Home Care in Kew, TW9

Yes, we can provide care at home in Kew. Because Kew is on the far side of London from our Lewisham office, live-in care is the service we can most reliably offer; visiting care depends on whether we have a carer available for your times, so ask us first. A free home assessment and a written care plan come before any care starts.

How much does home care in Kew cost, and will the council pay?

We do not publish prices, because the cost depends on the hours, the type of care and whether it is live-in or visiting. We give you a written quote after the free assessment. On funding, there are three routes to check. Richmond Council can carry out a needs assessment and then a financial assessment (a means test) to see whether it will contribute; any council money can be taken as a direct payment and spent with an agency. If your relative's needs are mainly health needs, ask the GP or hospital team about NHS Continuing Healthcare. Otherwise care is paid for privately.

Low-rise streets, mostly level

Kew has no high-rise buildings. Most streets are late-Victorian or from the 1920s and 1930s: terraces and semis around Kew Green and along the roads off Kew Road, interwar houses further out, and low-rise flats, including newer homes built on former Thames Water land. For a carer this means stairs inside the house and very few lifts, but the ground outside is flat, which helps anyone using a walking frame or wheelchair to get out.

A house with a spare bedroom can take live-in care, since the carer needs a room of their own. In a two-bedroom flat where a partner uses the second room, it may not fit, and we will say so at the assessment.

Trains, buses and parking in Kew

Kew Gardens station has the District line and the London Overground (Mildmay line), so Kew has more ways in than most of the borough, though from Lewisham it still means at least one change. Kew Bridge station, across the river, is on South Western Railway, and buses 65, 110 and R68 run through the area. Kew has a controlled parking zone, and North Kew has extra event-day restrictions, so a carer who drives may need Richmond's operational parking permit.

After a stay in hospital

The nearest A&E for most of Kew is West Middlesex University Hospital in Isleworth. Rehabilitation often continues closer to home: the Richmond Rehab Unit on Evelyn Road is the base for stroke early supported discharge, falls and bone health, and cardiac and respiratory rehab, all run by Kingston and Richmond NHS Foundation Trust. Our hospital discharge support can cover personal care and meals between those appointments.

Arranging council support

Requests go to Richmond Adult Social Care, ideally through the council's online enquiry form, or on 020 8891 7971 on weekdays. Our home care in Richmond upon Thames page walks through the assessment.

Live-in and respite care

Age UK Richmond works in partnership with a social centre in Kew and will give you its details; a regular day there can give a family carer a few hours to themselves. For a longer break, a live-in carer can stay for a fortnight while you go away, and Richmond's carer's assessment can help fund it. See our respite care page for how a short stay works.

Kew services

• Live-in care
• Dementia care
• Companionship
• Medication support
• Respite care
• Paying for care

What we can help with in Kew

• 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