Help at home, on your loved one's terms
A carer visits at times that suit your family, helping with washing and dressing, meals, the tablets and a chat. Planned around the person, not the clock, so the care fits them.
9.7 out of 10
From 125 reviews on homecare.co.uk, the independent care review site families trust.
Registered and rated Good
Registered with the Care Quality Commission and inspected by the care regulator, held to national standards.
Caring since 2016
Nearly a decade looking after Berkshire families, with visits from just fifteen minutes.
Visits from fifteen minutes
No forced one hour minimum. You pay for the help you need, and nothing you do not.
On call out of hours
There is someone on call outside office hours, so if something happens in the evening or at the weekend you are not left waiting until Monday.
Local to Berkshire
Covering Reading, Wokingham, Bracknell, Newbury and the surrounding villages.
"This is my mother's second time using Apex and I'm so impressed with the speed they can provide, the quality of care and the flexibility. We had looked at other care providers but they did not match up to Apex."
Paula D (Daughter of Client), homecare.co.uk review
Home care, care at home, visiting care, home help
People search for all sorts of names, and they all mean the same thing.
You might have typed "home care", "care at home", "visiting care", "domiciliary care", "home help", or simply "care agency" into your phone. They all describe the same thing: someone who comes to your home, or your mum's or dad's home, to lend a hand.
Apex is a home care agency covering Reading and the surrounding towns, including Wokingham, Bracknell and Newbury. Whether you call us a home care agency, a care company, or a home help service, what we do is simple. We send a kind, trained carer to your door, for as little or as long as you need.
So if you have been searching for domiciliary care Wokingham, home help in Bracknell, or a care agency for a parent in Newbury, you are in the right place. We provide home care across the whole area, and the help your loved one gets is built around them, not a one size fits all rota.
What a visit actually looks like
Because it is hard to picture until someone describes it.
A morning visit
The carer lets themselves in with a key kept in a secure key safe. They say good morning to your mum, put the kettle on, and have a little chat while the tea brews. They help her wash and dress, in the way she likes, with the door closed and her dignity kept. They make sure the tablets get taken with the right drink. They sort out breakfast, something she fancies rather than something rushed. They put a wash on, tidy the kitchen, and write a short note in the care book about how she seemed, anything that might be useful for the next visit. Before they leave, they check she is comfortable and the back door is locked. The whole visit might be forty five minutes. It is unhurried, and it is the same friendly face she saw yesterday.
An evening visit
The carer arrives around six. They help your dad get changed out of his day clothes and into something comfortable. They make sure the evening tablets get taken. They prepare supper, and they sit with him while he eats, because he eats better with company than alone. They have a chat about the day, the football, whatever he fancies. They help him to bed when he is ready, not when the clock says so. They check the hob is off, the windows are shut, and the hallway light is on. They lock up and leave a note. Your dad is safe, settled, and in his own home, in his own bed, with his own things around him. That is the point of all of this.
If your loved one needs someone there through the night as well, our night care service offers waking and sleeping night carers across Berkshire, so everyone rests easier.
From one check in to four visits a day
The care grows with your loved one, not the other way round.
Some families just need a single check in each day, a friendly face popping in to make sure your mum is up, dressed, and has had a drink and her tablets. That might be fifteen or twenty minutes, and it is enough to keep everyone's mind at ease.
Others need two visits a day, a morning visit to help with washing and dressing and breakfast, and an evening visit for supper and getting ready for bed. This is a common pattern, and it gives a good rhythm to the day.
When needs are greater, we can visit four times a day, covering morning, midday, teatime and bedtime. At this point, it is worth thinking about whether live in care would make more sense. If your loved one needs someone there through the night, or several long visits a day, a carer living in the home can be kinder, more consistent, and sometimes better value than lots of short visits.
What would care actually look like?
Tell us the kind of help you are looking for, and we will suggest a pattern for the week. No details needed to see it.
What kind of help are you looking for?
Pick the one that is closest. You can fine-tune it later.
Choosing live-in care takes you to our live-in care page where you can explore that option in full.
This is a guide to help you think things through. The only way to know properly is a free chat at home, with no obligation to go ahead.
Short visits and hourly care, from fifteen minutes
Most agencies insist on an hour. We do not, and here is why that matters.
Here is something that catches a lot of families out. Most home care agencies have a one hour minimum per visit. That sounds reasonable, until you realise what it means for your loved one. If your mum only needs someone to pop in, make sure she has had her tablets and a cup of tea, and check she is alright, an hour is a long time. It is also an hour you are paying for, whether she needs it or not.
