Live-in Care in Becontree

Yes, we can provide live-in care in Becontree, in both RM8 and RM9. A carer moves in, usually into the small upstairs bedroom that most estate houses have, and supports your relative through the day while sleeping in the house at night. We visit first for a free assessment, look at the rooms and the stairs with you, and then write the care plan and quote.

Is the box room big enough for a live-in carer?

The interwar cottages of the Becontree estate were built small, and in many of them the smallest bedroom is only a box room. That is usually enough. A live-in carer needs somewhere to sleep, rest and keep their things, not a large room. When we come to the house, we check four things:

1. A single bed fits with room to get in and out of it.
2. There is storage: a chest of drawers or a rail, plus space for a suitcase.
3. The door closes, and the room is not a through-route or a store for the rest of the house.
4. It is warm and has a window, because the carer will spend their nights and some of their breaks there.

If the box room is full of decades of belongings, clearing it is often the first job. Family usually do this before the placement starts. If a house really has no spare bedroom, live-in care is not possible, and we will say so and talk about visiting care in Becontree.

When the stairs decide where everyone sleeps

The Becontree staircase is steep and narrow, with the bathroom at the top. Once someone cannot climb it safely, the house is usually rearranged in one of two ways:

• Your relative stays upstairs with a stairlift, and the carer sleeps in the box room next door. That keeps the carer close at night, which is helpful if your relative sometimes gets up.
• Your relative moves to the front room downstairs, with a commode or a downstairs toilet if there is one. The carer still sleeps upstairs. A baby monitor or a pendant alarm lets them hear if they are needed.

A hoist is harder in these houses. Mobile hoists need clear floor space to turn, and the rooms are small. If a hoist is likely, ask the council for an occupational therapy assessment as part of its care needs assessment before deciding which room to use.

Getting a carer to Becontree on changeover day

Becontree station is on the District line, in the middle of the estate. Dagenham Heathway, one stop east, serves the southern streets.

Parking is simpler than in Barking town centre. Much of the estate has no controlled parking zone, so a carer arriving by car can usually park in the street. The council has been adding zones around stations, shopping parades and schools, though. If your road is in one, your relative can buy visitor permits to cover changeover days.

A carer's afternoon off on the estate

The estate was laid out with greens and large parks. A live-in carer can use them for their daily break, and later take your relative there too.

• Parsloes Park, a large park in the middle of the estate.
• Valence Park, home to Valence House and, on Becontree Avenue, the Valence Library and community hub.
• Parsloes Community Hub at Kingsley Hall, Parsloes Avenue, one of the council's community hubs. It is worth asking what runs there for older residents.

Hospital, then home to a Becontree house

People from the northern side of the estate are often taken to King George Hospital in Goodmayes, and people from the south and east to Queen's Hospital in Romford. Both are run by the same NHS trust. A discharge into a small house with steep stairs needs some planning. Decide before the discharge date where the bed will go, so the first night home is not spent on the stairs. A live-in carer can then be in the house from day one. Our hospital discharge page covers what we do in those first days.

What does live-in care in Becontree cost, and who pays?

We cannot give a figure before the assessment, because the cost depends on how much help is needed, day and night, and whether one person or two are being cared for. After the assessment, we put a written quote in front of you. The council's Adult Intake Team handles needs and financial assessments, and funding can be taken as a direct payment. NHS Continuing Healthcare is a separate route if the main need is a health need. The Barking and Dagenham live-in care page sets out each route, and live-in care in London explains how placements, breaks and time off work.

What we can help with in Becontree

• 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