Home Care in Enfield Lock, EN3

We provide care at home in Enfield Lock, and here that almost always means live-in care. Enfield Lock is the furthest corner of the borough from our Lewisham office, and from SE13 it is too far to run reliable visiting rounds. A live-in carer moves in, so the distance stops mattering once care begins. Jackie, our registered manager, carries out a free assessment at the home first and writes the care plan with you.

Why we suggest live-in care here

Visiting care relies on carers arriving at the same times every day, often several times a day. To reach Enfield Lock from south-east London, a carer would cross the City and take a Greater Anglia train out from Liverpool Street, which is a long journey to make several times a day. If a carer who lives locally happens to be free, we will tell you. Otherwise we will say plainly that visits are not something we can cover.

What we can offer is a live-in carer. They help with washing, dressing, meals and medication, and they live in the home with your relative. The one firm requirement is a spare bedroom for the carer.

The rifle factory and the village built on it

Enfield Lock takes its name from lock 13 on the River Lee Navigation, rebuilt in 1922. Its history is the Royal Small Arms Factory, a government rifle works built on the marshes in the early 19th century, which gave the Lee-Enfield rifle its name. The factory closed in the late 1980s, and most of the site became Enfield Island Village, with its own streets of houses and flats. The machine shop frontage was kept and converted into workshops and units.

Around it, Ordnance Road, Medcalf Road and Salisbury Road have Victorian terraces where some families have lived for generations, and there is interwar and post-war council housing back towards Hertford Road. Each has its own care practicalities:

• Victorian terraces: often have a back bedroom that can work for a live-in carer, but the stairs are steep and the bathroom may be at the back of the house.
• Council houses: are often three-bedroom family homes, which suit live-in care. Ask the landlord about adaptations early, because they can take time.
• Island Village flats: are newer and easier to move around in, but check the bedroom count before planning live-in care.

Is there help with the cost of care in Enfield Lock?

There may be. Enfield Lock is in the London Borough of Enfield, and the route in is a needs assessment from Enfield Adult Social Care: call the Single Point of Access on 020 8379 1001 or start online from gov.uk's Enfield page. If eligible needs are found, the council looks at income and savings to decide the person's contribution. Live-in care can be paid for with a council direct payment, which Enfield loads onto its E-Card. For someone whose needs are primarily health needs, NHS Continuing Healthcare may pay instead, and the hospital or GP can start that process. We quote only after the assessment. More about the council route is on our Enfield home care page.

Hospital, buses and memory support

North Middlesex University Hospital in Edmonton is the usual A&E and discharge hospital for Enfield Lock. The 491 runs from Enfield Island Village and Ordnance Road to North Middlesex, by way of Brimsdown, Ponders End and Edmonton Green. The 121 terminates at Enfield Island Village and runs south to Turnpike Lane, and Turkey Street station on the Overground Weaver line is to the west. If memory problems are the worry, the GP can refer to the Enfield Memory Service at Chase Farm. Age UK Enfield runs its dementia day centre at Brimsdown, one stop down the line.

Respite at home

For a family carer who needs a break, a live-in carer can stay for a set period while you are away or recovering. A carers' assessment from Enfield Carers Centre may help fund it. See respite care.

Services available in Enfield Lock

• Personal care
• Live-in care
• Companionship
• Home help
• Medication support
• Sit-in service
• Respite care
• Dementia care
• Palliative care
• Complex care
• Hospital discharge support
• Nail care

What we can help with in Enfield Lock

• 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