Last Updated: May 7, 2026

A second national report has been launched by Log my Care, in partnership with Care England, that shows how families choose care. The report called ‘How families find and choose care’ also reveals why trust is often formed before first contact and highlights the growing importance of trust, reputation and early-stage visibility, particularly in a care home setting.

The new research reveals how families navigate the early stages of choosing care, and why trust is often built or lost before a provider is even contacted. The research found that only 3% of families found arranging care straightforward.

The study was conducted by Sapio Research and surveyed 1,000 people responsible for arranging care for a family member across older people’s services and working age adult support and home care.

The findings create the picture of a system experienced by families when they’re under pressure. Nearly half (47%) of families began searching due to increased need, compared with 21% citing caregiver stress, suggesting decisions are more often reactive than planned.

A defining feature of the process seems to be uncertainty, according to the research. 97% of respondents said that they found arranging care difficult. Two thirds of respondents reported starting their search without clarity about the type of care that is required and over half reported feeling overwhelmed, anxious or unsure about where to begin their search.

The research also challenges assumptions about how families assess quality, with only 19% of families stating that they used inspection reports from organisations such as the Care Quality Commission (CQC) during their research. Instead, the research shows that families rely more on signals they feel are trustworthy like reputation, personal recommendations and clear, accessible information. Families are most likely to use:

  • Directories (56%).
  • Online search (40%).
  • Word-of-mouth recommendations (38%).

This dynamic is particularly pronounced in home care, where physical locations cannot be visited to get a sense of the care provided. The research shows that without the ability to observe care directly, families place a greater emphasis on credibility and communication from the earliest interactions. Once care is in place, families tend to rely on technology to help with their uncertainty.

Trust-led factors, such as reputation, dominated the final decision making. Reputation (30%) and safety and safeguarding (29%) rank highest, followed by cost (25%) and staff experience (24%). Inspections reports are cited by 11% of respondents as a key factor in their decision making.

Overall, Log my Care argues that these findings suggest a disconnect between how quality is formally presented and how families make decisions in practice. It highlights the need for the system to better align with real-world behaviour.

Sam Hussain, Chief Executive Officer at Log my Care, said, ‘Families are forming views about care providers long before making contact, and too often they are doing so without clear, consistent signals of what good looks like.

‘This research shows that trust is built early, through reputation, clarity and communication, not just through formal indicators of quality such as inspection reports.’

Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England, said, ‘This report highlights the reality families face when entering the care system, often under pressure and with limited information, and making decisions more quickly than we might expect.

‘It also points to a growing disconnect between how quality is formally defined and how families actually choose care in practice.

‘There is a clear opportunity to rethink how we present and communicate quality, ensuring that it is accessible, meaningful and aligned with real-world behaviour, so families can make informed decisions with confidence from the outset.’

You can read the full report here.

If you are looking for care for yourself or a friend or family member, visit the Care Choices Website to find the care directory for your area or use the search for care function.

In other news, it has been forecasted that the UK elderly care market will reach capacity by 2033 if an influx of new development doesn’t occur.