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Welcome!

FirstStop Care Advice is an independent, free service providing information and advice about care and housing in later life. It is provided jointly by Counsel and Care, Elderly Accommodation Counsel, Help the Aged and NHFA Limited. Our aim is to expand the options and choices you might consider, and provide enough information about them to help you decide what is right for you.

What FirstStop offers

The FirstStop service is available via this website and also through our telephone Advice Line. It covers:

Care and support - in your own home, in specialist housing or in a care home.
Housing - services to help you 'stay put' successfully; information about all the options if you choose to move somewhere more suitable.
Finance - including paying for care, benefits and allowances, Council and NHS funding, insurances, financial planning and financial products.
Your rights - the law; standards you should expect; and how to get what you are entitled to, including advocacy services that can support you.

Our philosophy

FirstStop aims to promote independence, dignity and choice for older people in meeting their care needs.

About this website

This site includes:

Straightforward explanations of how help and social care works in England, and the many accommodation options available.
A comprehensive library of factsheets and other reading materials about all aspects of care and housing for older people.
A directory of care homes, covering all homes that provide care for older people, and including links to sources of additional information.
A directory of retirement housing, covering all forms of sheltered and retirement housing, assisted living, extra care, retirement villages and other caring environments.

About our Advice Line

FirstStop's Advisors are available to discuss your own circumstances and offer guidance on the options available for meeting your care needs. They are experts in all aspects of care and support for older people. They can also help you get the most out of this website and explain anything you find unclear or difficult. The Advice Line is open from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.