Home Care and Visiting Care

Trusted Home Care
in across Surrey and London

If your mum or dad needs a little more support at home, but the thought of a care home feels too much too soon, visiting home care could be exactly the right answer. Our friendly, professional carers come to you, fitting seamlessly around the life your loved one already has, helping them to stay independent and comfortable on their own terms.

CQC Registered ISO 9001:2015 Certified 1,000+ Five-Star Reviews Available 7 Days a Week
Overnight home care support assisting elderly man in bedroom
Carer helping an elderly client with a daily task in their living room
Understanding Home Care

What is Home Care and How Does It Work?

Home care, also known as visiting care or domiciliary care, is professional support provided at home during scheduled visits. A trained carer comes to your loved one at agreed times each day or week, assists with whatever they need, and then leaves. Your loved one keeps their home, their routines, and their independence. They simply have a reliable, friendly professional there to help when it matters.

Visiting care is one of the most flexible forms of support available. A visit might last an hour in the morning to help with washing and dressing. It might be a lunchtime call to prepare a meal and check in. Or it could be an evening visit to assist with getting ready for bed. The schedule is built entirely around your loved one’s life, not ours.

At SD Care, we take great care in matching each client with a carer who is not only qualified but genuinely well-suited to them. We introduce the carer before visits begin, prepare a detailed personalised care plan, and review it regularly so the support always reflects your loved one’s current needs.

  • Personal care including washing, dressing, and grooming with full dignity
  • Medication prompts and safe administration at each visit
  • Meal preparation and ensuring proper nutrition throughout the day
  • Light housekeeping, laundry, and maintaining a comfortable home environment
  • Companionship, conversation, and accompanying to appointments or outings
  • Regular updates to the family and coordination with health professionals
Signs to Look Out For

When Should You Consider
Visiting Home Care?

Knowing when a parent or loved one needs more support is not always straightforward. Here are some of the most common situations that bring families to us.

Daily routines are becoming difficult

Getting washed and dressed in the morning, preparing meals, or managing medication has become unreliable or unsafe without support.

You live too far away to help regularly

You want your loved one to have consistent, reliable support during the week but you are not able to be there yourself as often as you would like.

A care home feels like too big a step

Your loved one wants to stay in their own home, and a care home is not the right option. Visiting home care makes staying at home possible.

Recovery from illness or surgery

Your loved one has been discharged from hospital and needs temporary domiciliary support at home while they recover and regain their strength.

Loneliness and lack of daily contact

Your loved one is spending long stretches of time alone. Regular carer visits bring social connection, routine, and a friendly face to look forward to.

A recent diagnosis that affects daily life

A new diagnosis of dementia, Parkinson’s, a stroke, or another condition means daily tasks are becoming more challenging and structured support is now needed.

You are the current carer and need relief

You are providing most of the support yourself and it is becoming difficult to sustain alongside your own work, health, and family responsibilities.

You want peace of mind

Your loved one is physically well but you worry about their safety and wellbeing at home. Regular visits provide consistent oversight and immediate reassurance.

Why SD Care

Why Choose SD Care for
Home Care in Surrey and London?

There are many home care agencies in Surrey and London. What sets SD Care apart is not a marketing claim. It is the direct result of the way we recruit, train, and support our carers, and the genuine care we take over the matching process. Families who come to us once tend to stay with us, and that tells us we are doing something right.

  • CQC Registered and Regulated

    We are fully registered with the Care Quality Commission and independently inspected. CQC registration means our visiting care service meets the highest national standards for safety and quality, and you can verify our record on the CQC website at any time.

  • ISO 9001:2015 Certified by DNV

    Our quality management processes are independently certified to ISO 9001:2015. This means that the way we assess, plan, deliver, and review every package of home care meets an internationally recognised standard of management excellence.

  • Consistent, Carefully Matched Carers

    We do not send whoever is available. We take time to match each client with a carer who is right for them as a person, not just professionally suitable. We assign a small, consistent team so your loved one builds a genuine, familiar relationship with the people visiting their home.

  • Local Teams Across Surrey and London

    We operate visiting care teams across 30 locations in Surrey and Greater London. Your loved one is supported by local carers who know the area, the community services, and can respond quickly when things change.

  • 24/7 On-Call Support

    Our 24-hour on-call line means carers always have a supervisor to contact, and families can reach someone from our team at any time. You are never left to navigate a problem alone outside of office hours.

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 SD Care carer and client sharing a relaxed, warm moment at home
Common Questions

Frequently Asked Questions
About Home Care

Arranging home care for a parent or loved one often raises a lot of questions. Here are straightforward answers to the ones families ask us most often.

