Home Care on the Isle of Dogs

Yes. The Isle of Dogs is the part of Tower Hamlets closest to our Lewisham office, so it is where visiting home care is easiest for us to staff north of the river. We provide personal care visits, medication support, companionship and live-in care across the island, starting with a free assessment at home. As everywhere, we confirm we have a carer for your times before care starts.

Can a carer from Lewisham get to the Isle of Dogs quickly?

Yes, with no change of train. The DLR runs from Lewisham through Greenwich and Cutty Sark, under the Thames to Island Gardens, then on to Mudchute, Crossharbour and South Quay. Mudchute or Island Gardens is around 10 to 15 minutes from Lewisham. That short, direct journey gives us more room on visit times than further north in the borough, though it still depends on who is free. Canary Wharf, at the top of the island, also has the Jubilee and Elizabeth lines.

On-street parking around Crossharbour is in the council's zone D, controlled Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 5.30pm. A carer coming by DLR avoids the parking question altogether.

Two kinds of housing, a few streets apart

On the island, older residents tend to live in one of two settings. The council and housing association estates, along Westferry Road, Manchester Road and around the Barkantine, are a mix of low-rise blocks and towers, some with lifts and some without. The newer riverside developments have lifts, level access and a concierge.

Each has its own practical points. On the older estates we check the lift, the stairs and where a key safe can be fitted. In the newer towers the issue is often access: fob entry, a concierge who needs the carer's name, and parcel rooms where equipment deliveries go missing. We write all of this into the care plan so a new carer is not stuck in the lobby.

GP practices on the island

The island has several GP practices. The Barkantine Practice is in the Barkantine Centre, 121 Westferry Road, E14 8JH. Island Health is at 145 East Ferry Road, E14 3BQ, and Docklands Medical Centre is at 100 Spindrift Avenue, E14 9WU. We work with whichever practice your relative is registered with, mainly on medication changes and when to raise a concern.

Asking the council for help

Isle of Dogs residents go through Tower Hamlets Connect, the council's front door for adult social care. The council recommends the online self-assessment form as the quickest route, or you can call 0300 303 6070 on weekdays. A relative can do this on their behalf. Our Tower Hamlets home care page sets out the full process, including discharge from the Royal London.

Live-in care and respite on the island

The newer two-bedroom riverside flats often have the spare room a live-in carer needs, which makes live-in care a real option for couples who want to stay together. In a smaller estate flat, visits are usually the better fit. Respite can be a week or two of live-in cover while the family carer has a break, or extra visits during a difficult patch.

For someone who likes to get out, Mudchute Park and Farm is in the middle of the island and Island Gardens looks across the river to Greenwich. A companionship visit can include a slow walk to either.

What we can do on the Isle of Dogs

• Personal care
• Medication support
• Companionship
• Live-in care
• Respite care
• Dementia care
• Palliative care
• Nail care

What we can help with in Isle of Dogs

• 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