Emergency Home Care in London: Temporary and Short-Term Carers
Emergency home care is a carer put in place quickly when something changes: a fall, a discharge from hospital, or the family member who usually helps falling ill. Ring us and we will tell you straight whether we can cover it and when, and Jackie will come out for a free home assessment before any care starts. If we can't help in time, we will say so and point you to the council and NHS routes below.
What is emergency home care?
It is ordinary home care arranged in a hurry, for a short spell or as a bridge to something longer. A temporary carer helps with what can't wait: getting washed and dressed, meals, medicines, getting to the toilet safely, and someone checking in after a frightening week. Some families need it for a fortnight while a parent gets back on their feet. Others need it to cover the gap until the council's assessment or a longer-term plan is in place.
The words "emergency" and "urgent" mean different things to different services, so it helps to be clear about what kind of help you actually need first.
If someone is hurt or unwell right now, a care agency is not the first call. Ring 999 if someone has fallen and may have hurt their head, back, neck or hip, or cannot get up. Use NHS 111 (by phone or at 111.nhs.uk) if they have fallen and may be in pain, injured or unwell but it is not life-threatening. That is the NHS advice on falls. Arrange the carer once the medical side is in hand.
Who to call when care is needed urgently
The right number depends on what has happened. These are the routes that exist in England, and they are free.
After a fall, injury or illness at home
Speak to the GP surgery or the council's adult social care team about intermediate care. The NHS says they may be able to send someone to assess what would help the person stay safe at home. If you cannot reach the GP and think help is needed now, contact NHS 111. Adults may also be offered the local urgent community response service, which the NHS describes as support at home that is put in place quickly and usually lasts less than two days.
When someone is coming out of hospital
Talk to the ward staff and the hospital's discharge team before the discharge date, and make sure they know what the home situation really is: stairs, who lives there, and who is actually available to help. Many people are offered intermediate care (also called reablement) after a hospital stay. Under the care charging regulations councils cannot charge for intermediate care and reablement for the first six weeks, and the NHS explains that it lasts only as long as it is needed, usually for a maximum of six weeks (see care to support recovery after leaving hospital). Ask what happens when it ends. Our hospital discharge care page covers the practical side of coming home.
When the family carer falls ill
If you look after someone and suddenly can't, ring the adult social care team at their council and say plainly that their usual carer is unavailable. The Care Act 2014 lets a council meet needs that appear urgent before it has finished a needs assessment or a financial assessment. Councils also have an out-of-hours number for emergencies. In Lewisham, for example, the Adult Gateway is 020 8314 7777 in office hours and 020 8314 7766 out of hours. You can find your council on GOV.UK.
Once things settle, ask for a carer's assessment. It is free, anyone over 18 who cares for someone can ask for one, and it is a good moment to write down a plan for the next time you are ill.
How quickly can emergency home care start?
We are a small, owner-managed agency registered with the CQC, with our office on Lewisham High Street. When you call, we ask what has happened, where the person lives, what help they need and at what times of day. Then we tell you honestly whether we can cover it and when. We do not promise a start time over the phone, and we will not agree to care we cannot staff. A visit that doesn't turn up is worse for a family in a crisis than a clear no.
How fast we can help depends on two things: which carers are free and how far away the person lives. Visiting care depends on having a carer available in that part of London, so ask. A live-in carer moves into the home, so distance from Lewisham matters much less, provided there is a spare bedroom.
Before care starts
- Call us on 0203 375 4047, or 07446 010486 (also WhatsApp). Tell us what has happened and what is needed.
- Free home assessment. Jackie, our registered manager, comes to see the person, ideally with family there, and talks to them, not only about them.
- Written care plan. It sets out who comes, when, and what they do. If the hospital, GP or council has notes, we work from those too.
- Care starts, and is reviewed. Short-term plans change fast as someone recovers, so we adjust the plan or stop when it is no longer needed.
