Nursing Homes in West Berkshire
The choice between nursing homes in West Berkshire usually turns on two things at once, whether the clinical care will be reliable and whether the place will suit someone who has to live in it. Ten providers match this search, each registered for nursing care, which means qualified nurses are on the staff rota and treatment is given on the premises rather than arranged from elsewhere. Seven of those homes hold a Good rating from the Care Quality Commission, two have been told that they Require Improvement, and one carries no published rating because inspectors have not called since it registered. West Berkshire Council is the authority responsible for the care needs assessment, for agreeing the level of support required and for contributing towards weekly fees once a financial assessment has been completed. Inspectors write at length and grade in a single word. Read the profiles below, then decide which homes are worth an hour of your time.
What Nursing Care in West Berkshire Involves and What to Look For
The support a nursing home provides
Residents have a permanent room, meals prepared for them and help with washing, dressing, mobility and medication, with registered nurses on the rota so clinical tasks can be done on site at any hour. That is what makes a nursing home the right setting where wounds need dressing, a feeding tube is in place or a long term condition is unstable. Staff are present through the night and a nurse is on the premises rather than on call elsewhere. Where nursing input is not needed, residential care is likely to be the better fit.
The current inspection picture
Good ratings are held by Argyles Care Home, Bayford House Care Home, Falkland Grange Care Home, Newbury Grove, The Donnington Care Home, Hollies and Thatcham Court Care Home. Hungerford Care Home and Birchwood Care Home currently require improvement, and Cedar Lodge has no rating as yet. Where a home has been marked down, the useful questions are which of the five key areas was criticised, how recent the inspection was and what the provider has changed since. A missing rating normally reflects recent registration rather than a concern.
Questions that separate one home from another
Ask how many registered nurses are rostered by day and through the night, how the home covers sickness and how long the manager has been in post. Ask who decides to call an ambulance when someone deteriorates unexpectedly and how soon relatives are told. Where a particular diagnosis is involved, ask how many residents with similar needs the team supports now and how staff are trained for it. Visit while the day is busy and watch how people are spoken to rather than about.
Getting an Assessment and Funding Nursing Care
The assessment of need
Assessment comes before choosing, and anyone who appears to require care and support may ask for one. West Berkshire Council social care team carries out that assessment and decides what funded support should follow from it. There is no charge, the assessment is not means tested, and a relative, friend or advocate may request it on someone else's behalf. The assessor considers mobility, medication, continence, nutrition, memory and supervision at night, then sets the outcome down in a written support plan.
Contributions and means testing
Capital and income are then examined to fix the weekly payment. Where savings exceed the national upper capital limit the placement is normally privately funded, and where they fall below it the authority contributes towards an agreed rate. Nursing placements may also attract the NHS funded nursing care payment, which covers the registered nursing element of the fee and goes directly to the provider. Where a health condition dominates the picture, ask for an assessment for NHS continuing healthcare.
What lies behind the weekly figure
Fees reflect the room, the nursing time required and the staffing model a home chooses to run. Rates are set individually, so the only useful figure is one put in writing for the actual room being offered. Ask what it includes, what is billed on top, how much notice precedes an increase and how often charges are reviewed. Where savings are finite, ask what happens once private funds run down.
