Best stroke care platforms in the UK (scored, November 2026)

Key Takeaways

This is a scored list of the best stroke care platforms in the UK: eight introductory matching services, judged on published vetting, fees, flexibility, family support and third-party reviews. None of them is CQC-registered as a care provider for the service we scored. We run Match With Care and put it in the table on the same rules. Facts we could not find are marked not published and score zero. Method: how we score platforms. Live table: home care platforms. Checked 5 November 2026.

The Stroke Association puts strokes in the UK at around 100,000 a year. One in four happen to people of working age. About 60% of patients leave hospital with a disability. A third of survivors have aphasia. If you only wanted the scores, skip to the table. I would, on a ward-discharge afternoon.

NICE guideline NG236 (last reviewed 18 October 2023) is the rehab document: intensity, early supported discharge, transfer of care into the community. The Stroke Association's same briefing says only 17% of community services have proper access to physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech and language therapy together. The hours between those visits are the unpaid bit.

Age UK (updated 18 February 2026) still points families at registered homecare agencies, or at arranging a private carer themselves. If savings sit above £23,250, the council will not help with care costs. Age UK's cost page (updated 3 November 2026) puts privately arranged care at home around £25 an hour. The NHS still prices a paid carer at about £15 to £30 an hour, and names stroke as one of the conditions some live-in organisations support. Attendance Allowance is £76.70 a week, or £114.60 if help is needed through both day and night.

Marcus in Enfield had the swallow sheet from North Middlesex taped to the fridge. PrimeCarers' live-in-after-a-stroke page, opened 5 November 2026, prices a live-in week from £1,050, typically £1,120, fee included. The same page is plain that PrimeCarers does not check the training.

There is still a season ticket in the fruit bowl.

What are the best stroke care platforms in the UK?

On this 5 November 2026 check we scored Elder, Match With Care, Curam, Live-in Care Direct, PrimeCarers, Country Cousins, Gladys and Care.com UK. Elder leads on published facts, at 95/100. Rank is a score, not a recommendation to switch.

How we scored these stroke care platforms

The CQC (updated 2 November 2026) registers people who carry on regulated activity. These platforms introduce self-employed carers, so a CQC grade cannot rank them.

Each platform is scored out of 100 from facts on its own pages: vetting 25, price transparency 20, flexibility 15, family support 20, third-party reviews 20. Review points need at least 10 reviews and are weighted by volume up to 100. A perfect 5.0 with fewer than 100 reviews earns 12 of 20. A fact we cannot find is not published, and earns nothing. Ties break on review volume, then name. Full rules: platform ranking methodology. We run Match With Care. Its rank is the score. Pages opened for this round are named under each platform. Checked 5 November 2026.

If you want the weeks after free reablement, we already wrote stroke care at home after the six-week window. This page is the platforms.

Comparison table

Rank	Platform	Score	Stroke / live-in from	Family fee	Reviews
1	Elder	95/100	Live-in from £1,195 a week; no specialist from-price	One agreed weekly rate	4.8/5 from 905, Trustpilot
2	Match With Care	89/100	Live-in around £1,050–£1,400 a week	15% platform fee on the invoice	5.0 on Google, fewer than 100 reviews (12/20 review points)
3	Curam	88/100	Live-in from £950 a week; stroke listed	12% on the carer's rate	4.5/5 from 588, Trustpilot
4	Live-in Care Direct	75/100	From £1,200, or £1,300 for more complex needs	One fixed weekly fee	4.9/5 from 119 Google reviews, as stated on their homepage
5	PrimeCarers	72/100	From £1,050, typically £1,120; complex from £1,260	Fee included	4.1/5 from 43, Trustpilot
6	Country Cousins	55/100	Long-term live-in from £1,155; Care+ names stroke	Lifetime registration fee (amount not published)	3.8/5 from 108, Trustpilot
7	Gladys	47/100	Live-in from £1,400 a week (£200 a day)	Carer-set rates	No third-party score with 10+ reviews opened
8	Care.com UK	14/100	Not published	Paid Premium to message carers	3.6/5 from 6,405, Trustpilot UK

Checked 5 November 2026. Elder's Trustpilot figure is the 12 October check; that listing failed verification again today. Curam, PrimeCarers and Country Cousins review pages were last opened 13 October. Care.com UK's Trustpilot listing, last opened 21 October 2026, returned 403 today, so the 3.6/5 from 6,405 stays on that check.

