Live-in Care in Barnehurst

We provide live-in care across Barnehurst, in the bungalows and semis on both sides of Erith Road and the estate roads near the station. A trained carer takes a room in your home and looks after one person, or both members of a couple; we handle the changeovers, the carer's daily break and holiday cover. Care starts with a free home assessment and a written care plan.

Bungalow or semi: where the carer sleeps

Barnehurst's interwar streets mix semi-detached houses with a good number of bungalows, and each suits live-in care in its own way.

• A two-bedroom bungalow works well if the second bedroom is free. The carer then sleeps on the same floor, a few steps away, which makes it easier for them to hear if the person calls out. If that room has become a dining room or a study, it needs clearing and a bed putting in before the carer arrives.
• A one-bedroom bungalow has no room for a carer to live in, however willing everyone is. There the options are visiting care in Barnehurst, or using the time to think about a move.
• A three-bedroom semi nearly always has a spare room upstairs. In a semi the question is whether the person can still manage the stairs, which the carer can help with day to day.

Fitting equipment on one floor

In a bungalow, equipment goes where it is needed without a staircase in the way. A mobile hoist can stay in the bedroom, a perching stool can go in the kitchen, and a wheelchair can move between rooms if the doorways are wide enough. What often limits a Barnehurst bungalow is the bathroom: a bath with a high side and no room for a carer to stand alongside. Bexley's occupational therapists can assess for a bath lift, grab rails or a level-access shower; ask through the council route set out on our borough page. In a semi, a stairlift or a bed downstairs comes into the discussion sooner.

Handover day at Barnehurst station

Trains from London Victoria, Charing Cross and Cannon Street all run direct to Barnehurst, so an incoming carer can travel straight from central London without changing. For a carer coming from east London, the 99 bus runs from Woolwich, where the Elizabeth line and the DLR stop, to Barnehurst station. The platforms sit just east of the Barnehurst Lane bridge, and we give the carer the walk from there to your door before they travel. At changeover the outgoing carer hands over medicines, the care plan and recent nights in person where we can arrange it.

Russell Park, Martens Grove and Bursted Woods

The carer's daily break is protected time, and Barnehurst has green space close by on several sides:

• Russell Park on Long Lane, between Barnehurst and Bexleyheath, with a bowling green, tennis courts and a small arboretum.
• Martens Grove, parkland and old woodland off Martens Avenue towards Crayford.
• Bursted Woods, woodland and grassland on the west side of Erith Road.
• Bexleyheath's Central Library and the Broadway, one stop away by train, for anyone who wants a town centre on their break.

For the person being cared for, the gentle slopes of the estate roads are usually manageable for a short walk with a carer. If they can no longer get out to a library, Bexley's home library service delivers books and talking books, which a carer can help them choose and return. St Martin's, the parish church, and Barnehurst Methodist Church are both local if Sunday worship matters. Cover for the carer's break is part of the care plan from day one.

Which hospital, and what happens after?

Barnehurst sits between the borough's two acute hospitals. Depending on where an ambulance takes them, a patient may be admitted to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Woolwich or to Darent Valley in Dartford. Either way, the discharge is into Bexley's social care. A carer living in can have the right room ready, bed made up, and stay through the first weeks, when someone's needs are hardest to predict. Tell us as soon as a date is mentioned; our hospital discharge page has the questions to ask the ward.

Can we get help paying for live-in care in Barnehurst?

Possibly. Bexley Council, which covers Barnehurst, assesses needs and then finances, and can pay its share as a direct payment for you to spend with us; the steps are on our Bexley live-in care page. If the main needs are health needs, the NHS may pay through Continuing Healthcare. Families paying for themselves get a written quote after our free assessment. The general picture is on live-in care in London.

What we can help with in Barnehurst

• A carer living in, with their own room
• Care for one person or a couple
• Personal care through the day
• Medication support
• Cooking, housekeeping and laundry
• Dementia support at home
• Company, outings and appointments
• Cover arranged for the carer's breaks