10 nursing homes in West Berkshire
- Care Home · Wantage Road, Hungerford, West Berkshire, RG17 0PN
Nursing home · CQC Requires improvement · Nursing on site · Run by GCH (Alder) Ltd
Hungerford Care Home is a nursing home in Hungerford, West Berkshire. Being registered for nursing care means we can look after people whose health needs are more complex than a residential home can safely meet, with qualified nurses...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Younger Adults, Respite Care - Argyles Care Home · Pound Street, Newbury, West Berkshire, RG14 6AE
Nursing home · CQC Good · Nursing on site · Run by Bupa Care Homes (CFChomes) Limited
We at Argyles Care Home are proud to offer compassionate nursing care in the heart of Newbury, providing a warm and welcoming home for older people and younger adults across West Berkshire and the wider South East. Nestled within the RG...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Younger Adults, Respite Care - Bayford House Care Home · Rookwood, Newbury, West Berkshire, RG20 8LB
Nursing home · CQC Good · Nursing on site · Run by Bupa Care Homes (ANS) Limited
Bayford House Care Home is a nursing home in Newbury, Berkshire. Having qualified nurses on duty means we can care for people whose health needs go beyond what a residential home can safely manage, and it usually means somebody can stay...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Younger Adults, Respite Care - Birchwood Care Home · 1 Birchwood Road, Newbury, West Berkshire, RG14 2PP
Nursing home · CQC Requires improvement · Nursing on site · Run by West Berkshire Council
Birchwood Care Home is a nursing home in Newbury providing nursing and personal care for older people, for younger adults with nursing needs, for people living with dementia, for people with physical disabilities, and for people with loss...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults, Respite Care - Falkland Grange Care Home · Monks Lane, Newbury, West Berkshire, RG14 7RW
Nursing home · CQC Good · Nursing on site · Run by Porthaven Care Homes No 3 Limited
Falkland Grange is a nursing home in Newbury, with qualified nurses on duty at all times. We care for older people, including many people living with dementia, and we offer respite stays as well as permanent places. People usually come to...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Respite Care - Grove · 370 London Road, Newbury, West Berkshire, RG14 2QH
Nursing home · CQC Good · Nursing on site · Run by WT UK Opco 4 Limited
Newbury Grove is a nursing home in Newbury, West Berkshire. We support older people and younger adults whose needs include nursing care, including many living with dementia and people with physical disabilities. We also offer respite...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Physical Disability, Younger Adults, Respite Care - The Donnington Care Home · Wantage Road, Newbury, West Berkshire, RG14 3BE
Nursing home · CQC Good · Nursing on site · Run by Bupa Care Homes (CFChomes) Limited
We at The Donnington Care Home are proud to offer a welcoming nursing home setting in the heart of Newbury, West Berkshire, where compassionate care meets a genuine sense of community. Our home provides specialist nursing care for older...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Younger Adults, Respite Care - Hollies · Reading Road, Reading, West Berkshire, RG7 3BH
Nursing home · CQC Good · Nursing on site · Run by Optalis Limited
Hollies is a nursing home in Reading, West Berkshire. Being registered for nursing care means we can look after older people whose health needs go beyond what a residential home can safely manage, with qualified nursing staff working...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Respite Care - Court Care Home · Chapel Street, Thatcham, West Berkshire, RG18 4QL
Nursing home · CQC Good · Nursing on site · Run by Bupa Care Homes (CFChomes) Limited
We are a nursing home in Thatcham, caring for people whose needs require qualified nursing alongside help with daily living. We look after older people and younger adults, including those living with dementia, people with mental health...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults, Respite Care - Cedar Lodge · Eastfield Lane, Whitchurch on Thames, West Berkshire, RG8 7EG
Nursing home · Nursing on site · Run by EQ Care Group Limited
Cedar Lodge is a nursing home at Whitchurch on Thames. We care for older people and younger adults whose needs include nursing, including many living with dementia, people with physical disabilities and people living with sight or hearing...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults, Respite Care
What care costs in South East, per week
| Type of care | What the council pays | What self-funders are typically asked |
|---|---|---|
| Residential care Middle half of prices from 107 South East homes. Median £1,600. | Varies by council | £1,500 to £1,809 |
| Nursing care Middle half of prices from 63 South East homes. Median £1,933. | Varies by council | £1,617 to £2,080 |
| Residential dementia care Middle half of prices from 82 South East homes. Median £1,709. | Not published separately | £1,571 to £1,942 |
| Nursing dementia care Middle half of prices from 37 South East homes. Median £2,050. | Not published separately | £1,975 to £2,226 |
Published prices are often starting prices, and come from homes that publish fees, so treat them as a guide. What a council pays differs from council to council. Ask the home for its own price. Powered by Orrery Intelligence.