Home Help in Oakley: Costs, Funding and 46 Local Agencies (Oct 2026)

Home help: the usual tasks

Cleaning, laundry, ironing and changing beds
Shopping and collecting prescriptions
Preparing meals
Post, bills and appointments
Company and trips out

Washing, dressing and medication are personal care, which must come from a CQC-registered home care agency.

How people pay for home help

Most people pay privately, by the hour. Hampshire council can fund practical help only where it is part of meeting eligible needs after an assessment, which housework alone rarely is. Many older people use Attendance Allowance to cover it. More: home help for the elderly and the difference between home help and home care.

Who provides home help

Choose a home care agency if personal care may be needed later, because the same carers can take it on. For housework alone, a cleaner or a local help-at-home scheme may cost less, though these are not CQC-regulated. Ask local charities and Hampshire council what low-cost services exist. Requesting an assessment from Hampshire council.

Agencies covering Oakley: the data

1 is rated Outstanding here, out of 17 across Hampshire. Counting all listed agencies, not only rated ones, Oakley (57% Good or Outstanding) is 2nd out of 7 local towns, led by Alton (75%). Compare Oakley's 90% Good or Outstanding with 90% for the rated agencies among the 721 we list in Hampshire. 22% of agencies covering Oakley have a CQC rating from the last two years, against 16% across Hampshire. The newest registration is Alina Homecare - Fareham, registered with CQC in September 2026. By specialism, 43 of 46 list physical disabilities, 25 of 46 list learning disabilities and 26 of 46 list mental health conditions. 40 of the 46 agencies (87%) list dementia as a specialism, against 82% across Hampshire. The oldest current rating dates from June 2018 (Alina Homecare Winchester & Basingstoke).

What home help costs in Oakley

Usual 2026 prices across England
Visiting care	around £32–£34 an hour
Live-in care	around £1,540–£1,610 a week

What the council pays (Hampshire County Council): £25.90 an hour for home care (2025/26 average paid to agencies); £1,245 a week for residential care (2025/26 average, over-65s); £1,365 a week for nursing care (2025/26 average, over-65s) (source).

Ask every agency for a full list of charges, with weekend and bank holiday rates: hourly rates vary more between agencies than between regions. For 2026/27, the Homecare Association says council-funded home care in England is only sustainable at £34.42 an hour or more. Source: Lottie Care Index, Q3 2026. Work out a weekly cost · What would we pay?

Home help in Oakley: common questions

Where can I find home help in Oakley?

CQC does not record which agencies provide home help. 46 CQC-registered home care agencies have an office within 7 miles of Oakley; 26 are rated Good or Outstanding. Ask each whether it provides home help.

How much is a home help per hour in Oakley?

Expect an hourly charge close to the local visiting care rate, sometimes slightly less for housework only. Check the minimum visit length and weekend rates before you book.

Can I get home help from the council?

Only as part of meeting eligible needs after an assessment by Hampshire council; housework on its own rarely qualifies. Attendance Allowance, which ignores savings, is often used to pay for home help.

Is home help the same as home care?

No. Home help is practical help with housework, shopping and errands. Home care, or personal care, includes help with washing, dressing, eating and medication, and must be provided by an agency registered with the Care Quality Commission.

Are home care agencies in Oakley well rated?

26 of the 29 rated agencies (90%) are Good or Outstanding; 40 list dementia as a specialism and 11 were inspected or rated in the last two years.

Arranging home help in Oakley?

Tell us what's needed once. Featured partners and up to three rated agencies that take enquiries through us reply to you directly, by email.

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Provider details from the Care Quality Commission register, updated Oct 2026. Contains CQC data licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. The Care Panel is not a care provider.

Home help in Oakley