours. Whether your loved one has been discharged from the hospital unexpectedly or your previous care plans have fallen through, our dedicated care team is ready to step in.
We understand that organising urgent care for a loved one can be overwhelming. We manage the practical side of things so you can be there to support your loved one emotionally. Organising hospital appointments and transport, seeking specialist medical advice, helping around the home: we take care of everything.
All of our carers are hired and trained in-house, meaning that everyone upholds the high standards we’re recognised for. We pride ourselves on getting to know your loved one personally, so we can match them with the right carer. We offer safety, security, freedom and peace of mind, meaning you and your loved one can continue living the life you deserve.
We Guarantee to find a carer that you are happy with – if you are not happy we will replace your carer with someone else more suited.
HOW IT WORKS
What is the process for arranging urgent care?
Our experienced team are on hand to support at short notice and can often arrange care within 24 hours of an assessment.
All you need to do is fill in the form or give us a call on 01494 917 344.
We’ll then get in touch with you to discuss your loved one’s needs before assigning a dedicated care manager to visit their home and create a specialised care plan. You’re under no obligation to move forward with this plan. We always make sure that everyone’s on board before proceeding. Once the tailored care plan is in place, we’ll assign a carer who we feel best aligns with your loved one’s personality and requirements.
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Emergency Care & Urgent Care: Essential Facts
When is emergency care at home needed?
Emergency care at home may be needed when life changes suddenly, and any current support already in place no longer feels enough. Sometimes this happens after a fall, a hospital stay, an illness or a change in mobility due to old age. For some families, it may also become necessary when the person who usually provides care becomes unwell or needs to take a step back from caring responsibilities.
A family emergency is never welcome, and can be especially unsettling when you need immediate assistance with care. Families often find themselves trying to make decisions while also managing worry, practical tasks, and the emotions that come with seeing a loved one need more help.
Urgent home care gives you a safe, professional way to respond without having to move your loved one away from the place they know best. With the right professional help in place, care at home is almost always the best long-term solution for an older person’s health and well-being. We provide a broad range of care packages suitable for temporary help right through to long-term support for complex care needs.
When can emergency home care help?
Emergency care may be helpful if your loved one:
- has recently come home from hospital and needs support to recover at home safely
- has had a fall or injury and feels less confident moving around
- needs daily care or overnight reassurance after a sudden change in health
- has lost their current carer due to illness, travel or family circumstances and needs respite care
- is waiting for longer-term care to be arranged
- wants to avoid a rushed move into residential care
In many cases, emergency homecare is not only about responding to a crisis. It is also about preventing one. With professional carers in place, your loved one can receive calm, practical support while the family takes time to understand what is needed next. It ensures any more permanent decisions are fully considered and not made in a rush, which is especially important for long-term or complex health conditions.
How quickly can urgent care be arranged?
When a family needs urgent care, speed matters. Our experienced team aims to arrange emergency care within 48 hours. The speed at which support can be arranged depends on your loved one’s needs, location and the level of support required.
The first step is always a conversation. We will listen carefully to what has happened, what support is already in place and what feels most urgent. From there, we can advise on the most suitable type of care, whether that is live-in care, overnight care, hourly care or temporary support while longer-term plans are being made.
Even when care needs to start quickly, we never treat it as a rushed process. Your loved one’s safety, dignity and comfort are always at the centre of the quality care we provide and the decisions we make.
How is emergency care different from regular home care?
Emergency carers and regular home carers often provide many of the same types of support for an older adult. Both can help with personal care, meals, medication, companionship, mobility, hospital visits and household tasks. The main differences are usually the speed, urgency, and reason for arranging care – often in unexpected situations or different types of emergency such as a serious injury or diagnosis.
Regular home care vs emergency care at home | |
| Regular home care | Emergency care |
| Planned in advance for a specific period or as ongoing care. | Follows a sudden change in health conditions, requires urgent action. |
| A family may notice that a loved one is finding daily life harder and decide to introduce support gradually. | A loved one may be discharged from hospital sooner than expected. A family carer may become unavailable. Care needs have changed unexpectedly and suddenly. |
| This might begin with a few visits a week or move straight into live-in care if more regular help is needed. | Emergency home care provides support while keeping your loved one in familiar surroundings. It can be arranged as short-term care, temporary care or the beginning of a longer-term care plan. |
For some families, urgent care is only needed for a few days or weeks. For others, it becomes a gentle way to understand what level of care would be most helpful in the future. Either way, the aim is the same: to keep your loved one safe, settled and supported at home.
Is emergency care available overnight?
Yes, emergency care can include overnight support. This can be especially helpful when a loved one feels anxious at night, has started waking more often, needs help getting to the bathroom or is at greater risk of falling. According to the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) (previously Public Health England) 30% of people over 65 fall at least once a year.
