Key Statistics & Data Insights
The Numbers That Tell the Story
MARKET SIZE & IMPACT
Dementia in the UK
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| People currently living with dementia | 850,000+ |
| New diagnoses annually | 140,000+ |
| People over 80 with dementia | 1 in 6 |
| Projected cases by 2040 | 1.6 million |
| Annual cost to UK economy | £26.3 billion |
The Journey
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Average duration (diagnosis to death) | 8-12 years |
| Fastest progression | 3-5 years |
| Slowest progression | 15+ years |
| Active decision-makers per family | 2-3 (typically adult children) |
Care Home Market
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Estimated care homes in UK | 11,000+ |
| DementiaCarechoices.com database | 5,493 dementia-specialist homes |
| Average weekly cost | £1,200-1,800 |
| Average annual cost | £62,000-94,000 |
| Total lifetime cost | £400,000-1,000,000+ |
PLATFORM DATA
Database Coverage
- 5,493 care homes analyzed
- 4,386 verified reviews processed
- Coverage across all English regions
- Average 5.4 reviews per home
- 79% have 5 or fewer reviews (opportunity for more family feedback)
Quality Distribution
| Rating Range | Percentage | Classification |
|---|---|---|
| 4.6-5.0 stars | 41.1% | Top Tier |
| 4.1-4.5 stars | 21.2% | Above Average |
| 3.6-4.0 stars | 14.4% | Average |
| 3.1-3.5 stars | 5.0% | Below Average |
| Below 3.1 stars | 6.1% | At Risk |
| No rating | 12.2% | Invisible |
Key Findings:
- 68.6% rated 4.0 stars or higher (most homes performing reasonably well)
- Average rating: 4.32 out of 5.0
- 19.2% rated below 4.0 stars (concerning performance)
- 12.2% have no ratings (invisible to online searchers)
Regional Performance
| Region | Average Rating | Number of Homes |
|---|---|---|
| South East | 4.43 | 974 |
| East England | 4.42 | 603 |
| South West | 4.34 | 718 |
| West Midlands | 4.33 | 483 |
| National Average | 4.32 | 5,493 |
| North West | 4.29 | 702 |
| East Midlands | 4.25 | 398 |
| Yorkshire & Humber | 4.24 | 453 |
| London | 4.23 | 441 |
| North East | 4.23 | 362 |
Insight: 0.20 star spread from best (South East) to worst (London/North East). Urban areas score slightly lower than suburban/rural areas.
WHAT FAMILIES ACTUALLY CARE ABOUT
(Based on mention frequency in 4,386 reviews)
Top 10 Factors
| Rank | Factor | Mention Rate | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Care Quality | 80.7% | Critical |
| 2 | Staff Quality | 77.2% | Critical |
| 3 | Warmth & Kindness | 52.1% | Critical |
| 4 | Food & Dining | 35.5% | Important |
| 5 | Family Involvement | 28.5% | Important |
| 6 | Environment | 25.1% | Important |
| 7 | Cleanliness | 20.2% | Expected |
| 8 | Activities & Social | 16.8% | Expected |
| 9 | Dignity & Respect | 13.3% | Expected |
| 10 | Professionalism | 13.1% | Expected |
Rarely Mentioned (But Still Important)
| Factor | Mention Rate | Why So Low? |
|---|---|---|
| Safety & Security | 10.7% | Assumed/Expected |
| Medical Care | 8.6% | Assumed/Expected |
| Communication | 8.3% | Only mentioned when poor |
| Value for Money | 4.4% | Quality > Price |
The Food Quality Surprise
Key Finding: Food mentioned MORE than:
- Cleanliness (35.5% vs 20.2%)
- Activities (35.5% vs 16.8%)
- Medical Care (35.5% vs 8.6%)
Why?
- Experienced 3 times daily (21 times weekly, 1,095 times annually)
- Highly visible to families during visits
- Easy to judge quality
- Signals overall attention to detail
- Affects resident health and mood
- Memorable positive or negative experiences
SENTIMENT ANALYSIS
Review Tone Breakdown
| Sentiment | Percentage | Count (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| Predominantly Positive | 69.7% | 3,057 |
| Neutral or Mixed | 26.2% | 1,149 |
| Predominantly Negative | 4.1% | 180 |
Positive-to-Negative Ratio: 17:1
Key Insight: Most homes performing well, but the negative 4.1% represents devastating family experiences.
CQC vs CUSTOMER RATINGS
The Surprising Gap
| CQC Rating | Average Google Stars | % of Homes |
|---|---|---|
| Outstanding | 4.47 | 4.9% |
| Good | 4.32 | 92.8% |
| Requires Improvement | 4.08 | 2.1% |
| Inadequate | 3.65 | 0.2% |
Outstanding vs Good: Only 0.15 star difference
What This Tells Us
| CQC Measures | Families Measure |
|---|---|
| Processes | Experience |
| Documentation | Warmth |
| Regulatory compliance | Quality of life |
| Systems and protocols | Happiness and dignity |
| Clinical standards | Staff kindness |
Conclusion: Both matter, but they measure different things. "Good" CQC rating is sufficient if execution is excellent.
