Downham · Lewisham
Home Care on the Downham Estate, BR1 and SE6
Care at home in the LCC cottage houses along Downham Way, Moorside Road, Churchdown Road and the streets between Bellingham, Grove Park and the Bromley border.
Yes, we cover Downham, with visiting care and live-in care. It is the furthest corner of Lewisham from our High Street office, about 30 to 35 minutes by bus, so visiting care here depends on carer availability and it is worth asking us early. Live-in care is not affected by the distance, and every package begins with a free home assessment by Jackie, our registered manager.
Is Downham in Lewisham or Bromley?
The BR1 postcode confuses a lot of families. Most of the Downham estate is in the London Borough of Lewisham, even with a Bromley postal address. A small part over the boundary is in the London Borough of Bromley. The boundary has a long history. In 1926 residents of Alexandra Crescent, on the Bromley side, had a seven-foot brick wall built across Valeswood Road to shut the estate out, and it stayed until 1950.
What matters now is that the council named on the council tax bill is the one that assesses and funds care. For most Downham addresses that means Lewisham Adult Social Care on 020 8314 7777, or the gov.uk needs assessment route for Lewisham. If the bill says Bromley, speak to Bromley Council. We can provide the care either way.
Cottage houses and what they allow
The London County Council built Downham in the 1920s as a cottage estate covering more than 500 acres, with green verges, gardens and its own shopping parades on Downham Way. Most homes are two-storey brick houses in short terraces, with front and back gardens and a compact staircase. There are also some low-rise flats.
For care, these houses work better than most of Lewisham's period stock. The front room can often take a profiling bed and a hoist, so someone who can no longer manage the stairs can live on the ground floor. Many houses have a second or third bedroom, which is what a live-in carer needs. The usual problem is the bathroom, which in many of the original cottages is upstairs and small. Talk to an occupational therapist about a stairlift or a downstairs wet room before you decide anything.
Moorside Road: the GP and the library in one building
The Downham Health and Leisure Centre at 7-9 Moorside Road (BR1 5EP) houses Downham Library and GP services, including Ashdown Medical Group. For a carer that is practical, because a GP appointment, a prescription and an hour among the library shelves can all be one outing. The library also has a free car park. If the person you support finds getting out hard, a companionship visit built around a trip to Moorside Road keeps them connected to the estate.
How carers reach the estate
Downham has no station. The nearest are Grove Park and Beckenham Hill, with Bellingham a little further. The 136 and 181 run along Downham Way through the estate and on to Lewisham, while the 208, 320 and 336 use Bromley Road on its western edge. That is how a carer gets here from SE13 without a car. Parking on the estate is mostly unrestricted, so driving carers have an easier time than in central Lewisham. Even so, we will only agree visit times we can staff reliably, and early mornings at the far end of the borough are the hardest to fill.
Who pays for home care in Downham?
For Lewisham addresses, after a needs assessment the council works out whether the person contributes, using a means test explained on its care at home charges page. After a hospital stay, short-term enablement may be free. Where the main need is health-related, NHS Continuing Healthcare may pay in full. If you pay privately, we quote in writing after our assessment. We publish no price list. Our Lewisham home care page has the wider picture.
Respite for a Downham family carer
A spare bedroom makes a short live-in stay a simple way to cover a family carer's holiday, and extra visits can cover a hospital appointment or a weekend. Unpaid carers in Lewisham can get a carer's assessment and support from Imago (0300 373 5769). Our respite care page explains how short breaks work.
What we arrange in Downham
What we can help with in Downham
- 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
Elsewhere in Lewisham
Home care pages for other parts of Lewisham:
Our services
How we can help in Lewisham
From a few visits a week to a carer who lives in, choose the support that fits.
Visiting care in Lewisham
Regular visits for personal care, medication, meals and company.
Read more →Live-in care in Lewisham
A carer who lives in, for one person or a couple.
Read more →Respite care in Lewisham
Cover so a family carer can rest, recover or go away.
Read more →Supported living in Lewisham
Our homes in Whitton, Kingston and Uxbridge.
Read more →Downham FAQs
Downham families ask
Questions families ask us about Downham. If yours is not here, ask us directly.
Ask a questionOur address says Bromley BR1. Do we contact Bromley Council?
Probably not. Most of Downham is Lewisham Council despite the BR1 postcode. Check the council tax bill: if it is from Lewisham, ring Lewisham Adult Social Care on 020 8314 7777.
Can a hospital bed go in the front room of a Downham cottage?
In many of them, yes. The ground-floor rooms are usually big enough for a profiling bed and a hoist, and we will look at the layout during the assessment. Equipment itself is arranged through an occupational therapist or the NHS.
Is Downham too far out for early-morning visits?
It can be the hardest slot to fill, so tell us your times early and we will be honest about what we can cover. If you need help across the whole day, live-in care avoids the travel question entirely.
My aunt lives alone off Downham Way and only goes out to the surgery. Can a carer go with her?
Yes. A carer can walk or travel with her to Moorside Road for appointments and the library, and help with shopping on the Downham Way parades.
Can live-in care be arranged for both of my parents in their Downham house?
Yes, if there is a spare bedroom for the carer. One live-in carer can support a couple, with full personal care for one and lighter help for the other.
Get started
Looking for care in Downham?
Tell us what is happening and we will tell you honestly whether we can help, and how.