Informal care for older adults at home
Ad-hoc informal care from loved ones covers the basic needs of an older adult without professional care involvement, helping them stay safe and comfortable in their own home.
What is informal care?
Informal care, also called unpaid care, is a type of support for older people that is typically provided by family, friends, or neighbours. This is usually used when an older person begins to require help at home for their safety or comfort, but their needs can easily be covered by a loved one. For example, their children might check in on them, neighbours might bring shopping in, or friends might help with housework.
Informal care might involve:
- Companionship
- Personal care (bathing and dressing)
- Housekeeping
- Respite care from other relatives to give families a break
- General mobility assistance
- Getting groceries
This helps older adults remain in their home with light-touch support instead of having to hire professional care or move to a care home.
How does informal care impact older adults?
Age UK estimates around 2 million older people in England live with some form of unmet care need, whether that means personal care to get washed safely, mobility care to move around their home easily, or something else.
Informal care means family or loved ones provide this support to ensure their physical, mental and emotional needs are met with continuous, flexible and cost-effective care from someone familiar. However, informal care can negatively impact the older person if developing needs go unnoticed by an inexperienced carer, or if they lack qualifications in things like moving and handling, or more specialist care. Eventually, informal care may fail to cover these advancing needs, and so professional care may be more appropriate.
How does informal care impact family caregivers?
Informal care usually means more quality time with older relatives and more control over their healthcare decisions, but family caregivers often find providing informal care can be:
- Physically demanding, leading to health issues – research finds 1 in 4 carers reported ‘not good health’
- Emotionally draining, leading to isolation
- Financially tough if it affect employment – research finds 27% of carers struggle to make ends meet
- Stressful for the wider family, particularly if you have young children
While informal care can be an option for those unable to pay for professional care, it can be difficult to maintain long-term, and could lead to carer’s burnout. It is important to be aware of your own health, and look into professional care if needed.
How can we help?
We've helped thousands of families to stay safe, comfortable and happy at home. Whatever situation you're facing, or whatever the question is, Home Instead is here to help.
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Home Instead have an experienced caring team that far exceeds in quality anything we experienced from other agencies at this point of service.Steve, Client
My mum receives excellent care from Home Instead. They are all very caring, friendly, organised and help my mum to feel happy, safe and well cared for in her own home. The carers are very good at communicating with the office and in turn the office are great at communicating any concerns to me as situations arise.Jane, Client's Family
From day one Home Instead has given us a first-class professional caring service. Office staff and carers very helpful and understanding.Paul and Sandra, Clients
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How can professional home care help instead, or alongside?
There are an estimated 5.8 million unpaid carers in the UK, and many people believe informal care is their only option. It is recommended that informal caregivers look into what they may be entitled to in terms of financial support, as research shows 46% of unpaid carers reported missing out on financial aid because they didn’t realise they were an unpaid carer. You can learn more at Carers Trust UK.
Exploring professional care options also helps, as you can receive a free Care Needs Assessment with your local council, or speak to agencies like Home Instead who ensure flexible care that can be shaped around your loved one’s needs. That means if you want to continue providing informal care and fill in the gaps with professional care, you can.
Why Home Instead?
We understand the transition to professional care can bring up a lot of worries, so we always aim to make the process as transparent and stress-free as possible. When you reach out to our friendly team for a no-strings chat, we can discuss your informal care arrangement, if relevant, and create a person-centred care plan that works for everyone involved. You can learn more about how to choose and arrange home care from our helpful team, who can provide support whether you need ad-hoc, respite care, or a more intensive live-in care arrangement.
We are proudly rated 9.6 on Homecare.co.uk, and many of our locations are rated “outstanding” by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), so you can rest assured your loved one is in the safest hands.
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FAQs
What is informal care?
Informal care is the unpaid support provided by family members, friends, or neighbours to help an older adult with daily living — such as cooking, cleaning, or companionship. It’s often given out of love and responsibility but can sometimes be physically or emotionally demanding.
What are the limitations of informal care?
While family care offers comfort and familiarity, it may not always meet changing health or personal care needs. Without formal training, carers can find it difficult to manage medication, mobility challenges, or complex conditions such as dementia.
How is professional home care different from informal care?
Professional home care provides the same warmth and companionship as family care but with the added benefit of skilled, trained Care Professionals. They can safely assist with personal care, medication, mobility, and daily routines – giving families peace of mind and flexibility.
Can home care work alongside informal care?
Absolutely. Many families choose a blended approach, where Care Professionals provide regular visits or respite support while family members continue to offer companionship and emotional care. This partnership helps share responsibility and ensures consistent, high-quality support.
Why should I consider professional home care as an alternative to informal care?
Home care allows loved ones to remain at home while receiving professional, reliable support that adapts as their needs change. It reduces stress for family carers, enhances safety and wellbeing for the person receiving care, and ensures compassionate, dignified support every day.
Diane WIlliams , Head of Quality & Standards
Before joining Home Instead, I built a comprehensive career in the social care sector, beginning in 1991 as a frontline care worker and advancing to senior leadership roles across both private and voluntary sector businesses.
Throughout my career, I have supported diverse care groups in a variety of settings, including community, residential, nursing, and secure environments. My experience spans working with older adults, including those living with dementia; individuals with physical disabilities and complex, long-term health needs; people with learning disabilities, including autism; individuals with enduring mental health challenges; individuals with current or past substance use and those with forensic backgrounds.
In 2002, I qualified as a social worker and have since maintained my professional registration with Social Work England.