THE REVIEW GENERATION GAP
Current State
| Review Count | % of Homes | Average Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 0-5 reviews | 79% | 4.34 |
| 6-10 reviews | 12% | 4.28 |
| 11-20 reviews | 6% | 4.23 |
| 21-50 reviews | 2% | 4.39 |
| 50+ reviews | 1% | 4.69 |
Key Findings:
- Average reviews per home: 5.4
- Median: 3 reviews
- Only 1% have 50+ reviews
- Homes with 50+ reviews average 4.69 stars (highest)
- More reviews correlates with HIGHER ratings
Opportunity: Most homes not systematically requesting reviews from satisfied families.
SERVICE SPECIALISMS
(% of homes in database offering each service)
| Specialism | % of Homes |
|---|---|
| Dementia | 100% |
| Adults 65+ | 97.6% |
| Adults under 65 | 60.6% |
| Physical disabilities | 51.6% |
| Sensory impairments | 30.1% |
| Mental health conditions | 29.3% |
| Learning disabilities | 12.3% |
STAGE-SPECIFIC DATA
Stage 1 – Critical 30-Day Window
| Action | Timeframe | Cost | Consequence if Missed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lasting Power of Attorney | 8-12 weeks to process | £82 per LPA + £200-500 solicitor | Court of Protection: £400 fee, 6-12 months, annual reporting |
| Will Update/Creation | Immediate | £150-500 | Intestacy complications, family disputes |
| Financial Assessment | Within 30 days | Time investment | Poor care funding planning |
Stage 2 – Home Care Market (Coming Q2 2026)
- Database size: 10,000+ providers (2x care home database)
- Services: Personal care, nursing, live-in care, companion care
- Hourly rates: £15-30+ depending on service level
- Expected launch: April-June 2026
Stage 3 – Care Home Selection
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Average search duration | 4-8 weeks |
| Homes typically visited | 3-5 |
| Decision factors | Care quality, staff, warmth, food |
| Weekly cost | £1,200-1,800 |
Stage 4 – Late Stage & End-of-Life
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Average duration | 1-3 years |
| Funeral costs (average) | £3,000-8,000 |
| Key decisions | DNR, feeding tubes, palliative care |
Stages 5-6 – Death & Aftermath
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Probate process | 6-12 months typically |
| Grief support critical period | First year |
| Estate administration | Varies by complexity |
STATISTICAL ANOMALIES
Unexpected Findings That Challenge Assumptions
Low Review Volume
Average 5.4 reviews for vulnerable care institutions. Why? Emotional difficulty of reviewing? Lack of prompting? Both?
Weak CQC Correlation
Only 0.15 star difference between Outstanding and Good. Suggests different measurement priorities.
Value Silence
4.4% mention cost despite £400K-1M lifetime fees. Quality >>> Price in this decision.
Medical Care Gap
8.6% mention medical care despite it being crucial. Assumed? Invisible? Families focus elsewhere?
Food Quality Prominence
35.5% mention food—more than cleanliness, activities, or medical care. Not what we expected.
COMPARATIVE CONTEXT
How Dementia Care Compares to Other Services
| Service Type | Average Reviews | Price Mentions |
|---|---|---|
| Dementia Care Homes | 5.4 | 4.4% |
| Hotels | 200+ | 35%+ |
| Restaurants | 100+ | 40%+ |
| Hospitals | 50+ | 15% |
Insight: Dementia care homes severely under-reviewed compared to less significant services. Emotional difficulty likely a factor.
DATA SOURCES & METHODOLOGY
Data Collection
- Care Quality Commission (CQC) official inspections and ratings
- Google My Business reviews (verified customer reviews)
- Care home websites and published information
- Platform user feedback and submissions
Analysis Methodology
- Natural language processing for review sentiment analysis
- Keyword frequency analysis for topic identification
- Statistical correlation analysis (CQC vs customer ratings)
- Regional performance benchmarking
- Quality distribution modeling
Data Currency
- Database updated quarterly (minimum)
- More frequent updates for CQC rating changes
- Real-time review monitoring
- Statistical analysis refreshed quarterly
USING THIS DATA
For Journalists
All statistics in this document may be cited with attribution to DementiaCarechoices.com. Raw data files available upon request for fact-checking or deeper analysis.
For Researchers
Methodology details and anonymized data sets available for academic research. Contact: [emailprotected]
For Families
These statistics provide context for your decision. Individual care home quality varies significantly from averages.
For questions about this data or to request additional analysis:
Email: [emailprotected]
Press: [emailprotected]
Last Updated: 20 January 2026
Data reflects analysis completed January 2026