What is the Difference Between Residential and Domiciliary Care?
Choosing the right care for yourself or a loved one is a significant decision that often involves exploring a range of care options. For many families, residential care and domiciliary care are two of the first types of care they come across when beginning their care journey search. While both provide valuable support, understanding the key differences can help you make an informed choice that suits your circumstances, personal preferences and long-term well-being.
What Is Residential Care?
Residential care refers to support offered in a dedicated care home environment, where residents live full-time within a community of others who may require assistance with daily living. Residential care homes are designed to offer ongoing personal care and reassurance, with care workers and care staff available around the clock. Residents have unlimited access to their own bedrooms, communal lounges and dining rooms, all set within a safe environment that encourages both independence and social interaction.
In residential care, staff help with a wide range of daily routines and personal care tasks. This can include bathing, dressing, help with mobility and assistance at meal times. Medication management is also overseen by dedicated professionals, ensuring every resident receives correct doses at the right time. The presence of care workers at all times provides peace of mind for residents and their families, knowing there is immediate, professional support available for any urgent needs.
Many care homes also provide opportunities for social interaction and organised activities. Residents can regularly join group events, enjoy communal meals and spend time outdoors with new friends. These social features are a major benefit for older people who might otherwise experience isolation at home.
What Is Domiciliary Care?
Domiciliary care is also referred to as home care and provides personalised support for individuals wishing to remain in the familiar surroundings of their own home. Instead of moving to a care home, a domiciliary care worker or a team of care workers will visit at agreed times to provide care services that match individual needs. Domiciliary care can range from short visits to support with household tasks or personal care, to more comprehensive live-in care arrangements where professional support workers visit throughout the daytime and night hours.
Domiciliary care services are similar to residential care, including assistance with washing, dressing, and meal preparation. Domiciliary care workers can also help with household tasks such as cleaning and laundry, depending on what their package includes. For many, the most valuable part of domiciliary care is the ability to maintain independence, daily routines and close connections with their friends and neighbours.
Professional support is tailored to the needs of each resident, whether that is a few hours each week or regular daily visits. This flexibility is ideal for those who want to keep control over their care arrangement and remain in their own home. Some home care clients may eventually move to live in care if their support requirements increase or they need more specialist nursing care.
Benefits of Residential Care
Residential care provides the reassurance of constant support within a structured and safe environment. Residents benefit from the presence of professional care staff at all times, offering help whenever it is needed, day or night. This continuous availability not only supports personal care needs and medication management but also brings peace of mind to both residents and their family members. Care homes also encourage social interaction with a diverse activities calendar to suit the needs of their residents. Emotional support and regular companionship are significant aspects of residential care, helping to reduce feelings of loneliness and promoting overall well-being.
Before moving into a care home, the team will collaborate with residents and their loved ones to create a personalised care plan that follows them throughout their entire journey. This way, if their needs change the care home can adapt accordingly and also provide more specialist care if it is appropriate. The aim of a care home is for a resident to enjoy a familiar environment and continue doing the things they love most while the care assistants take care of the rest. They don't have to worry about any additional bills or stress about chores, as this is all included.
Benefits of Domiciliary Care
Domiciliary care allows individuals to remain in familiar surroundings, surrounded by their typical environment and neighbours. This type of care offers flexibility and control, with support plans tailored to the client’s specific needs. The primary benefit is the ability to maintain independence and daily routines, receiving assistance only where it is needed, such as with personal care, meal preparation, or household tasks. Domiciliary care supports continuing connections with neighbours and friends in the local community and enables people to continue living in their own home for as long as possible.
Family members often find comfort in knowing their relatives receive support from professional carers without having to move away from their community, creating a balance between help and independence that suits many individuals seeking an alternative to residential care. However, it is important to remember that with domiciliary care, you typically don't have assistance 24 hours a day like a care home and you still have to take care of any additional bills.
Which Option Is Right for You or Your Loved One?
The choice between residential care and domiciliary care largely depends on personal circumstances, the level of support needed and the kind of lifestyle that will promote the highest quality of life for the individual. For those who prefer group living, frequent social activities and immediate access to professional support, a care home may be the ideal solution. This is particularly true if care requirements have become substantial, or if safety, specialist care, or medication management require attention throughout the day and night.
Domiciliary care is better suited for individuals who require support but want to remain at home with familiar routines and surroundings. It offers the flexibility to adapt care services over time, supporting independence while still providing professional support. Domiciliary care is highly effective when needs are limited or when only certain tasks or parts of daily routines require assistance.
Engaging in a thorough care needs assessment can help clarify which care option will provide the right balance of autonomy and support. The care home teams, local authority, or social care professionals can provide advice and guidance, helping families make an informed choice.
Residential Care at The Porterbrook Care Home
At The Porterbrook Care Home, we believe in the value and reassurance that residential care provides. Our dedicated team offers exceptional care and support in a safe, welcoming environment where residents are at the centre of everything we do. Residents benefit from private bedrooms, relaxing communal areas, dining rooms serving nutritious meals, an in-house hair salon, a cinema room and a warm atmosphere where everyone is encouraged to live as fully and independently as possible.
Our team are available around the clock and provides personalised care to each resident, supporting all aspects of their daily life. It is important to us that our care home in Sheffield offers a sense of community and wellbeing that goes far beyond basic support.
Alongside residential care, we also offer dementia care and respite care. No matter your care needs, it is important to us that our residents stay connected to the community, so we have a luxury car that is available for regular trips for appointments, shopping or simply exploring.
If you are exploring care options, we invite you to visit The Porterbrook Care Home, meet our team and discover first-hand the supportive community and meaningful lifestyle we provide every resident.