What a temporary carer can help with
- Personal care: washing, dressing, toileting and continence support
- Medication support, including new prescriptions after a hospital stay
- Meals and drinks, and making sure they are actually eaten
- Help moving around the home safely, and reporting changes to the family or GP
- Home help: laundry, fresh bedding, shopping and keeping the floor clear
- Company for someone who has lost confidence after a fall or is on their own while a spouse is in hospital
What we can't do matters too. Our carers are not nurses and do not provide nursing care. Wound care, injections and clinical tasks stay with the district nurse or the NHS team. Where someone has dementia or a more complex condition, tell us at the first call so we can say honestly whether we can help.
How much does short-term home care cost in London?
We give you a written figure after the assessment. A price quoted before anyone has seen the situation would be a guess. What drives the cost is the number of hours, the times of day (early mornings, evenings and weekends), visiting care versus a live-in carer, how many weeks it is likely to last, and how much help each visit involves. Our guides to what home care costs in London and what live-in care costs in London explain the factors in more detail.
Who pays for emergency home care?
Check the free options first, because short-term care after a hospital stay or fall is often covered by intermediate care. Beyond that:
- The council. A needs assessment is free and anyone can ask for one. If the council agrees to fund care, a financial assessment works out what the person pays. The council can also set up direct payments so the family chooses the agency.
- NHS continuing healthcare. For people whose needs are mainly health needs. The NHS says the assessment may be fast-tracked if care is needed urgently, for example at the end of life (see our palliative care page).
- Attendance Allowance. This does not help in a sudden crisis, because GOV.UK says the person must usually have needed help for at least six months. There are faster rules for people nearing the end of life. See how to apply.
- Paying privately, which does not depend on waiting for a council or NHS assessment.
Our page on paying for care in London sets out each route.
When short-term care turns into respite or ongoing care
Some people recover and the carer stops. Some find the extra help was overdue and keep a few visits a week. For others the crisis shows that a family carer cannot go on alone, and planned respite care with regular respite carers becomes part of the routine. Our respite care guide explains how that works. If more help is needed around the clock, look at 24-hour care at home. If you are a son or daughter trying to work out the longer picture, our guide to care for elderly parents is a good place to start.
Where we cover
We cover London from our Lewisham office. Live-in carers can go anywhere in the city. For visiting care, the closer to south-east London the person lives, the more likely we can staff it at short notice, so ask. See areas we serve, or go straight to Lewisham, Greenwich, Southwark, Bromley, Lambeth or Croydon.
Questions families ask
Can you send a carer today?
Sometimes, but we won't promise it before we know who is free and where you are. Call us and we will tell you honestly whether and when we can cover it. If we can't, ring the council's adult social care team (or its out-of-hours line), which can meet urgent needs before a full assessment.
Is there a minimum length for temporary care?
Short-term home care is planned around what the person needs, so tell us how long you expect it to last and we will be clear at the assessment about what we can offer. A short arrangement can be extended or ended as recovery goes.
Is care after leaving hospital free?
Intermediate care and reablement arranged by the NHS and council is free for up to six weeks, and it lasts only as long as it is needed. Care beyond that is means-tested by the council unless the person qualifies for NHS continuing healthcare.
My mum's main carer is my dad, and he's just been admitted to hospital. What do we do?
Ring her council's adult social care team today and explain that her carer is in hospital. Then call us. A temporary carer, or a live-in carer if she should not be alone overnight, can cover while he is in. Ask the ward to factor her needs into his discharge plan too.
What is the difference between emergency care and respite care?
Emergency care is arranged because something has gone wrong. Respite care is planned in advance so a family carer can take a break. The carers and tasks are often the same; the planning is not. See respite care in London.
Do we still need an assessment if it's urgent?
Yes. Jackie assesses before any care starts, free of charge. Seeing the home, the stairs and the person first is how we make sure the care plan fits.
Talk it through with Jackie
No call centre and no obligation. Tell us what you are dealing with and we will tell you honestly whether we can help.