How much does home care cost in the East Lothian council area?

Personal care at home is free in Scotland where a council assessment says it is needed, whatever your age or savings, so the real question is what any further hours cost. None of the 44 services in the East Lothian council area publish a price, so you get a figure by ringing them. The Homecare Association puts the 2026-27 minimum a provider must charge at £34.42 an hour, or about £481.88 a week for two half-hour visits a day.

Will the council pay for home care in the East Lothian council area?

Personal care at home is free in Scotland. If your council's care needs assessment says you need help with washing, dressing, using the toilet, eating, medication or moving around, the council does not charge for it, whatever your age, income or savings. Nursing care from the NHS at home is free too. Help that is not personal care, such as housework, shopping and changing beds, can be charged for, at a rate your council sets after a financial assessment.

Which home care services in the East Lothian council area are rated best?

The Care Inspectorate grades services from 1 to 6 across several themes rather than giving one overall verdict. In the East Lothian council area, 39 of 44 services carry published grades and 30, 77%, sit at 4 of 6 or better on their weakest theme. That is below the 85% across Scotland. The lowest grade tells you more than the highest, because it is the theme the inspector was least satisfied with.

How do I choose a home care agency in the East Lothian council area?

Start with what the regulator publishes, then ask what it cannot tell you: who would actually visit, whether it is the same carer each time, what happens when that person is ill, and how long a call really lasts. 5 of the 44 services in the East Lothian council area carry no published verdict at all, so for those the questions are the only evidence you have. Every service here comes from the public register, and contacting one costs nothing: we take no fee and no commission.

Home care in the East Lothian council area

There are 44 home care services in the East Lothian council area registered with the Care Inspectorate. 39 of them carry published Care Inspectorate grades, and 30 are graded 4 of 6 or better. Personal care at home is free in Scotland where a council assessment says it is needed. Anything bought privately beyond that is quoted by the hour, and the Homecare Association puts the minimum a provider must charge in 2026-27 at £34.42. Adult social care in the East Lothian council area is arranged by East Lothian. Your council decides what care you are entitled to and what it pays towards, so this is the area that matters for funding.

What home care costs in East Lothian

None of the 44 services in East Lothian have published their rates here yet. Ring two or three and ask. Most will quote over the phone.

For comparison, the Homecare Association puts the minimum sustainable price at £34.42 an hour for 2026-27. That covers careworker pay at the statutory minimum for all working time including travel, mileage, wage-related costs, and the minimum cost of running a compliant care business.

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Bluebird Care (East and Midlothian) - Care at Home

Musselburgh, East Lothian

Good to Very goodCare Inspectorate, grades 4 to 5 of 6

Hourly rate: not published
Pays carers for travel: not published
Shortest visit: not published

Home care in the East Lothian council area

What home care costs in East Lothian

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