Care home costs in the West Midlands, next to help at home
Residential care in the West Midlands averaged £912 a week at for-profit homes in 2024/25. Six hours a week of practical help at home costs about £150 to £192, roughly 16% to 21% of that.
a week, residential care (2024/25)
a week, nursing care (2024/25)
a week, 6 hours of practical help (2026 rates)
Not a like-for-like comparison
A care home covers personal care, meals and staff around the clock. Practical help is the garden, the cleaning, the small jobs. This shows the difference in scale for people who need practical help, not care.
Paying for help at home
Attendance Allowance is £76.70 or £114.60 a week in 2026/27, isn't means-tested and can be spent on anything, including help around the house. At the higher rate it covers most of six hours' practical help a week.
Questions
How much does a care home cost in the West Midlands?
For-profit care homes in the West Midlands charged an average of £912 a week for residential care and £1,308 a week for nursing care in 2024/25 (LaingBuisson data reported by Which?, March 2025). People paying for themselves usually pay more than councils.
How much does help at home cost in the West Midlands?
Six hours a week of practical help such as gardening, cleaning or odd jobs costs roughly £150 to £192 a week at typical 2026 rates of £25 to £32 an hour.
Find help you can check in the West Midlands
Bring the helper your parent already has, or search for ID-checked helpers nearby. Free for families, free for helpers.