1. Elder · 95/100

Why it ranks here. Elder's introductory-agency page states enhanced DBS or PVG, right-to-work, and that it aims to verify at least two professional references before introduction, plus a situational assessment. The pricing page, opened 5 November 2026, publishes live-in from £1,195 a week, a two-week trial, no joining or exit fee, and two weeks' notice. Families choose the carer. Elder says it helps source a replacement. Trustpilot, last opened 12 October 2026, showed 4.8 out of 5 from 905 reviews.

Where it falls short. Elder is not CQC-registered as a provider. Insurance cover was not on the pages we opened, so those points are zero. The stroke article (dated 24 March 2026) is general information. The live-in page names dementia, Parkinson's, motor neurone disease and cancer recovery, not stroke. There is no dedicated stroke service page like dementia-care. The same introductory-agency page says self-employed carers can only prompt medication; Elder does not assess qualifications for administering it.

Sources: pricing, introductory agency, live-in care, after-stroke live-in care.

2. Match With Care · 89/100

Why it ranks here. We run Match With Care. On the same checklist we reach 89, second in this set, one point above Curam. Our FAQ states enhanced DBS, right-to-work, references, an interview, no joining or exit fee, a platform fee on the invoice, carer swaps at no extra matching cost, and replacement cover. The home care platforms table records that fee as 15%. London and the live-in page, both opened 5 November 2026, put live-in around £1,050 to £1,400 a week. Google shows a 5.0 average with fewer than 100 reviews, which earns 12 of 20 review points.

Where it falls short. We are not CQC-registered as a provider. Our own platform insurance cover is not published on our site yet; carers must hold their own public liability insurance. There is no dedicated stroke care-type page. The live-in page lists communication support, dementia and palliative care. The FAQ does not publish independent verification of a named stroke-rehab course. Two weeks' notice, or fees in lieu, is the usual standard. Twelve review points against Elder's 18 is most of the six-point gap.

Sources: FAQ, London, live-in care.

3. Curam · 88/100

Why it ranks here. Curam's client FAQ says every carer is interviewed, DBS-checked, right-to-work checked, and must supply two referees. No sign-up fee, no tie-in, and a 12% client fee. Insurance through CFC is described on the FAQ. Care advisers are described as available seven days a week for replacements. The live-in cost guide starts ongoing live-in at £950 a week. The live-in service page, opened 5 November 2026, lists stroke among the types of support. Trustpilot (NZ listing), last opened 13 October 2026, showed 4.5 out of 5 from 588 reviews.

Where it falls short. Self-managed care is not a CQC-regulated personal-care service. A trial shift is charged. Taking a carer off the platform after 90 days attracts a £750 plus VAT recruitment fee, set out in the same FAQ. There is no dedicated stroke service page, and no named course independently verified for every introduction. The family total is the carer's rate plus 12%.

Sources: client information, live-in costs, live-in service.

4. Live-in Care Direct · 75/100

Why it ranks here. The carers page states enhanced DBS, right-to-work, professional references checked, and an in-person interview before introduction. The homepage, opened 5 November 2026, publishes standard live-in from £1,200 a week as one fixed fee, you choose the carer, a named care manager, and replacement help. Google reviews are stated there as 4.9 out of 5 from 119 reviews. The stroke page, last reviewed 24 September 2026, prices live-in stroke from £1,200, or £1,300 for more complex needs.

Where it falls short. Not CQC-registered as a provider. No joining fee, notice period, trial or insurance policy was spelled out on the pages we opened. Specialist stroke at £1,300 sits £100 above the standard plan. The homepage Trustpilot widget showed 4.8 from 41 reviews, which would score lower on volume.

Sources: homepage, stroke care, carers.

