Home Care in Coombe, Kingston

Yes, we provide home care in Coombe. Most of it is live-in care, because the houses here usually have a spare bedroom and the area has no station, which makes daily visits from our Lewisham office hard to staff reliably. Visiting care is possible on some routes, depending on which carers we have free, and every arrangement starts with a free home assessment by Jackie, our registered manager, and a written care plan.

Where Coombe is, and why it matters for care

Coombe sits on the high ground east of Norbiton, between Kingston Hill to the north and New Malden to the south, with Richmond Park and Wimbledon Common close by. It covers parts of KT2 and KT3 and the council wards of Coombe Hill and Coombe Vale.

It is quiet and spread out. Coombe Hill Road, Warren Road, George Road, Traps Lane and Golf Club Drive wind between two golf courses, Coombe Hill and Coombe Wood, and there are three private estates, Coombe Hill, Coombe Warren and Coombe Park, partly on private roads. The shops are a bus ride away, so an older person who stops driving can quickly become housebound.

Big houses: what we look at in the assessment

Most Coombe homes are large detached houses, some behind gates, with a few low-rise blocks of flats. Space is rarely the problem; distance inside the house often is. When Jackie visits she looks at:

• whether a ground-floor room could become a bedroom, with a shower room nearby;
• how the staircase would take a stairlift, and where a hoist or profiling bed could go if needed;
• how a carer gets in: gate codes, intercoms, alarms and a key safe.

Live-in care in Coombe

For many families here, live-in care is the practical answer. The carer moves in, so our distance from Coombe doesn't matter, and the house usually has the spare room it needs. One carer can look after a couple and go with someone to appointments or on walks. It also suits dementia care, where one familiar person in the house matters a great deal.

Can I get a visiting carer in Coombe?

Sometimes. Visits need a carer close enough to arrive on time every day, so we check who we have before agreeing. Streets near Kingston Hill and the 57 route are easier to reach than the private roads on the hill, and if we can't staff it we will say so. Where they work, a carer helps with washing and dressing, medication, meals and home help, or companionship and a sit-in while a family carer goes out.

Most Coombe houses have driveways, so parking is rarely an issue; if yours doesn't, the council's parking zones page lets you search by street name.

Coming home from Kingston Hospital or the New Victoria

Kingston Hospital, the borough's main acute hospital, is on Galsworthy Road, at the foot of Kingston Hill. The 57, 85 and K3 all stop by it. Before discharge, ask the ward about the council's free short-term reablement service, run with Your Healthcare. If the person is over 65 and lives alone, Staywell's Home from Hospital service can help in the first weeks.

The private New Victoria Hospital is on Coombe Lane West itself, so people having planned operations there come home only a short drive away. Call us while the discharge date is still being planned. See hospital discharge care.

How do I pay for home care in Coombe?

Coombe is in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, so Kingston's Adult Social Care team assesses needs. Use the council's care needs assessment form, phone 020 8547 5005 or email adults@kingston.gov.uk. Council-funded care is means-tested, but the assessment itself is free and can lead to equipment and occupational therapy advice. Our Kingston home care page covers direct payments and NHS Continuing Healthcare. We set our own fees after our free assessment and confirm them in writing; we don't quote by phone.

Short breaks for a husband, wife or daughter

If someone in the family is doing the caring, they are entitled to a carer's assessment of their own. In Kingston these are carried out by Kingston Carers' Network on Ewell Road, Tolworth (020 3031 2757). A short live-in respite stay lets them rest or go away. Our supported living home in Kingston upon Thames also takes respite stays.

What we can help with in Coombe

• 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