Richmond upon Thames · South and south-west London
Home Care in Richmond upon Thames
Visiting care where we can staff it, and live-in care anywhere from Barnes and East Sheen to Teddington, Hampton and Ham.
Yes, we provide home care in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, but we are honest about how. Our office is in Lewisham, on the other side of London, so regular visiting care depends on whether we have a carer available near you, and we will tell you plainly when we do not. Live-in care has no such limit: a carer moves in, and we can arrange that anywhere in the borough after a free home assessment.
How far is Richmond from our office, and what does that mean for visits?
From Lewisham High Street, Barnes and Mortlake are roughly an hour by train, changing at Waterloo. Richmond itself is a little further, and Twickenham, Teddington and Hampton are more like 75 to 90 minutes. That is a long way to travel for a short morning call.
So when you call, we will ask where you are, what times you need and how many days a week, and then check whether we have a carer who can reliably get there. Sometimes we can. Where we cannot, we say so, and the conversation usually moves to live-in care in Richmond, which we can arrange anywhere in the borough. The carer travels once and stays, so the journey never cuts into the care.
What a visiting carer does in a Richmond home
That covers washing, dressing and help in the bathroom, prompting or giving medication and recording it, meals, light housework, shopping, and company. We are registered with the CQC for personal care and our specialisms include dementia, physical disabilities and sensory impairments. We were registered in October 2023 and have not been inspected yet, so we have no rating to show you.
Stairs, small bathrooms and the Richmond terrace
Most older people in this borough live in houses, not flats. In Twickenham, St Margarets, Teddington, Kew and Barnes that usually means a Victorian or Edwardian terrace: a steep, narrow staircase, and a small bathroom on the first floor with a bath. Whitton, Hampton and Hampton Hill have more interwar semis, with easier stairs and more room. Ham is different again, with low-rise estates and 1960s Span houses.
The house shapes the care plan. At the assessment we look at how someone gets upstairs, whether they can still step into the bath, and where equipment would go. A stairlift, a level-access shower or a bed brought downstairs can be the difference between managing at home and not. We will point you to an occupational therapist assessment through the council where that is needed; we do not fit equipment ourselves.
Parking, stations and match days
For a visiting carer, the practical detail matters. Controlled parking zones cover Richmond town centre, Kew, Barnes, Twickenham, St Margarets and Teddington, and you can check a street on the council's CPZ pages. Whitton, Hampton and Ham have more unrestricted roads. Carers who need to park in a specific zone during restricted hours can apply for the council's operational parking permit.
On Twickenham Stadium event days, roads close and extra parking rules apply around the stadium, St Margarets and North Kew. If the person you care for lives nearby, tell us at the assessment so visits on those days are planned for, not discovered on the morning.
Most carers would arrive by South Western Railway, or by the District line or Overground to Kew Gardens and Richmond. Ham has no station at all, which is one reason live-in care often suits it.
Coming home from hospital? Depending on where you live, that is usually Kingston Hospital or West Middlesex in Isleworth. Many people also spend time recovering at Teddington Memorial Hospital, which has inpatient rehabilitation wards and the borough's urgent treatment centre. Call us while the discharge is still being planned, not on the day, so we can tell you honestly whether we can cover it. See how our hospital discharge support works.
How do I get a home care assessment from Richmond Council?
Adult Social Care at Richmond Council asks people to start online. Its adult social care referral page takes referrals from the person themselves, family or a professional. If you cannot use the form, the team is on 020 8891 7971, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. Out of hours, the Adults Emergency Duty team is on 020 8744 2442.
The referral goes to the right team, who may ring back for more detail. If care is needed, a financial assessment follows. You can ask for a direct payment and use it to buy care from an agency like ours, as long as it meets the agreed care plan. Our guide to paying for care in London sets out the means test and NHS Continuing Healthcare. We give our own figure in writing after our free assessment, never before.
Where in the borough we cover
Richmond is the only London borough on both banks of the Thames, and it works like a run of separate villages. We cover all of it: Barnes, Mortlake and East Sheen in the north-east, Kew and Richmond, then across the river to St Margarets, Twickenham and Whitton, and south through Teddington, Hampton Hill and Hampton. Ham sits on the Surrey side between Richmond and Kingston. Postcodes include TW1, TW2, TW9, TW10, TW11, TW12, SW13 and SW14.
We also run a supported living home in Whitton, inside the borough, for adults who need a supported setting of their own.
Help in Richmond alongside ours
Age UK Richmond runs an advice line on 020 8878 3625 (weekdays, 10am to 2pm), plus practical services such as a handyperson and housekeeping, and wellbeing centres in Twickenham, Barnes and Whitton. The council runs the Woodville Centre in Ham for people with moderate to severe dementia, and the Sheen Lane Day Centre in East Sheen for people over 60 with frailty, a physical disability or sensory loss. A day centre on some days and a carer at home on others can be a sensible mix.
What we can help with in Richmond upon Thames
- 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
Areas of Richmond upon Thames we cover
Care across the borough, including these neighbourhoods. Each has its own page with local detail.
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.
Richmond upon Thames FAQs
Home care in Richmond upon Thames: questions answered
Questions families ask us about Richmond upon Thames. If yours is not here, ask us directly.
Ask a questionCan you send a carer to Twickenham every morning and evening?
Possibly, but we will not promise it until we have checked. Twickenham is one of the furthest parts of London from our Lewisham office, so twice-daily visits depend on having a carer who can reliably reach you. Call us with the times you need and we will give you a straight answer. If we cannot staff it, live-in care is the alternative we can offer.
Dad lives in a St Margarets terrace and the bathroom is upstairs. Can home care still work?
Often, yes. A carer can help him on the stairs and in the bathroom, and at the assessment we look at whether a stairlift, grab rails or a shower in place of the bath would make it safer. If he needs equipment, ask Richmond Council's Adult Social Care for an assessment, since some small equipment and adaptations are free once someone is assessed as needing them.
Mum is in the rehab ward at Teddington Memorial. When should we call?
Now, while the ward is still planning her discharge. That gives us time to assess her, see her home and tell you honestly whether visiting care or a live-in carer is possible for the date she is due home.
Do you have an office in Richmond?
No. Our only office is on Lewisham High Street. We cover Richmond, and our supported living home in Whitton is in the borough, but we do not have a local office or team based there, and we would rather you knew that before you call.
Nearby
Other areas near Richmond upon Thames
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Tell us what is happening and we will tell you honestly whether we can help, and how.