Forest Hill · Lewisham
Home Care in Forest Hill
Care at home in SE23 for people living on Forest Hill's slopes, from the villas near the Horniman to the flats off Dartmouth Road and Honor Oak Park.
Yes, we provide home care in Forest Hill, including personal care, medication support, meals and company. Forest Hill is on the western edge of Lewisham, around 20 to 30 minutes from our office on Lewisham High Street, so we arrange visits here when we have a carer free for the times you need, and live-in care is always an option. Everything starts with a free assessment at home.
Hills, stairs and converted villas
Forest Hill is built on a slope, and the slope is the first thing to plan around. Roads climbing from the South Circular and the station up towards the Horniman Museum and Honor Oak are steep enough that a short walk to the shops with a frame or a wheelchair can become a real effort, for the person and for whoever is pushing.
The housing adds a second layer. The large Victorian houses on the western side of SE23 were mostly built as single family homes and many are now split into flats. An upper-floor conversion usually means a narrow shared staircase and no lift, so a hospital bed, a hoist or a stairlift may be hard or impossible to fit. The 1930s mansion blocks, such as Forest Croft and Taymount Grange, are a different picture again, with communal stairs and landings to think about.
None of this rules out care at home. It does mean that at the assessment we look carefully at how the person gets in and out, where they wash, and whether equipment through the council's occupational therapists would make the difference.
An outing worth having. The Horniman Museum and Gardens on London Road, given to the public by Frederick Horniman in 1901, has gardens with long views over London. For someone who can manage the gradient with a carer beside them, it makes a good destination for a companionship visit.
How far is Forest Hill from your office, and does it matter?
For visiting care it matters a little. Forest Hill is in our own borough, but it is one of the further parts of it from SE13. The 185 (via Catford) and the 122 (via Crofton Park and Ladywell) run between Forest Hill and Lewisham, and the Overground and Southern trains from Forest Hill and Honor Oak Park run north through New Cross Gate. Short, frequent visits at fixed times are what depend most on a carer being nearby, so we will be straight with you about which times we can cover.
For live-in care, distance does not matter at all: the carer moves in.
Asking Lewisham Council for help
Forest Hill is in the London Borough of Lewisham, so assessments come from Lewisham Adult Social Care. The quickest start is the online wellbeing check on the council's assessment page, or phone 020 8314 7777. The council can also put in a free period of enablement after a hospital stay. Our Lewisham home care page covers the borough-wide route, including direct payments.
The Jenner Health Centre on Stanstead Road is the local health centre many SE23 residents will know; it is worth telling the GP practice when care at home starts so that district nurses and carers are not working in ignorance of each other.
Live-in care in a Forest Hill house
Where the family home is still a whole house, there is very often a spare bedroom, which is what a live-in carer needs. That makes live-in care a practical answer in Forest Hill, especially when the hills make it hard for the person to get out and when visits at exact times are difficult to guarantee. In a one-bedroom conversion flat, live-in care is usually not possible, and we will say so.
A break for the person doing the caring
If you are looking after a parent or partner in SE23, Lewisham's carers' service is run by Imago (0300 373 5769), who carry out carers' assessments and can point you to support. We provide respite care for a few hours a week or as a live-in stay while you are away.
What we can help with in Forest Hill
- 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 →Forest Hill FAQs
Forest Hill questions
Questions families ask us about Forest Hill. If yours is not here, ask us directly.
Ask a questionDad's flat is at the top of a converted house on a steep road. Is home care realistic?
Usually, for care inside the flat. The real questions are getting him out safely and whether equipment can be brought up the stairs. We will look at both and suggest an occupational therapy assessment from the council if needed.
Do you cover Honor Oak Park and the edge of Dulwich?
We cover Honor Oak Park and the rest of SE23. Some roads towards Dulwich and Sydenham Hill are in Southwark, which means a different council for assessments; we can still provide care there.
Can a carer take Mum to the shops on Dartmouth Road?
Yes, if she wants to and it is safe. We will plan the route around the hills and build the time into the visit.
Is it harder to find care in Forest Hill than in Lewisham town centre?
For visits at fixed times, it can be, because it is further from our office. Tell us what times you need and we will give you a straight answer. Live-in care is not affected by distance.
Get started
Looking for care in Forest Hill?
Tell us what is happening and we will tell you honestly whether we can help, and how.