Home Care in Romford, RM1 and RM7

Yes, we can arrange home care in Romford. Live-in care is the service we can offer here most reliably, because a live-in carer moves in and the journey from our Lewisham office stops mattering. Visiting care is possible case by case, depending on whether we have a carer free at the times you need, so ask us before you plan around it. Everything starts with a free assessment at home and a written care plan.

Inside the ring road and out

Romford's housing changes quickly as you move away from the Market Place. Inside and just beyond the ring road (St Edwards Way, Mercury Gardens, Thurloe Gardens, Oldchurch Road and Waterloo Road) there are many newer flats, plus the council's older estates and tower blocks, including the Waterloo and Queen Street estates, which are part of a regeneration programme. For someone in a block, the lift decides a great deal: whether a wheelchair or a delivered hospital bed can get up, and whether the person can get out at all when it breaks down. We ask about it at the assessment.

A little further out are Victorian and Edwardian terraces, then the 1930s semis that make up so much of Havering. Terraces usually have one bathroom at the top of a steep, narrow stair, which is where most of the planning goes: a commode or a stairlift, or moving the bed downstairs for a while. A three-bedroom semi usually has the spare room that live-in care needs.

Queen's Hospital is on your doorstep

Queen's Hospital on Rom Valley Way (RM7) is the borough's A&E and the hospital most Havering patients come home from. It is run by Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust. When a discharge date is under discussion, tell the ward that care at home is being arranged, and tell us the likely date, so the two can be lined up. Our hospital discharge support page explains how that works.

For outpatient appointments afterwards, the trust's journey planner page lists the 5, 128, 175, 193, 365, 496, 498, 499 and SL12 as coming into the hospital grounds. Of those, the 128, 175, 193, 365 and 496 also stop at Romford station. A carer can go with your relative and wait if appointments are written into the care plan.

Parking for carers in Romford town centre

Romford has the most parking restrictions in the borough. Controlled parking zones and pay-and-display cover the town centre and the roads around it, so check the council's permit parking and restrictions map for your street. Havering issues a Health and Home Care virtual permit to care workers employed by a recognised organisation. If your relative lives in a zone and a family member visits to help, a Domestic Carer permit may also be worth applying for. A carer coming by train has an easier time: Romford station is on the Elizabeth line, and the Liberty line runs from there to Upminster.

How do I get a council care assessment in Romford?

Contact Havering Adult Social Care through the online enquiry form on its get help page, or call 01708 432000 (9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday). A relative can make the first call. The council may first suggest a Local Area Coordinator, who can point you to support nearby. If you ask for a formal Care Act needs assessment, a practitioner usually visits. Eligible needs lead to a financial assessment, and funding can come as a direct payment that you use to pay a provider such as us. NHS Continuing Healthcare is a separate assessment for people whose needs are mainly health needs. We give you a written quote after our own assessment. For the wider borough picture, see our Havering home care page.

Live-in and respite care for Romford homes

For a couple, one live-in carer can support both partners at home. For a family carer who needs a break, a live-in carer can stay for a week or two as respite care. Havering's carers support service, run by Imago, holds a monthly carers' group at the Salvation Army hub in Romford town centre. Ask the council about a carer's assessment too.

Care we can arrange in Romford

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

What we can help with in Romford

• 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