Home Care in Rotherhithe and Canada Water

Docks, water and long ways round

Rotherhithe sits on a peninsula almost surrounded by the Thames. Inside it, the old Surrey Docks have left behind water: Greenland Dock, the oldest of London's riverside wet docks, plus Canada Water and a network of smaller basins. The old village is at the western end, around St Mary's church and the Mayflower pub. The ship of that name sailed from here in 1620, and its captain is buried at St Mary's. Brunel's Thames Tunnel, the first tunnel built under a navigable river, still carries the Overground from Rotherhithe station to Wapping.

That water affects daily life. Two addresses can look close on a map but be a long walk apart, because the route goes round a dock or along the river path. For someone who uses a walking frame, the nearest shop or bus stop can be further away than it seems. When we plan companionship visits or accompanied shopping trips here, we plan the route too.

From council towers to Canada Water flats

After the docks closed, the riverside was redeveloped in the 1980s with converted wharves and new terraced houses. These houses are often small, with two floors and a narrow staircase. Alongside them are large post-war council estates and towers, and the Canada Water regeneration has added newer apartment blocks with lifts. A newer flat with a lift and level-access shower is usually the easiest place to provide care. A 1980s house may need a stairlift or a bed moved downstairs. In an older council tower, it helps to check before discharge that the lift is working.

How do I arrange council home care in Rotherhithe?

Rotherhithe is in the London Borough of Southwark. To ask for a needs assessment, use Southwark's Older People and Physical Disabilities referral page, or phone 020 7525 3324 if you cannot use the online form or need urgent support. If the council arranges care, a means test decides what you pay. NHS Continuing Healthcare is assessed separately and is not means-tested. You can also pay us privately. We give a quote after the assessment, and we never quote prices before we know what someone needs. Family carers can request their own carer's assessment, which may lead to support with breaks. For the borough-wide picture, see our Southwark home care page.

Getting carers onto the peninsula

The London Overground Windrush line stops at Rotherhithe, Canada Water and Surrey Quays, and the Jubilee line stops at Canada Water. From our office in Lewisham, carers can take a train to London Bridge and then the Jubilee line, or take the 47 bus, which runs from Lewisham through Deptford to Surrey Quays and Canada Water. The journey takes roughly 20 to 30 minutes. Visiting care is possible here, but regular early-morning and evening visits depend on carers being available, so please ask. Live-in care is not affected by distance.

A GP near Canada Water

Surrey Docks Health Centre, run by Nexus Health Group, is at 12-13 Blondin Way, off Downtown Road, near Canada Water station. We work with any GP practice, for example on medication support after a hospital stay.

Live-in care on the peninsula

Because of the docks, the long walks and the distance from the nearest high street, live-in care works especially well in Rotherhithe. The carer is already there, so the walk is never a problem. The carer needs a spare bedroom, which many 1980s houses and two-bedroom flats have.

Respite for the person doing the caring

If you look after a partner or parent here, respite care can be a few hours a week with a sitter, or a carer living in while you have a proper break. If the person you care for has dementia, Time and Talents also runs a carers' group in Rotherhithe village, and a sitter at home can cover the time you spend there.

Our services in Rotherhithe

• Personal care
• Medication support
• Home help
• Companionship
• Sit-in service
• Live-in care
• Respite care
• Dementia care
• Complex care
• Palliative care
• Hospital discharge
• Nail care

What we can help with in Rotherhithe

• 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