How much does home care cost in Surrey and London?

Our prices start from £24 per hour for visiting home care. Our fees vary based on specific care needs and the location of the client. You can call us to arrange a free initial assessment or talk to our AI chatbot below for more information.

We always provide a full, transparent breakdown of all costs before any care begins. There are no hidden fees, and we discuss every available funding option with you during your free assessment so you can make an informed decision at your own pace.

What is the minimum length of a home care visit?

Our minimum visit length is 30-minutes. We do not offer 15-minute visits because we believe they are too short to provide genuinely good, unhurried care. A half-hour gives the carer time to complete everything properly, have a proper conversation with your loved one, and leave the home safe and comfortable.

Most clients begin with one or two visits per day and adjust the frequency and duration over time as their needs change.

Will my loved one always have the same carer?

Yes, as far as possible. We assign a small, consistent team to each client so your loved one sees the same familiar faces at every visit. This consistency is not just nice to have. It is central to how good care works. A carer who knows your loved one’s routines, preferences, and personality provides far better support than one who has never met them before.

Where a regular carer is unavailable, we always notify the family in advance and send someone your loved one has already met where possible.

What is the difference between home care and a care home?

Home care, or domiciliary care, means a professional carer comes to your loved one’s home to provide support during scheduled visits. Your loved one stays in their own home, keeps their own routines, and maintains their independence. A care home means moving to a residential facility where staff are present around the clock.

For many people, home care is preferable precisely because it preserves independence and familiar surroundings. Research consistently shows that people who remain in their own homes tend to experience better wellbeing outcomes. Home care is also typically more cost-effective than residential care for people who do not require 24-hour support.

What funding is available to help pay for home care?

Several funding options may be available depending on your loved one’s situation. A local authority needs assessment can result in a direct payment or a managed care budget to contribute towards visiting care costs. Attendance Allowance is a non-means-tested benefit available to people over 65 who need help with daily tasks, and can be used towards home care fees.

NHS Continuing Healthcare may fund visiting care in full where a person’s primary needs are health-related. Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is available for those under 65. We discuss all relevant options during your free assessment. See all funding options.

How do you match a carer to my loved one?

Before matching, our care manager conducts a thorough assessment with your loved one and family. We take time to understand not just their care needs, but their personality, interests, daily routines, communication preferences, and any specific wishes about their carer.

We then identify carers from our local team who we believe are genuinely well-suited to your loved one as a person. We always arrange a meet-and-greet before regular visits begin. If the match does not feel right for any reason, we will try again. There is no pressure and no compromise.

Can home care be arranged quickly in an emergency?

Yes. In urgent situations, such as following a hospital discharge or a sudden change in circumstances, we can often arrange visiting home care within 24 to 48 hours of your initial call. We will always act as quickly as the situation demands.

For planned care, we prefer to allow a little more time so we can conduct a proper assessment, prepare a thorough care plan, and introduce the right carer before visits begin. Please call us as early as possible so we can plan together at a pace that suits your family.

Is home care available at weekends and on bank holidays?

Yes. SD Care provides visiting home care seven days a week, including weekends and bank holidays. Daily needs do not pause at the weekend, and neither do we. Your loved one will receive the same consistent, professional support regardless of the day of the week.

Can home care visits increase if my loved one’s needs change?

Yes, absolutely. We review every care plan regularly and adjust the frequency and content of visits as your loved one’s needs evolve. Many families start with one visit a day and increase to several as requirements grow over time. We can also transition to live-in care or other specialist services if that becomes appropriate.

You will never be left to manage a change in needs without guidance. Our care managers are available to discuss any adjustments at any time, and we aim to make every transition as smooth and unhurried as possible.

Which areas of Surrey and London do you cover?

We provide visiting home care across 30 locations in Surrey and London, including Guildford, Woking, Godalming, Cranleigh, Richmond, Ealing, Chiswick, Kingston, Merton, Bromley, Croydon, Hammersmith, and many more.

If you are not sure whether we cover your area, please call us and we will do our best to help. See all our locations.

Talk to Our Home Care
Team Today

Whether you are just starting to think about home care or ready to arrange visits straight away, our care advisors are here for you. There is no obligation, no pressure, and no rush. Call us for a free conversation about your loved one’s situation, or book a home visit at a time that works for your family.

Instant Answers

Have a Quick Question About Home Care?

Our AI assistant is available any time of day to answer your questions about visiting home care, including costs, what visits involve, funding options, and how quickly we can get started. It is a helpful first step, but our human team is always just a phone call away if you would prefer to speak with someone directly.

Our AI can answer general questions but is not a substitute for professional care advice. Always speak to a qualified care manager before arranging care for a loved one.