Home care brings nurses and carers to a person’s own home, while a nursing home is a residential facility where the person moves in and receives care around the clock. Home care suits people who are medically stable and want to stay with their family. A nursing home suits people who need constant supervision that cannot be arranged safely at home. In the UAE, most older people are cared for at home, and experts have described a shortage of residential care centres, according to The National.
Below we compare the two, explain who each one suits and what costs to consider, and give you a checklist to help you choose.
What is home care nursing?
Home care nursing is medical and personal care given in the patient’s own home by licensed nurses, carers and therapists. It can be short term, such as daily wound dressings after surgery, or long term, such as regular visits for an older parent. Care can range from an hour a week to overnight or live-in support, according to the NHS.
In Dubai, every professional who gives home healthcare must be licensed by the Dubai Health Authority (DHA). A doctor assesses the patient before care starts, and the patient must be medically stable enough to be cared for at home, under the DHA Standards for Home Healthcare Services.
What is a nursing home?
A nursing home is a residential facility with nurses on duty day and night. Residents live there, and staff provide meals, personal care, medicines and nursing care. Some facilities also offer day care, rehabilitation or dementia care.
How do home care and a nursing home compare?
- Where care happens: home care is in the person’s own home; a nursing home means moving to a facility.
- Family involvement: with home care, family stay closely involved every day; in a nursing home, family visit.
- Hours of care: home care is booked to need, from single visits to round-the-clock shifts; a nursing home gives 24-hour care as standard.
- One-to-one attention: a home nurse or carer looks after one patient at a time; nursing home staff care for several residents.
- Medical support: both can give nursing care. A patient who needs constant monitoring or hospital equipment may need a hospital or specialist facility.
- Flexibility: home care can be increased, reduced or stopped as needs change; moving in and out of a facility is harder.
- Availability in Dubai: home care providers are widely available; residential places are limited.
Who is home care right for?
- Older people who want to stay at home and are safe there with some help
- Patients recovering after surgery or a hospital stay
- People with long-term conditions who need regular checks, injections or wound care
- Families who want to stay involved in daily care
- People who need short-term help while a family carer is away
Who is a nursing home right for?
- People who need supervision 24 hours a day that the family cannot arrange at home
- People whose home is no longer safe, even with adaptations and help
- People with advanced dementia who are at risk of wandering or harm
- Families who cannot manage the coordination of care at home
What does home care cost in Dubai compared with a nursing home?
Costs depend on how many hours of care the person needs. As a guide, ServiceMarket lists home nurse visits in Dubai from about AED 129 to AED 179, and round-the-clock care at home from about AED 19,000 a month. Medicines, equipment and doctor visits are usually extra.
Nursing home fees in Dubai are not widely published. Ask each facility for a full written quote that covers the room, nursing care, meals, medicines, doctor visits and any extras.
Check your health insurance before you decide. Cover for home nursing and long-term care varies by policy. Ask your insurer what is covered and whether you need a doctor’s referral.
Are there many nursing homes in Dubai?
No. Dubai has relatively few residential nursing homes compared with many Western countries. UAE officials have long aimed to keep older people with their families, and support has focused on home care and day care, according to Khaleej Times and The National. Plans for larger elderly care complexes have been announced, such as a 250-bed centre in Dubai Healthcare City reported by Gulf News in 2021.
For most families in Dubai, the practical choice is between family care alone and family care supported by licensed home nurses and carers.
How do you choose between home care and a nursing home?
- Ask the person what they want, if they can tell you.
- Ask a doctor to assess their health, mobility and memory. A doctor can visit at home if travel is hard.
- List the care needed each day and night: medicines, wound care, washing, moving, meals, supervision.
- Check that the home is safe: stairs, bathroom, lighting, and space for equipment.
- Work out who in the family can help, and when.
- Get written quotes for home care and, if relevant, a residential facility.
- Check licences. Every home healthcare professional in Dubai must hold a DHA licence.
- Review the plan after a few weeks and change it if needs change.
If home care fits your family, a Medilife nurse can visit your home anywhere in Dubai, and we confirm the price before care starts. See home nursing in Dubai. A Medilife doctor can also assess your parent at home for AED 250.
When should you see a doctor?
See a doctor if an older relative becomes more confused, falls, stops eating or drinking, loses weight, or cannot manage medicines. These changes can have treatable causes. Call 998 for an ambulance for chest pain, difficulty breathing, signs of a stroke, a serious fall or loss of consciousness.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between home care and a nursing home?
Home care brings nurses and carers to the person’s own home. In a nursing home, the person moves into a facility with nurses on duty day and night.
Is home care cheaper than a nursing home?
It depends on the hours needed. A few visits a week usually cost less than a residential place, while round-the-clock care at home can cost as much or more.
Can someone with dementia be cared for at home?
Many people with early or moderate dementia live at home with support. People who need constant supervision may need a specialist facility. A doctor can help you decide.
Are home nurses in Dubai licensed?
They must be. The DHA requires every home healthcare professional in Dubai to hold a DHA licence.
Can a nurse help a mother and baby at home after delivery?
Yes. Some home care providers offer nursing for mothers and newborns. See baby care at home.
To plan care at home, call or WhatsApp Medilife on +971 52 345 2647.
Medically reviewed by Dr Marina Girgis, General Practitioner, DHA licence 71970809-004, on 7 November 2026.