What happens if a person needs care and has no family

[TheScenicWay]

And is too young to be in a care home?
We know someone in their late 40's who's, tragically, been in an accident and has been left paralysed. They're still non communicative but improving slowly.
They have no partner, no siblings, only an elderly father who couldn't be a carer.

It's such a sad situation and friends can only rally around for so long but what's going to happen to him?

I'm afraid there's no such thing as too young to be in a care home. (I'm disabled and have been placed in one twice. Getting out isn't easy.)
If this happens to him, please visit like crazy, and advocate for him.

There are care homes that support adults with disabilities. I know the British homes ones support neurological disabilities. Also sometimes options for community care if this is appropriate which can go up to a four times a day care package which can normally be provided through social services (I think the way it is paid for is means tested so if they have lots of savings they will have to pay until the savings run out)

A nursing home isn’t just for elderly people it’s got people that need nursing, I think you are getting mixed up with a care hone for elderly people.

When they are ready to leave hospital there will be discharge planning and they may well end up in a care home, My father's care home had a couple of younger people and there are some, although not many, for non elderly people.

There are generalised nursing homes where they’d put them. It’s not an ideal situation.

You can get a live-in carer who will assist you in your own home. There would normally be a few who work shifts between them. I think it’s called shared lives care.

Adult social services are supposed to step in and provide care. This may be in their own home with staff coming in, or them moving to an adapted home or a group home.

Sorry to hear about this very sad situation. Your friend will need a referral to social services - look up Adult Social Care on the website of the relevant local authority for where he lives. If he’s currently in hospital, the hospital staff will need to do this as part of their discharge planning. A Social Worker will carry out an assessment of his needs and arrange an appropriate package of support, which may be home carers. There are some care homes which support younger adults with disabilities, but people are usually supported in their own homes wherever possible. Social services will arrange a financial assessment, and he may have to pay towards the cost of his care if he can afford it. Depending on the complexity of his needs, he may get some funding through the NHS. Social services can also refer him to an Occupational Therapist who will be able to arrange appropriate adaptations for his home. It sounds like he’ll also have ongoing physiotherapy, so there’ll be a multi-disciplinary health and social care team involved in his ongoing support. Sending best wishes to you and your friend.

Read up on continuing health care funding (he would definitely be entitled to this). It will often depend on how independent he is once ready for discharge.
In my old job I met paralysed people who lived alone but with a package of care to people that lived in a specialist nursing home on ventilation. So it's difficult to say where he will end up.
Sometimes the council will adapt their homes with a disability payment however this is not always suitable and also limited (I think about max £30000).
There's so many variables it would be hard to say. What I will say is that he'll need an advocate and also some physical and mental health therapy and good friends (most drift off and the disabled person is left alone).

I knew there must be some provision but I have no idea what. Grateful for all the info.
Just unbelievably sad to go from living a normal life one minute to this.