Ham · Richmond upon Thames
Home Care in Ham, Richmond (TW10)
Live-in and visiting care for older people in Ham, from Ham Common and Ham Parade down to Lock Road, Ham Street and the meadows by the river.
Yes, we provide home care in Ham, and in practice the service we can most reliably offer here is live-in care. Ham has no railway station and is about as far from our Lewisham office as London gets, so a live-in carer who moves in is the reliable option; regular visits are possible only when we have a carer nearby. We start with a free assessment in the person's home.
First, check which council you are in
Most of Ham is in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, but its southern edge, towards Kingston, falls in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames. Which council you pay council tax to decides who carries out the care assessment. If it is Richmond, the route is below. If it is Kingston, see our Kingston upon Thames page, which covers that council's process.
Ham's housing, estate by estate
Around Ham Common there are big Georgian and Victorian houses. Just north of Ham Parade is Parkleys, the first large estate built by Span in the mid-1950s, with flats set among lawns and trees. Langham House Close, west of the common, is an early brutalist group of flats finished in 1958. Towards the river, the Wates estate went up on land left over when the gravel pits closed in 1952, and Ham Close is being redeveloped in phases by the council and Richmond Housing Partnership.
Each type raises different questions at an assessment. In a walk-up flat with no lift, the questions are about getting out of the building at all, and about who answers the door, which a key safe usually settles. A house by the common usually has the spare bedroom a live-in carer needs. On Ham Close, check where the household is in the rebuilding programme, and if a move is coming, ask whether the new flat can have a level-access shower from the start.
No station: how a carer gets to Ham
The 65 runs between Kingston and Richmond through Ham Parade and Ham Common, then on to Kew and Ealing. The 371 links Richmond and Kingston on a different line, along Ham Street, Ashburnham Road and Lock Road. The K5 starts at Dysart Avenue and goes via Kingston to Morden. From Teddington station, a carer can also walk over the footbridge at Teddington Lock straight into Ham. Parking is easier than in central Richmond, with more unrestricted streets, but check yours on the council's parking zone pages.
From Lewisham that means two trains and a bus, well over an hour each way, which is why we are cautious about promising early-morning and bedtime calls here.
Dementia support on Woodville Road
Ham has one of the borough's specialist services on its doorstep. The council's Woodville Centre on Woodville Road (TW10 7QW) is a day centre for adults over 60 with moderate to severe dementia, listed on the council's day and social centres page. Ask Adult Social Care how to arrange a place. Age UK Richmond's dementia support pages list other dementia-friendly groups across the borough. At home, our dementia care means the same carers wherever we can and a steady routine.
Health services close to home. Lock Road Surgery on Lock Road is a branch of Seymour House Surgery in Sheen Road, Richmond. Kingston Hospital, a short drive away beyond Kingston town centre, is the usual acute hospital for Ham, and step-down rehabilitation often happens at Teddington Memorial Hospital, just across the river. If someone is on a ward now, call us while discharge is still being planned.
Can I get help from the council for home care in Ham?
Yes, if the person is assessed as eligible. For Richmond addresses, Adult Social Care takes referrals online through its adult social care referral page, or on 020 8891 7971 in weekday office hours. A financial assessment then decides how much the person pays toward their care. You can take the personal budget as a direct payment and use it to pay an agency you choose.
If needs are mainly medical, ask about NHS Continuing Healthcare, which is assessed separately. For private care, we put our price in writing after the free assessment.
Live-in care and short stays
A live-in carer needs a bedroom of their own, and in return there is someone in the home day and night. For a family carer who needs a break, a live-in carer can stay for a week or two (see respite care). Our nearest supported living home is in Kingston, a short bus ride from Ham, and can offer respite stays for adults who need a supported setting.
What we can help with in Ham
- 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 Richmond upon Thames
Home care pages for other parts of Richmond upon Thames:
Our services
How we can help in Richmond upon Thames
From a few visits a week to a carer who lives in, choose the support that fits.
Visiting care in Richmond upon Thames
Regular visits for personal care, medication, meals and company.
Read more →Live-in care in Richmond upon Thames
A carer who lives in, for one person or a couple.
Read more →Respite care in Richmond upon Thames
Cover so a family carer can rest, recover or go away.
Read more →Supported living in Richmond upon Thames
Our homes in Whitton, Kingston and Uxbridge.
Read more →Ham FAQs
Questions about care in Ham
Questions families ask us about Ham. If yours is not here, ask us directly.
Ask a questionWe live at the Kingston end of Ham. Which council do we ask for an assessment?
The council that sends your council tax bill. Ham's southern edge is in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, and postal addresses don't always follow council boundaries, so check the bill before you start a referral.
Mum goes to the Woodville Centre two days a week. Can a carer get her ready in the mornings?
That is the kind of visit we would like to help with, but because of the distance from Lewisham we need to check carer availability for those exact mornings before agreeing. If we cannot cover them, a live-in carer would handle day-centre mornings as part of the normal routine.
Dad lives in a first-floor flat on Parkleys and is struggling with the stairs. What now?
Ask Richmond Adult Social Care for an assessment and mention the stairs, so an occupational therapist can advise on rails or other equipment. We will then plan how a carer helps him in and out safely.
Do you also cover Petersham?
Yes. Petersham, between Ham and Richmond Hill, is covered on the same terms: live-in care anywhere, visits where we can staff them.
Nearby
Other areas near Ham
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