At Apex, our visits start from fifteen minutes. We can do a short check in, a quick welfare visit, or a longer visit for washing and dressing and a meal. We plan the length around what your loved one actually needs, not a number an agency made up to make the rota easier.
This is what hourly care should be. You pay for the help you need, and nothing you do not. If your dad needs a thirty minute visit in the morning and a forty five minute visit at teatime, that is what he gets. It keeps the care affordable, it keeps it purposeful, and it means your dad is not sitting through an hour of someone being there just to fill the time.
As a home help service and a care company, we would rather do fifteen good minutes than an hour of padding. That is the difference, and for many families it is the difference between care that works and care that costs too much.
Paying for home care, in plain English
Money is the first thing most families worry about, so let us be straight about it.
There are several ways home care can be funded, and many families use a mix of them. Here is what they are, without the jargon.
Local authority funding
Your local council may help pay for care at home, depending on your loved one's needs and finances. The first step is a care needs assessment, which the council must carry out if you ask. We can help you request one, and our care assessments page explains how that first chat at home works.
Direct payments
If the council agrees to fund care, your loved one may be able to receive the money as a direct payment, meaning they choose who provides the care. Many families use direct payments to pay a home care agency like Apex directly.
Attendance Allowance
If your mum or dad is over state pension age and needs help with daily living, they may qualify for Attendance Allowance. It is not means tested, so savings do not disqualify them. Many families use it to help cover the cost of visiting care.
NHS continuing healthcare
For people with complex, ongoing health needs, the NHS may fund the full cost of care at home. This is assessed by a clinical team and is not based on finances. It is harder to qualify for, but worth knowing about if your loved one's needs are significant.
Paying privately
Many families pay for home care themselves, either in full or as a top up. We will always be clear about what each visit costs before anything starts, with no hidden charges. For specific pricing, please give us a ring and we will talk it through properly.
We are not financial advisers or benefits specialists, and the rules change. But we can point you to the right people, help you ask the right questions, and make sure nothing gets missed. The main thing is not to let worry about money stop you picking up the phone.
Home care across Reading and the Berkshire towns
Wherever your loved one lives, there is a dedicated town page with the details that matter.
We provide visiting care and home help across Reading, Wokingham, Bracknell and Newbury, and out to the villages in between. If your loved one lives in one of these places, we can usually help. Click your town to see what we cover there.
Home care in Reading
Including Woodley, Caversham, Tilehurst, Earley, Lower Earley, Theale, Pangbourne, Shinfield, Burghfield, Purley on Thames, Sonning, Calcot and Emmer Green.
Home care in Wokingham
Including Winnersh, Twyford, Wargrave, Finchampstead, Woosehill, Arborfield and Barkham.
Home care in Bracknell
Including Crowthorne, Sandhurst, Binfield, Warfield and Owlsmoor.
Home care in Newbury
Including Thatcham, Hungerford, Kintbury, Burghclere and Woolton Hill.
You can also see the full list of towns and villages on our areas we cover page.
Three simple steps
No pressure, no jargon, no obligation.
1. Ring us and speak to a real person
Call 0118 391 3542. You will speak to a real person, not a call centre, and they will listen to what is going on and what you need. If you are not sure what you need yet, that is fine. That is what the call is for.
2. We come and have a chat at home, for free
We visit your loved one at home, at a time that suits you, and have a chat about how things are and what would help. This is free, and there is no obligation to go ahead. We will only suggest care if we genuinely think it would help.
3. Care begins, and we adjust it as things change
If you decide to go ahead, we put a small, consistent team of carers in place and the care begins. We keep in touch, review how things are going, and adjust the visits as your loved one's needs change. Nothing is set in stone.
How the terms work
- There is a trial period at the start, with a short notice period either side.
- After that, there is a notice period to end or change the care, set out in your agreement.
- You are only ever invoiced after the care has happened, never in advance.
- Family members can request live access to the care records, so you can see what happened at each visit.
The full figures and terms are on our Cancellation and Fees page. Your care agreement is the full and binding version. We go through it with you before care starts, and if anything here ever differs from it, your agreement is what counts.
How to arrange your home care in three simple steps
Saying what we do not do builds more trust than a list of everything.
We do not provide nursing tasks, like injections or wound dressings. Those need a registered nurse.
We do not move into the home as live in carers through this service. That is our live in care service.
We do not take over. Your loved one stays in charge of their own home, their own routine and their own choices.
We do our best to send the same small team, and we tell you straight if we ever cannot rather than quietly sending someone new. We keep the team as small as we can.
