Live-in Care in Belgravia

Yes, we provide live-in care in Belgravia, for individuals and for couples. A carer moves in, has their own room, and helps with personal care, medication, meals, moving safely and company, while the household carries on around them. Jackie, our registered manager, visits first for a free assessment, and the care plan is written with you.

Live-in care for a husband and wife

Belgravia suits live-in care for couples, because the houses have room for a carer and neither partner has to leave. Often one partner needs substantial help, perhaps after a stroke or with advancing dementia, and the other manages but is tiring. One carer can see to the first partner's washing, dressing and medication and give the second lighter support: meals for two, help on the stairs, a hand with appointments, and another adult in the house overnight.

One carer is not always enough. If both partners need help during the night, or one needs two people to move them safely with a hoist, a single live-in carer would be stretched beyond what is safe. In that case we would propose a second carer or extra visits at the heavy times of day, and explain why. We assess each partner separately, so the plan reflects both.

Where should the carer sleep in a five-storey house?

Belgravia houses tend to have rooms to spare, but the right room is not always the obvious one. Staff quarters at the top of the house or in the basement can be three or four floors from the person's bedroom, too far to hear a call at night. Our advice at the assessment is usually:

• put the carer's room on the same floor as the person they care for, or one flight away at most;
• use a baby monitor or a pendant alarm that sounds in the carer's room, so a call at 3am is heard;
• think about moving the person's bedroom down to the first floor, near a bathroom, before mobility gets worse;
• check the front steps and any steps down to a mews door, where a fall is most likely.

In a lateral flat with a porter and a lift, much of this is simpler: everything is on one level, and getting a profiling bed or a hoist in is a matter of booking the lift.

Handover at Victoria

Our carers reach Belgravia without difficulty. Lewisham has direct Southeastern services into Victoria, and from there most of Belgravia is within walking distance. Hyde Park Corner on the Piccadilly line serves the north, and Sloane Square, just over the boundary in Kensington and Chelsea, serves the west. At each changeover the incoming carer arrives with their bag, the two carers go through the notes together, and the outgoing carer leaves.

Belgravia is in Westminster's parking zone A, where Westminster issues no visitor permits; a carer arriving by car is left with time-limited pay-to-park bays. Mews and residents' garages are private. Coming by train avoids the problem altogether.

A break in Green Park or Hyde Park

The garden squares of Belgravia are mostly private, for keyholders. For the carer's daily break, Hyde Park and Green Park are a short walk from Hyde Park Corner, and Elizabeth Street and Motcomb Street have cafés. If the person has a key to their square's garden, a walk there together is a gentle outing. Victoria Library on Buckingham Palace Road has a level entrance and automatic doors on the ground floor, which makes it manageable with a wheelchair or walking frame.

During the carer's break someone else needs to be with the person if they can't safely be alone. In a household with a housekeeper or family nearby, that is often easy to arrange; otherwise we can talk about a sit-in at those times.

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

We give a written figure after the assessment. The cost depends mainly on whether the carer is looking after one person or two, and on what happens at night. Westminster City Council can carry out a needs assessment, whatever the person's savings; you can apply on GOV.UK. If the person's needs are mainly health needs, ask about NHS Continuing Healthcare, which can fund care in full. Some addresses in SW1X and SW1W are in Kensington and Chelsea, so confirm the council from the council tax bill. The council route is set out on our Westminster live-in care page, and live-in care in London explains how placements work. For a few hours a day, see home care in Belgravia.

What we can help with in Belgravia

• 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