Many self help and patient support groups provide information and help for carers and those needing care, eg older people. The following are more general resources for those caring for someone, or for those in need of care.

See also the Patient UK information and links relating to benefits, grants and financial help.

Main umbrella organisations and websites

 Carers UK

Carers UK is the voice of carers and a leading campaigning, policy and information organisation for carers.

 Care Information Scotland

Care Information Scotland is a telephone and website service providing information about care services for older people living in Scotland.

 Care Quality Commission

The Care Quality Commission is the heath and social care regulator for England. Part of their work is to award annual performance ratings for NHS trusts and care homes. On their website you can see how NHS trusts and care homes compare against each other in the areas that they are measured in.

 Carers

Information from Department of Health.

 Carers Direct

Information, advice and support for carers from NHS Choices website - the government's patient information portal.

 Caring with Confidence

Information from NHS Choices - the government's patient information portal. The Caring with Confidence programme gives carers a better understanding of the problems they face and helps them find new ways to tackle them.

 Caring for someone

Information from Directgov, the UK government's digital service for people in England and Wales. It delivers information and practical advice about public services, bringing them all together in one place.

 Counsel and Care

Counsel and Care is a registered national charity providing a nationwide service for older people and their carers. They are able to advise on a wide range of subjects such as welfare benefits, accommodation, residential care, community care and hospital discharge etc.

 Crossroads Care

Crossroads Care is a leading provider of support for carers and the people they care for in England and Wales, helping carers make a life of their own outside caring.

 Crossroads Caring Scotland

A national organisation dedicated to the provision of short breaks for carers within their own homes Crossroads helps by taking over the caring responsibilities for a short period allowing the carer to take time to themselves.

  FirstStop

FirstStop Advice is an independent, free service offering advice and information for older people, their families and carers about housing and care options in later life.

  National Careline

A not for profit company offering information about care and support for older people,their carers and their families. It aims to fill the information and advice gap for older people and their relatives who are seeking to find their way through the care maze.

  Princess Royal Trust for Carers

The Princess Royal Trust for Carers exists to make it easier for carers to cope by providing information, support and practical help to carers. The national network of over 100 independently-managed Carers Centres across the UK currently reaches well over 100,000 carers a year.

 United Kingdom Homecare Association

United Kingdom Homecare Association Ltd (UKHCA) is the professional association of home care providers from the independent, voluntary, not-for-profit and statutory sectors. UKHCA helps organisations that provide social care, which may include nursing services, to people in their own homes, promoting high standards of care and providing representation with national and regional policy-makers and regulators.

  Who cares? Information and Support for the Carers of People with Dementia

Department of Health policy and guidance for carers which gives information about dementia, caring for someone with dementia, and the help available to carers.

 YCNet

YCNet is a website and online support service for young people aged 18 and under in the UK, who help to look after someone in their family who has an illness, disability, drug/alcohol addiction or mental health condition.

Other organisations dealing with caring issues

 A-Z Care Homes Guide

A Care Home resource for the UK, featuring a comprehensive and detailed database of UK care homes and providers, as well as suppliers, authorities & associations to the UK care industry.

 Abbeyfield

A national charity providing housing with support to older people.

 Able Community Care Ltd

Enables people of any age who are disabled or frail to live in their own home by providing a housekeeper/carer service specifically tailored to meet each individuals requirements.

 Anchor Trust

England's largest not-for-profit provider of housing and care for the over-55s.

 Bupa Care Homes UK

Bupa has over 300 care homes in the UK, offering expert residential, respite and nursing care, and specialist homes in dementia and other conditions.

 Care Directions

Provides a guide to care and the rights of older people.

 Care Choices

A leading publisher of care information and produces many of the official care directories for local authorities and councils.

 Carers Little Helper

Provides an automated, scheduled voice message reminder from a family member/carer to an elderly person reminding them to do something, eg take their tablets, get ready for an event, let them know you've returned from holiday, etc.

 Nursing Homes Directory

Directory of nursing homes, care homes and care agencies with enhanced listings, links, maps and contact information.

 Care Homes Guide Ltd

An informative, easy to use website for people searching for care homes,retirement properties, care products.

 Care Homes Today

A free advice and information directory aimed at helping people across the UK find the best residential and nursing homes to suit either their or their loved ones' needs.

 Care UK

A leading independent provider of health and social care services. Working in close partnership with local authorities and primary care trusts, they provide care and support for older people and those with learning disabilities as well as a range of healthcare services.

 Carers Christian Fellowship

The Carers Christian Fellowship aims to offer a link and support for Christians who are caring in some way for a relative, friend or neighbour.

 Cause

Cause is a charity in Northern Ireland directed and staffed by past and present carers, providing practical and emotional support to relatives and carers of people with serious mental illness.

 Choosing Carefully

A simple and informative guide for older people that outlines the choice of care options open to them.

 Compare Care Homes

Compare Care Homes is a free to use online care home comparison tool that covers over 24,000 care homes in the United Kingdom.

 Country Cousins

Introduce carers throughout the UK, to clients requiring support to remain living in their own home.

 Future Care Assured

Financial advice from specialists in care fees planning.

 Good Care Group

A provider of live-in care and services for elderly people, that allows them to continue to live safely in their own home, maintaining an individual's dignity and independence.

 Grace Consulting

A leading provider of independent care advice services in the UK.

 Guide2Care

Provides detailed information, help and advice for the care of the elderly and adults with learning difficulties.

 Healthcare Fee Solutions

Provide assistance in recovering care home, residential and nursing fees that have already been unfairly paid. Many people have already paid care fees for themselves or a relative, unaware that they are eligible for NHS Continuing Care funding.

 Helping Hands Live-in Care

Enables those who wish to remain within the familiarity and comfort of home, the opportunity to do so by providing live-in carem covering respite care, elderly care, personal care, companionship and housekeeping, balancing independent living with bespoke care needs

 Home Calls

Home Calls provides a daily telephone check, to ensure that older members of our community are safe and well whilst living in their own homes.

 Homeshare

Homeshare in the UK was originally set up to support older people who wanted to remain independent in their own homes. Householders provide free accommodation to a homesharer in exchange for ten hours of help each week.

 Key Care Solutions

Key Care Solutions is the leading "real time" care home reference guide to over 22,000 care homes and adult day centres across Ireland and the UK. This website is unique in that it only displays care homes which have current room vacancies.

  Mental Health: Ethnic Minority Carers' Experiences

Healthtalkonline, is an award-winning charity website, which lets you share in other people's experiences of health and illness. The information is based on qualitative research into patient experiences led by experts at the University of Oxford.

 Next of Kin

A company providing a service to individuals so that next of kin can be contacted in cases of emergency. There is also a facility to hold medical information to be accessed by professionals if necessary. A range of services are available for children, those living alone, those with medical conditions and others.

 Nursing Homes Registry

Provides the public with online access to details on a range of registered nursing, rest, retirement, warden assisted, respite, convalescent, elderley and special care homes in the UK.

 Signature Care Homes

A provider of residential nursing homes made up of private serviced apartments with 24 hour security and care if required.

 St Vincent de Paul Society

The Society is a registered charity run by volunteers whose main work is to befriend and assist individuals and families in need on a person-to-person basis, through visits to domestic residences, care homes, hospitals, prisons and other institutions.

 Sue Ryder Care

Provides care to people living with complex long-term and end of life conditions through their homecare, hospice and residential care services.

 Yourcarehome.co.uk

A website that helps you find the care home that's right for you. Whether you are looking for residential, nursing, dementia or respite care homes, they offer help, direction, information and support.