Home Care and Live-in Care in Belgravia, SW1

Yes, we provide care at home in Belgravia, both live-in care and visits at set times. We begin with a free home assessment and a written care plan. Victoria is a direct train from Lewisham, so Belgravia is one of the easier parts of Westminster for our carers to reach for regular visits.

Houses with room for a carer

Belgravia is unusual in central London because so much of its housing is whole houses, or lateral flats that run across two buildings. The stucco terraces around Belgrave Square, Eaton Square and Chester Square were built by Thomas Cubitt for the Grosvenor estate, and were built with rooms for household staff. That makes live-in care practical in a way it rarely is in the rest of Westminster, where a spare bedroom is hard to find.

For a couple, one live-in carer can give full personal care to one partner and lighter help to the other, and both stay in the home they know. The alternative is often a care home for one partner and visits for the other, which splits the household at the moment it most needs to stay together.

Mews houses and five floors of stairs

The houses that make live-in care easy can make getting about hard. A townhouse may have the kitchen in the basement, the drawing room on the first floor and the bedrooms two or three flights above that, with front steps up from the street. The mews houses behind the squares, such as Eaton Mews North and Belgrave Mews West, often have a narrow, steep staircase straight up from the front door.

At the assessment we look at where the person sleeps, washes and spends the day, and whether moving the bedroom down a floor or a stairlift would make life safer.

Working alongside the household

Some Belgravia homes already have a housekeeper, a driver or a member of family staff. Our carers do the personal and practical care: washing and dressing, medication, continence care, moving safely, meals if that is part of the plan, and company. The care plan sets out who does what, so a carer and a housekeeper are not doing the same job or leaving gaps between them.

How much does home care cost in Belgravia?

We don't publish prices or quote over the phone, because the cost depends on how much help is needed and whether it is visits or live-in care. After the free assessment you get a written figure. If the council carries out a needs assessment, its financial assessment decides whether it contributes, and people whose savings or property are above the council's limits pay for their own care. NHS Continuing Healthcare is a separate route for people whose needs are mainly health needs. Our guide to paying for care in London explains both, and our Westminster home care page covers the council route in more detail.

Hospitals and getting here

Belgravia residents are usually treated at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital on the Fulham Road, or at St Thomas' across the river. If someone is coming home from either, we can help with discharge support; call while the discharge is being planned.

Our carers come by train. Southeastern runs direct from Lewisham to Victoria, and from there most of Belgravia is a short walk. Hyde Park Corner (Piccadilly line) and Sloane Square (District and Circle lines) cover the north and west, and the 36 and 148 buses run between Victoria and Hyde Park Corner along the eastern edge.

A break for the husband or wife who cares

When one partner is looking after the other, respite care gives them time off: a live-in carer for a week or two while they travel, or regular visits so they can get out. For something longer term, we can also explain our supported living homes, though they are outside central London.

What we can help with in Belgravia

• Personal care, washing and dressing
• Medication prompting and support
• Meals, laundry and home help
• Companionship and getting out
• Dementia care at home
• Support after a hospital stay
• Short breaks for family carers
• Live-in care when needs grow