Home Care in Chislehurst

We provide home care in Chislehurst, and the large houses here make it one of the easiest parts of Bromley to arrange live-in care. Visiting care is possible too: Chislehurst and Elmstead Woods stations have direct trains from Lewisham, where our office is, and we can confirm visits once we know a carer is free at your times. It starts with a free assessment in your home.

Why live-in care suits Chislehurst houses

Much of BR7 is large detached Victorian and interwar houses in big gardens, many within conservation areas. Those houses almost always have a spare bedroom, which is what a live-in carer needs. They also tend to have exactly the problems that make visits alone hard to sustain: several staircases, a bathroom a long way from the bedroom, and a house so large that someone who falls in the evening may not be found until morning.

A live-in carer is in the house through the day and sleeps there too, takes their agreed breaks, and is replaced by a second carer for time off. If someone needs help through the night as a routine, that is a separate arrangement we would discuss at the assessment. For couples it is often the obvious choice: one carer can give full personal care to one partner while helping the other with meals, appointments and the house, so neither has to move.

Private roads and unlit lanes

Chislehurst has a different practical problem from most of the borough. A number of its roads are private or unadopted, some are steep, many have no pavement or street lighting, and the houses sit well back behind long drives. For a carer arriving on foot on a winter evening from Chislehurst station, that walk matters. We plan visit rounds with it in mind and, where we can, use carers who drive. Clear house numbers and a light by the gate help more than you might expect.

Can Bromley Council help pay for care in Chislehurst?

Possibly. The council first assesses what help the person needs, then carries out a financial assessment to work out how much they contribute. Request it on the Bromley care assessment page or on 020 8461 7777. Because many people in Chislehurst own valuable homes, it is worth knowing that for care at home the value of the house you live in is not counted in the council's means test, though savings and income are. People with a primarily health need should ask about NHS Continuing Healthcare. Our charges are quoted in writing after our assessment. The wider council and hospital picture is on the Bromley home care page.

Trains and buses

Chislehurst station, down the hill from the village, and Elmstead Woods both have Southeastern services to Charing Cross, Cannon Street and London Bridge through Grove Park and Lewisham. Bus routes include the 61, 160, 161, 162, 269 and R7; the 161 runs from Chislehurst to North Greenwich.

A break for the person doing the caring

If you look after a husband, wife or parent here, you are entitled to your own carer's assessment, which you can start online. Bromley Well's older people's service and carer support (0808 278 7898) cover the borough. From us, respite can be a sitter one afternoon a week or a live-in carer while you go away.

What we can help with in Chislehurst

• 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