Home Care in King's Cross and Somers Town

We can provide home care in King's Cross, and of all the places we cover in Camden it is the easiest for our carers to reach from Lewisham. Visiting care (personal care, medication prompts, meals, company) is arranged around carer availability, so ask what times we can do; live-in care is available throughout. It starts with a free assessment in the home and a written care plan.

Two King's Crosses, a few streets apart

The King's Cross most visitors know is the one north of the stations: Granary Square, Coal Drops Yard and the canal-side blocks of King's Cross Central, postcode N1C. The flats there are new, with lifts, level thresholds and wide doors, which makes wheelchairs, hoists and walk-in showers straightforward.

The older King's Cross is where most of the older residents live. West of the stations, Somers Town (NW1) is mostly council housing, including the Ossulston Estate on Chalton Street, built by the London County Council between 1927 and 1931 in blocks of up to seven storeys. South of Euston Road, the streets around Cromer Street, Argyle Street and Judd Street (WC1H) mix walk-up council blocks with Victorian terraces. In these flats the planning questions are practical ones: is there a lift, does it work, and can a frame or wheelchair get from the front door to the bathroom?

One more thing to check is the council. York Way marks the eastern edge of Camden, and addresses beyond it, along Caledonian Road and Pentonville Road, are in Islington. That decides which adult social care team you contact.

Is King's Cross easy for carers to reach from Lewisham?

Yes. From our office in SE13 a carer can take Southeastern to London Bridge and Thameslink straight to St Pancras International, and the 63 bus runs from Honor Oak and Peckham through Elephant & Castle and Farringdon to King's Cross. Once here, every Underground line that serves King's Cross St Pancras (Northern, Piccadilly, Victoria, Circle, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan) is on the doorstep. Note that the Cromer Street side lies south of Euston Road and so inside the Congestion Charge zone, while Somers Town and King's Cross Central lie outside it. Our carers rarely drive here.

Day care on Cromer Street

Age UK Camden runs the Great Croft Day Care Centre on Cromer Street, a specialist centre for older people with complex needs, open on weekdays. Places are either funded by Camden Adult Social Care after an assessment or paid for privately, and you can refer yourself or a relative online. Day care and home care fit together well: a morning visit to help someone wash, dress and be ready, and an evening visit once they are home. Our personal care and companionship pages describe what those visits cover.

Coming home from UCH

For most King's Cross residents the discharge hospital is University College Hospital on Euston Road, a short bus ride along the road. If care is needed afterwards, the hospital discharge team works with Camden Adult Social Care and the community health services. If you would like us involved, tell the ward and phone us early so that we can do an assessment before the discharge date is fixed. See hospital discharge support.

The local GP practice for much of Somers Town is Somers Town Medical Centre on Chalton Street, NW1.

Who pays for home care in King's Cross?

It depends on two assessments. Camden first looks at needs: refer online through the council's adult social care form, or ring Contact Camden on 020 7974 4444. If the person is eligible, a financial assessment works out what they contribute, and the council can arrange care or give a direct payment so the family chooses the agency. People with mainly health needs may qualify for NHS Continuing Healthcare. If you pay privately, we quote in writing after our assessment and don't charge for the visit. More in our paying for care guide, and the borough route on our Camden home care page.

What we can help with in King's Cross

• 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