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Choosing the Best Home Care Provider in Ascot, Camberley and Wokingham

Hello! Welcome to your free guide to choosing the best home care provider in Ascot, Camberley and Wokingham. Here's our genuine advice on what to consider beyond a brochure!

senior lady being passed a cup of tea, enjoying independence at home
1

Understand Why “Quality” Home Care Really Matters When Choosing Your Best Home Care Provider

When you are looking for home care services for Mum and Dad, who are undoubtedly eager to maintain their independence, choosing the right team is crucial.

But how do you work out what that looks like? Who really is the best home care provider?

We believe (at Home Instead) that your search has to start with seeking quality. You see, it isn’t just about checking off a service wish list. You are searching for a provider that can ensure your loved one feels secure, valued, and genuinely cared for in each moment of interaction.

Home Instead Care Pro supporting her client on a trip to the local post office

At Home Instead Ascot, Camberley and Wokingham, we base our home care services on four foundational elements:

1. Compassion

2. Consistency

3. Professionalism

4. Personalisation

We demand these qualities from every care professional and care manager involved in your service. So you’ll find us asking:

– Does the carer convey warmth and patience? – 

– Are they equipped to manage complex needs with respect? – 

– Are they flexible enough to match care needs as they evolve? –

– In what ways are they enhancing the lives of those they care for? –

These are the benchmarks we use to measure true quality in care.

2

Understand How Home Care Services Can Be Personalised

Once you have established a level of quality, it’s time to examine services and, most importantly, how you can tailor them to meet your changing care journey.

You’ll often find home care services with a one-size-fits-all approach—avoid these! What you are looking for is flexibility. At Home Instead Ascot, Camberley and Wokingham, we offer:

  • Personal care: Supporting daily tasks like washing, dressing, and toileting in a way that maintains dignity.

  • Companionship care: Alleviating loneliness through conversation, shared activities, or a friendly face regularly popping in.
  • Respite care: Offering short-term relief for family carers who need to recharge or attend to other responsibilities. It also offers care for those who have been discharged from the hospital or are recovering from illness or invasive treatment.

  • Live-in care: Providing 24/7 support within the home for those who need round-the-clock assistance.

  • Specialist care: For conditions like dementia, Parkinson’s, or post-stroke recovery, delivered by carers with specific training and experience.
  • Support for the wider family: Our care teams are set up to offer trained advice on care and how to handle new situations, like dementia behaviours.

A blend of these services may benefit you over time. We aim to provide you with genuine flexibility, so our dedicated care professionals and team leads will proactively work with you to adapt to change without any stress to you. This means one less thing to worry about and more assurance for your loved ones.

3

Establish Who Has Essential Local Expertise and a Solid Reputation

Next, you’ll want to consider which home care provider is your best fit, and to do this, you really need to understand more about ‘who’ you are entrusting Mum and Dad to. The first hint that a company is right for you is catching a whiff of their provider’s trustworthiness and local reputation.

Providers who are deeply integrated within communities offer unique advantages. They possess local knowledge, quicker response capabilities, and a great understanding of what matters most to families in the area. For example, they’ll know the most convenient prescription pharmacies in Ascot, Camberley, and Wokingham, how to coordinate with doctors, have a team of local carers, and know where the best day centres are.

So, what’s the best way to gauge a provider’s reputation?

Home Instead Farnborough client with her care pro
  • CQC Ratings: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) evaluates and rates care providers in the UK. “Good” or “Outstanding” indicates safe and effective care. Check out our rating here.

  • Personal Recommendations: Ask your neighbours, family, or community for their experiences with the providers you’re considering.

  • Awards and Recognition: Has the provider received any regional or national accolades for their service? Industry recognition reflects a commitment to consistent quality. Some ofour notable awards are featured here.

While accolades, reviews, and testimonials are all good things to have and share how much we care, our true motivation lies in positively impacting our elderly community. That’s why you’ll often find Home Instead on the ground, making a difference where it matters, hosting community events like our upcoming VE Day party and donating to food banks that support vulnerable elders. We continually build local partnerships too, meaning you have more access to products and services as you need them.

Once you’ve compiled a list of home care agencies in Ascot, Camberley, and Wokingham, engaging with them is essential. This will give you a better understanding of how they can help you. To get the best out of these meetings, we’ve given you some helpful questions to ask.

Helpful Questions to Ask:

1. How do you support the carers we will work with, and what training do they get? It’s crucial that carers receive continuous support and development rather than just a one-time induction. Well-prepared and valued carers provide the best care support for your family. (For reference, check out  our award-winning training here to learn how we develop our carers’ skills.)

