Home Care in Mortlake, SW14

Yes, we can provide home care in Mortlake. Live-in care is available anywhere in SW14, and visiting care is possible where we have a carer who can reliably reach you, so tell us your street and the times you need. Everything starts with a free home assessment and a written care plan.

A village cut in two by the railway

Mortlake sits on the south bank of the Thames between Kew and Barnes, and the Waterloo to Reading line runs straight through the middle of it. Closest to the river are the older cottages and terraces off Mortlake High Street and the Lower Richmond Road, around Ship Lane and Thames Bank. The former Stag Brewery, closed in 2015, fills a long stretch of riverside and is earmarked for new homes.

For care at home, the cottages are the tricky ones. A narrow cottage often means a steep, winding staircase and a small bathroom with a bath, and not every staircase can take a stairlift. At the assessment we look at whether the person can still manage the stairs safely, and whether to ask Richmond Council for an occupational therapist. The newer riverside flats are easier for visiting care but rarely have a spare bedroom for a live-in carer.

Getting a carer to SW14

Mortlake is one of the more reachable parts of Richmond from our Lewisham office: roughly an hour by train, changing at Waterloo. Mortlake station is in zone 3, with South Western Railway trains to Waterloo via Barnes and Putney, and the other way through Richmond and Twickenham. By bus, the 419 links Richmond, Mortlake, Barnes and Queen Mary's Hospital in Roehampton, the 209 crosses Chiswick Bridge to Hammersmith, and the 378 and 485 start at Mortlake bus station.

The catch is the level crossing on Sheen Lane, right by the station. Trains cross it many times an hour, and when the barriers are down a carer on foot or in a car simply waits. We allow for it in visit times. Parking rules differ from street to street in SW14, so check yours on the council's controlled parking zone pages. A carer who has to park in a zone during restricted hours can apply for the council's operational parking permit.

How much does home care cost in Mortlake?

That depends on who arranges it. If Richmond Council assesses someone as eligible, it works out what they should contribute through a financial assessment, the means test. Start with the council's adult social care referral page or phone 020 8891 7971 on weekdays. The council can pay a personal budget as a direct payment, which you can use with an agency like ours, and Ruils is its named direct payment support service.

If needs are mainly health needs, ask the GP or hospital team about NHS Continuing Healthcare. If you are paying privately, we give our price in writing after the free assessment, not over the phone. The borough-wide picture is on our Richmond upon Thames page.

Live-in care in SW14

Where visits are hard to staff, or someone needs help through the night, a live-in carer moves in and the distance from Lewisham stops mattering. The one requirement is a spare bedroom. The larger houses on the East Sheen side of SW14 usually have one; a two-bedroom cottage often does if the second room can be cleared. One carer can support a couple. See live-in care in Richmond upon Thames.

A break for the person doing the caring

Family carers are entitled to their own carer's assessment from the council, which can lead to short breaks. A live-in carer can cover a week or two at home while they get away (see respite care). Richmond Carers Centre, off Twickenham Green, offers carers free advice and emotional support.

Care we can arrange in Mortlake

• Personal care
• Medication support
• Companionship
• Hospital discharge
• Dementia care
• Palliative care

What we can help with in Mortlake

• 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