Home Care in Upper Holloway, N19

Yes, we provide home care in Upper Holloway: carers who visit for washing, dressing, meals, medication and company, and live-in carers who move in. Upper Holloway is one of the longer journeys from our Lewisham office, roughly 45 to 55 minutes, so visits depend on having a carer free at your times; live-in care is not affected by distance. Everything starts with a free assessment at home and a written care plan.

The quieter end of the Holloway Road

North of the Nag's Head, the Holloway Road loses its shops and becomes a long run of bus stops, flats and side streets climbing gently towards Archway. Upper Holloway is the area on either side: St John's Way and the streets off it to the west, Hornsey Road running parallel to the east, and Whittington Park in between. Many older people here have rented the same council or housing association flat for decades.

The housing is a mix of post-war estates, low-rise blocks of three or four storeys, and Victorian terraces long since divided into flats. In a low-rise block there is often no lift at all, so a second-floor flat means two flights with a walking frame and a carer carrying the shopping up. In a converted terrace the bathroom is usually small, with a bath and no shower. We look at both at the assessment, and where bathing is no longer safe we will suggest asking the council for an occupational therapy assessment.

Can Dad come home from the Whittington with carers in place?

Usually, yes, and Upper Holloway is about as close to the hospital as anywhere in Islington. Whittington Hospital sits up the hill on Magdala Avenue, and the 263 bus runs from Upper Holloway station to the hospital stop. Most residents are admitted and discharged there, though some come home from University College Hospital on Euston Road.

When someone will need care at home, the hospital discharge planners and Whittington Health's social work team refer to Islington's Integrated Health and Care Front Door, and short-term reablement or the Rapid Response team may come first. If you want private carers from the first day, phone us while the discharge date is still being set, so we can tell you honestly whether we can cover those times. Our hospital discharge support page explains how the handover works.

No Tube of its own

Upper Holloway station is on the Overground Suffragette line between Gospel Oak and Barking Riverside, and Archway, on the Northern line, is a walk up the hill. Our carers usually come from Lewisham to London Bridge, then take the Northern line straight to Archway. On the roads, the 17, 43 and 263 stop at Upper Holloway station, and the 91 runs along Hornsey Road and up Hornsey Rise.

Parking is a patchwork. Islington's zones run very different hours, from two hours a day on weekdays in some to 8.30am to 6.30pm plus Saturday mornings in others, so streets a few minutes apart can have different rules. Families visiting by car should check the signs or the council's controlled parking zone hours before relying on a space.

GP surgeries nearby

The NHS website lists Archway Medical Centre at 652 Holloway Road, N19 3NU, and two practices at Hornsey Rise Health Centre, N19 3YU: The Rise Group Practice and The Beaumont Practice. A carer can collect repeat prescriptions, keep the medication record up to date and go with your relative to appointments.

Care we can bring to an Upper Holloway flat

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

Nail care visits are mainly in south-east London, so ask whether we can reach you for it.

Funding through Islington Council

To ask the council for a needs assessment, use its online assessment request or phone 020 7527 2299, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. A financial assessment then decides what, if anything, the council pays. You can arrange private care while you wait. Our Islington home care page covers direct payments, NHS Continuing Healthcare and the rest of the borough.

What we can help with in Upper Holloway

• 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