2. How do you choose the right carer for your clients? By asking how they ensure compatibility between carers and clients, you get an early indication of how things will or won’t work for you. An effective provider will consider factors such as personality, life experience and the hobbies of your carer, as well as their care experience when matching them to clients. Through careful matching, you should get a better fit the first time, making accepting care easier for Mum or Dad. We always add an extra step during our onboarding process, allowing you to meet your carer before you start working together.

3. How do you address emergencies? A reliable provider should have a clear continuity plan to minimise disruption and stress. At Home Instead, we proactively prepare for all possible scenarios, ensuring you have the care you need in any situation and our carers are clear on where and when to call for assistance.

4. What happens if my carer is sick? Occasionally, your carer may need some time off; what happens in this situation is a sign of an organised team. Our team is always ready to plan for holidays and unforeseen carer absences, so there will be no break in Mum or Dad’s care. Not even for a minute.

5. How flexible is my care plan? Situations will change. There will be times when Mum or Dad needs a little extra help, or they are well enough to downscale their care services. An excellent home care provider should have a flexible service to cater to your needs. At Home Instead, we believe strongly that every care plan needs flexibility, and we are ready to adapt to what’s next.

6. How will you (and how often will you) communicate about Mum’s/Dad’s care? You will need regular updates, care notes and open communication with your care provider. We hold this very dear in our services, so you can expect open and direct communication at all times for peace of mind and your own care planning.

7. How do you adhere to industry compliance and insurance? Ensuring your provider is registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and conducts enhanced DBS checks on all staff is vital. As is insurance. Home Instead is fully transparent about our regulatory compliance and can share specific information related to your care plan.

5

Consider Mum and Dad's Needs for Companionship During Home Care

When it comes to providing exceptional care at home, one often overlooked but crucial element is the relationship between the carer and the client. Care is more than just a service; it involves cultivating trust, familiarity, and a genuine sense of comfort. Since care services often engage with individuals during their most private and vulnerable moments, this relationship must be rooted in empathy and respect.

More than this, you need to consider how becoming less mobile shuts Mum and Dad out from the world. They can quickly lose touch with friends and their community, only seeing those who care for them. That can have quite an adverse effect on their mental health, which impacts their physical health. To avoid a spiralling cycle, companionship becomes a vital component of the home care you receive.

Daughter discussing home care options with her elderly Mum

It’s important to consider how your care provider approaches matching carers with clients (Hopefully, you’ve asked that question). Do they merely assign the next available person, or do they take the time to understand the client’s unique personality, preferences, and sense of humour?

At Home Instead Ascot, Camberley and Wokingham, our care approach prioritises continuity and compatibility. We invest time pairing clients with carers who resonate with them on shared values, interests, or life experiences. This could involve a common hobby like gardening, similar cultural backgrounds, or a gentle demeanour that just ‘feels right’.

Here’s one of ourcare pros (Jen) in action, cooking and sharing a meal with her client, andcare pro Kundi helping Brian get back on his feet. In both situations, the clients’ well-being has benefited from building a genuine relationship with their care pro.

When selecting your home care provider, trust your instincts. The most compassionate care teams operate from the heart, and you’ll sense that in every interaction, every phone call, and every visit.

Starting Your Home Care Journey with Home Instead Ascot, Camberley and Wokingham: 3 Simple Steps

To keep things simple for you, we have a 3-step process for starting your home care journey with us.

Step 1: Getting in Touch

Contact us at 01276 903106

or by email at [email protected]

Our Care Managers can answer your questions and provide support and advice. And don’t worry if you aren’t sure what you need, we can start by asking you questions about Mum or Dad’s situation and then walk you through your options.

Step 2: No-Pressure In-Home Consultation

Once you decide you are ready to move forward and explore our services a bit more, we will schedule a no-obligation home visit. Here, you can meet our team and see how they interact with Mum and Dad. They’ll help you work on the finer details of your care plan.

During the visit, we’ll also provide a complimentary falls assessment to identify any safety issues in your home. You’ll receive a copy of this report at no charge just a few days later. We offer this because Mum and Dad’s independence hinges on their mobility. If we can help decrease the likelihood of falls, we can prevent many independence issues moving forward.

Step 3: Introducing Your Care Team

When we get your approval to go ahead, we’ll start our careful care-matching process and arrange a meet-and-greet. This step helps foster good relationships early on and ensures a smooth transition to home care for you and your loved one. From here, your care plan will start.

Our three simple steps to starting home care with Home Instead

Ready to reach out? Or maybe you have questions? Call your Home Instead Ascot, Camberley and Wokingham team for help on 01276 903106