5. PrimeCarers · 72/100

Why it ranks here. The live-in page (updated 6 October 2026) is plain about the model. You choose a self-employed carer. They check ID, right to work, an enhanced DBS issued within two years, and interview online. Cost guide from £1,050 a week, fee included. The stroke-recovery page and live-in-after-a-stroke page, both opened 5 November 2026, price live-in from £1,050, typically £1,120, and complex live-in from £1,260.

Where it falls short. Both stroke pages are plain that PrimeCarers does not check qualifications, training or references. Stroke experience on a profile is the carer's own account. The insurance they arrange does not cover clinical procedures. Trustpilot, last opened 13 October 2026, showed 4.1 out of 5 from 43 reviews; the listing failed verification again today. No free trial was stated.

Sources: live-in care, stroke recovery care, live-in care after a stroke.

6. Country Cousins · 55/100

Why it ranks here. The price comparison, opened 5 November 2026, publishes long-term live-in from £1,155 a week (competitor prices dated May 2026). Care+ is the higher-support plan and names stroke recovery. The live-in cost page (reviewed 13 October 2026) states a one-off lifetime registration fee; the amount was still not published. The after-stroke page describes live-in after-stroke care and matching with a carer trained and experienced in supporting people after a stroke. Trustpilot, last opened 13 October 2026, showed 3.8 out of 5 from 108 reviews.

Where it falls short. Not CQC-registered as a provider. The after-stroke page does not publish a from-price. Notice, trial, insurance and family online tools were not published. The registration fee costs it the "no joining fee" points. No named stroke-rehab course was independently verified on the pages we opened.

Sources: price comparison, live-in cost, after-stroke care at home.

7. Gladys · 47/100

Why it ranks here. Gladys is an introductory platform. The homepage still lists local carers across BANES, Bristol, Dorset, Hampshire, Somerset and South Gloucestershire. The client FAQ, opened 5 November 2026, states enhanced DBS, references, interviews, and public liability insurance. Families choose from a handpicked list. Live-in from £200 a day, which we treat as £1,400 a week. A homepage testimonial, opened today, describes finding care after a stroke. The post-operative live-in article (2 May 2026) lists recovery from a stroke among the situations live-in can cover.

Where it falls short. Right-to-work, joining fees, a trial or free swap, and replacement-cover help were not on the pages we opened. We did not open a third-party review listing with at least 10 reviews, so reputation points are zero. There is no dedicated stroke service page.

Sources: gladys.care, client FAQ, post-operative live-in care.

8. Care.com UK · 14/100

Why it ranks here. The elderly-care listings page, opened 5 November 2026, puts the average caregiver rate at £15.07 an hour as of November 2026. Families post a job, message, interview and hire. The family FAQ makes a paid Premium membership the gate to reading applications and sending messages. Some listings mention strokes in the carer's own text.

Where it falls short. The same listings page states Care.com does not introduce or supply carers and does not verify identity or posted information, including condition experience. £15.07 is a caregiver average, not a family from-price. No dedicated stroke service page. The UK Trustpilot listing, last opened 21 October 2026, showed 3.6 out of 5 from 6,405 reviews. A 3.6 rating at that volume earns 6 of 20 review points.

Sources: elderly care listings, family FAQ, Trustpilot UK.

Best-for picks from the same scores

• Most thorough published vetting (25/25): Elder, Curam, Match With Care and Live-in Care Direct.
• Lowest published live-in starting price: Curam, from £950 a week on its cost guide. Add the 12% client fee before you treat that as the family total.
• Most flexible published terms (15/15): Elder and Match With Care, which both publish no fixed term plus a trial or a free carer swap.
• Strongest third-party review points: Live-in Care Direct, on the Google figure stated on its homepage (4.9/5 from 119).
• Published stroke specialist from-price: Live-in Care Direct, from £1,200 or £1,300. PrimeCarers, from £1,260 for complex live-in.

If you want a CQC-inspected agency instead of an introductory platform, that is a different list: how we rank agencies. Related scored lists: best live-in care platforms in the UK and best Parkinson's care platforms in the UK. Discharge logistics sit in hospital discharge home care.

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We run Match With Care as an introductory care marketplace, not a CQC-registered agency. If you want us to introduce a vetted self-employed carer, see who is available. We'll tell you the 15% fee before you choose. The live scores sit on home care platforms.