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Cost of Care Calculator: Care Home vs Age-Proofing Your Home

Find the most cost-effective option for you with our handy calculator

There’s no doubt about it – we're living longer than ever before! But our research found that people of all ages are also feeling younger, both mentally and physically.

According to our recent study, 87% of over-65s now state that they’d rather grow old living at home independently. Add in the fact that care home places are becoming increasingly coveted, and future planning has become more important than ever. Whether you’re looking for yourself or a loved one, this handy calculator will help you compare the cost of living at home vs moving into residential care in your region.

Your location

Where do you live?

Select your region to compare the cost of staying at home against the cost of moving into a care home in your area.

Please select:

How many storeys is your home?

This will add the cost of having a stairlift installed. If you don’t want a stairlift, select "1".

How many carpeted rooms do you have?

This will add the cost of swapping carpet for vinyl flooring in a medium room (30sqm). If you don’t want reflooring, select "0".

How big is your bathroom?

Select the option that most closely resembles your space.

Do you need nursing care?

Your results

Select the timeframe below to compare the estimated cost of staying at home against the cost of moving into a care home in your area.

1 Year
5 Years
Test

What does the calculator include?

Age-proofing your home can be surprisingly easy, and most amendments will need to be made in one space: the bathroom. From market-leading anti-slip shower trays and thermostatic showers, our Independent Living range is intuitively designed to help you have a safer bathroom that remains just as stylish as it has ever been.

Older people can find it difficult to use their existing shower (especially if it’s a bathtub model), due to the physical movement needed. Wet surfaces also make slips and spills more likely. Luckily, there are some simple changes you can make to ensure that your bathroom is safe for your later years, such as installing grab rails in tactical places.

For the bathroom, the costs in this calculator include the Mira Vision Flex, Flight Safe Shower Tray, Leap Divider Panel, Shower Seat and Grab Rail, as well as local installation costs for your region. Elsewhere in the home, it also includes the average cost of an adjustable double bed and riser chair.

What about the optional costs?

If you have carpeted rooms in your home, you may consider fitting non-slip and easy to clean flooring. This would add an average cost of £337 per room for materials and installation.

If your home has multiple storeys, this will add the cost of a stairlift. This is an average cost of £3,475 per staircase, including installation.

How did you figure out the cost of care?

This depends on which option you selected. If you selected part-time care, we added the average cost of £11,000 per annum – as calculated by the Money Advice Service. If you selected full-time care, we added an average annual cost of £30,000. The five-year figure for both options includes a 3% annual fee rise.

Find out more about how to age-proof your home on our Independent Living pages, and learn more about what over 65s are really looking for in our recent study.

Regional installation costs are indicative only and dependent on the space and work required. They were kindly provided by the following people:

East of England: JH Plumbing

London: Elthorne Plumbing

The Midlands: Mountainview Construction and Round Oak Interiors

North East: Stockton Plumbing and Heating

North West: Drew Styles Plumbing and Heating

Northern Ireland: JR Groves – Plumbing & Tiling Specialists

Scotland: Hamilton Bathroom and Kitchens

South East: Platinum Property Improvements

South West: Living Needs

Wales: SJL Plumbing and Heating

Yorkshire: DK Plumbing