We do not rush. If a visit needs a little longer because your mum wants to finish her story, the carer will stay, within the agreed time.
We do not replace family. We support you, so you can keep being a son or daughter, rather than a full time carer.
This is your home, and you stay in charge
If you are reading this for yourself, we want you to know something straight away. This is your home. It stays your home. The carer comes to help, not to take over.
You keep your own routine. If you like a slow morning with a cup of tea before anyone mentions getting dressed, that is what happens. If you want to watch your programme in peace, the carer will wait. If you would rather have a bath in the evening than a wash in the morning, we will do it your way.
The carer is there to lend a hand with the things that have got a bit harder, and to leave you to the things you can still do perfectly well, thank you very much. They are not here to fuss, or to treat you like a child. They are here because sometimes we all need a bit of help, and there is no shame in that at all.
If something is not right, you tell us. If you do not click with a carer, we will send someone else. If you want to change the time, or the tasks, or stop altogether, that is your call. You are the boss in your own home, and you always will be.
The everyday things, done well
The tasks that keep your loved one safe, comfortable and at home.
Help with washing and dressing
Washing, dressing, toileting and grooming, with dignity and respect, never rushed.
Making sure the tablets get taken
Reminders and support to take medication correctly and on time, so nothing gets missed.
Meals you enjoy
Preparing meals your loved one likes, with dietary needs and preferences in mind.
Getting about safely
Help moving around the home safely, to prevent falls and keep independence.
Popping in to check they are alright
Short visits from fifteen minutes, just to check your loved one is safe and well.
A hand with the housework
Tidying, laundry and keeping the home safe and comfortable, the way they like it.
If your loved one is living with memory difficulties, we also offer specialist dementia care at home, delivered by carers trained to support people living with dementia in the place they know best.
Questions families actually ask
The things people type into Google, answered in plain English.
What is home care and how is it different from a care home?
Home care means someone comes to your own home to help, rather than you moving out to a care home. You keep your own front door, your own things and your own routine. A care home is right for some people, but if your loved one wants to stay put, home care is usually the kinder answer.
How much does home care cost in Reading?
It depends on how much help your loved one needs and how long each visit lasts, because our visits start from fifteen minutes rather than a fixed hour. The honest answer is to ring us on 0118 391 3542, tell us what is going on, and we will give you a clear figure with no hidden charges.
How quickly can care start?
In many cases we can begin within forty eight hours of your enquiry. For urgent situations like a hospital discharge, we will always do our best to start sooner. Ring us and we will talk through your timeline.
How long is a visit and can you come for just fifteen minutes?
Yes. Our visits start from fifteen minutes, because not everyone needs a full hour. Some families just want someone to pop in, check their mum is alright and make sure the tablets are taken. We plan the length around what your loved one actually needs, and we change it as things change.
Will my mum see the same carer every time?
We do our best to send the same small team, because a familiar face builds trust and means the carer notices small changes in health or mood. We will tell you straight if we ever cannot, rather than quietly sending someone new. Holidays and illness happen, but we keep the team as small as we can.
What will the carer actually do while they are there?
Help with washing and dressing, making sure the tablets get taken, preparing a meal, a hand with the housework or laundry, and a chat. We agree the tasks together at the start and review them as needs change, so the visit does what your loved one actually needs it to do.
Can you help with medication?
Yes. Our carers can remind and support your loved one to take their tablets correctly and on time, so nothing gets missed. We do not give injections or change dressings, as those need a registered nurse.
Do you help at weekends and bank holidays?
Yes. Care carries on seven days a week, including weekends and bank holidays, because needs do not stop for a Sunday. There is someone on call outside office hours if there is an emergency.
What happens if we need to change or cancel the visits?
There is a trial period at the start with a short notice period either way, and after that a notice period to end the care. Cancelling a single visit is free if you give us enough notice. You are only ever invoiced after the care has happened, never in advance. Family members can also request live access to the care records, so you can see what happened at each visit. The full figures are on our Cancellation and Fees page, and your care agreement is the binding version.
Do you cover my village?
We cover Reading and its villages, Wokingham, Bracknell, Newbury and the surrounding areas. There is a full list of the towns and villages we cover further down this page. If you are not sure, ring us and we will tell you straight.
Can you help if we are paying through the council or a direct payment?
Yes. Many families pay us through their local council funding or a direct payment, where the council gives your loved one the money to choose their own care. We are used to working with both, and we can help you ask the right questions to get it set up.
Let's talk about care for your loved one
Speak with our team today. There is someone on call outside office hours, so if something happens in the evening or at the weekend you are not left waiting until Monday.
