Home care is normally charged by the hour for visiting care and by the week for live-in care. With Reedsfield Care, visiting care starts from £22 per hour and live-in care from £1,150 per week. What a family actually spends depends far more on how many hours are needed than on the rate itself, so the useful question is usually not what does it cost per hour, but how little support would actually solve the problem.
One half-hour call a day is a very different figure from four calls a day. Many families start with a single morning visit for washing, dressing and medication, then add calls only where something is genuinely not working.
It is worth writing down the tasks that are going wrong before asking for a quote. Care planned around actual gaps costs less than care bought by the hour out of worry.
What changes the price
Rates move with the complexity of the support, the time of day, and whether cover is needed at weekends or overnight. Complex support, advanced dementia and end of life care are quoted after an assessment because they need a specialist trained carer.
Number and length of visits each week
Weekends, bank holidays and overnight cover
Complexity of care needs
One person or a couple sharing a carer
Costs families forget to include
With visiting care, you continue to run the household as normal. With live-in care you also provide the carer's room and share household food. There are no setup fees, agency fees or minimum contracts with us, and relief cover during a live-in carer's breaks is included.
Help towards the cost
Three routes are worth checking before you assume the money is not there. Attendance Allowance is not means tested and can be spent on care. Local authority support is means tested and depends on capital and needs. NHS Continuing Healthcare can fund care in full where needs are primarily health related. Current rates and thresholds are published on gov.uk.
Our published starting rates
These are the starting rates across Egham, Staines, Ashford, Sunbury, Shepperton and Virginia Water. The exact weekly total is quoted in writing after a free home assessment.
Weekday daytime visits: from £22/hour
Evenings, weekends and Bank Holidays: higher rate, quoted on request
Live-in care: from £1,150/week for one person
Couples sharing one carer: quoted per assessment
Two carer awake 24 hour rota or live-in plus waking night: quoted per assessment
What is included in every price
Every quote already includes the things some agencies charge extra for.
Free home assessment by a qualified care manager
Written, personalised care plan
DBS checked, fully trained carers
On call manager (07403 862037)
Medication management, care notes, GP and pharmacy liaison
One week's notice to pause, change or stop, with no exit fees
Getting a figure you can rely on
Any honest provider will want to see the situation before quoting. Our assessment is free, takes about an hour, and results in a written quote and care plan rather than a phone estimate.
Frequently asked questions
How much is home care per hour?
Our visiting care starts from £22 per hour. Rates vary with the complexity of the care and the times cover is needed.
Is there a minimum contract?
No. Care can be scaled up, paused or stopped with a week's notice.
Do I pay for the carer's travel?
Travel is built into our quoted rates, so there are no separate mileage charges to work out.
Will the council pay for home care?
It may, depending on a means test and a needs assessment. Ask your local adult social care team for an assessment, which is free and open to anyone.
Do you charge a setup or agency fee?
No. There is no setup fee, no agency fee, no minimum contract and no exit fee. You pay for the care delivered.
How do your prices compare to a care home?
For one person the two are often broadly comparable. For couples, one live-in carer supports both partners, which is usually cheaper than two care home places.
Do you accept direct payments from the council?
Yes. We can invoice the local authority directly where a personal budget or direct payment agreement is in place.
Is live-in care cheaper than four visits a day?
Often yes. Once daily visits reach around four calls, live-in care from £1,150 per week frequently works out similar or better, with far more cover.