Night time can be the most worrying part of the day for families. Even if someone manages well during daylight hours, they may become disorientated, restless or less steady on their feet overnight. For people living with dementia, evenings and nights can sometimes feel particularly difficult, especially if they experience confusion, wandering or changes in sleep patterns.
What does emergency overnight care at home cover?
Overnight emergency care can give your loved one reassurance and practical help when they need it most. Depending on their needs, this may include:
- help getting ready for bed
- support with toileting during the night
- reassurance if they wake feeling confused or anxious
- help with medication routines
- support with safe movement around the home
- morning care, dressing and breakfast
- companionship and calm supervision overnight
In many situations, waking night care may be most suitable. This is a type of care where a carer remains awake and available through the night. In some cases, sleeping night care may be enough, where the carer sleeps in the home but can be called if needed.
For people who need regular support across both day and night because of a complex condition, emergency live-in care may offer the most complete reassurance. A trained live-in carer can stay in the home and provide steady, personalised care, helping to ensure safety for your loved one without leaving familiar surroundings. Contrary to what many people believe, a residential care home for elderly people is not the only option – or even the best option.
Emergency care after a hospital stay
A hospital discharge can happen quickly, and the primary carer or the wider family may not always feel fully prepared for what comes next. According to the healthcare professionals, your loved one may be medically ready to leave the hospital, but still need extra help in the form of mobility support, medication management, washing, dressing, meal preparation or regaining confidence at home.
Arranging emergency home care can help make this transition smoother. A professional, qualified carer can be there when your loved one returns home, helping them settle back into their normal environment and reducing the risk of avoidable setbacks with fully tailored care and support.
This type of homecare service can be particularly useful after surgery, illness, a fall or a period of reduced mobility. It can also support families who live further away or cannot be present throughout the day in urgent situations. With the right care in place, your loved one can return to the comfort of home with practical support, gentle encouragement and a clear plan for the days ahead.
For many people, being back at home provides emotional support and physical recovery. Familiar rooms, favourite chairs, pets, neighbours and daily routines can all bring comfort and aid rehabilitation. Emergency care helps protect that sense of normality while making sure your loved one has the professional support they need from a fully trained carer.
Short-term emergency care or longer-term support
Emergency care can be arranged for a short period while your family decides what is needed next. Urgent visiting care can be tailored from as little as 1 hour per week to several visits daily. Some people need support for a few days after a sudden illness or hospital discharge. Others may need several weeks of support by trained carers as they regain strength, confidence, and independence. Typically urgent care at home provides short-term help and support for up to 14 days.
In some cases, such as an unexpected diagnosis, urgent care becomes the start of a longer-term arrangement. A temporary care plan can be reviewed and adapted as your loved one’s needs become clearer.
You may begin with hourly care and later decide that round the clock assistance in the form of live-in care would be more appropriate care. Or you may arrange emergency live-in care straight away, then reduce the level of support once your loved one feels more able to cope. We also provide emergency palliative care for people with life-limiting conditions who need immediate support from our compassionate carers.
The important thing is that care should fit the person, not the other way around.
How to prepare for emergency care at home
When additional support is needed quickly in an emergency situation, you do not need to have everything perfectly organised before asking for help. Our team can guide you through what is needed and help the process feel more manageable.
That said, there are a few things that can help the carer understand your loved one and and provide the necessary support from the beginning.
It can be useful to gather:
- a list of current medication and when it should be taken
- details of any recent hospital stays, falls, injuries or health changes
- GP, pharmacy and emergency contact details
- information about mobility, including walking aids or transfer needs
- details of any allergies, dietary needs or swallowing concerns
- notes on personal care preferences and daily routines
- information about pets, visitors and household arrangements
- any existing care plans, discharge notes or medical letters
Having these written down before urgent care is needed can make the process easier. It can be particularly useful when supporting someone with dementia who needs urgent care. A sudden change in health, routine or environment can sometimes make confusion worse and even lead to delirium, according to Dementia UK. Staying at home during illness can, therefore, be a major health benefit.
Knowing the smaller details will make the carer’s life easier, and the person feel safe and better understood.
It is also helpful to share anything that may cause distress. For example, some people feel anxious around unfamiliar faces, noise, certain times of day or changes to routine. The more we know, the more we can help the carer approach each moment with patience and sensitivity.
Personal emergency care for the elderly
Families often worry about how their loved one will respond to a new carer. This is why careful matching and clear communication matter. We take time to understand personality, preferences, and routines, so the carer can build trust in a gentle, respectful way.
For many families, urgent care at home means there is someone professional and trained on hand, not only to complete practical tasks but to provide patient, compassionate support when things feel uncertain.
Emergency care should never feel clinical or impersonal. Even when support begins at short notice, good care still starts with understanding the person behind the care needs.