Live-in Care in Chessington

Yes, we arrange live-in care across Chessington, KT9. A carer moves into the house, has their own bedroom, and gives day-to-day help with personal care, meals, medication, housework and getting out. Jackie, our registered manager, carries out a free assessment at home first, and we agree the care plan in writing before the carer arrives.

Getting the house ready

Most KT9 streets are lined with semis and bungalows from the 1930s to the 1950s, many with a garden and a drive, and there are some council-built estates. That makes the carer's room easy to find in most houses, so the assessment spends more time on how the person will move around the home as their needs change.

• In a semi, we look at whether the stairs will take a stairlift, or whether a ground-floor room should become the bedroom, with a commode or a downstairs toilet nearby.
• In a bungalow, the concerns are smaller: the step at the front door, the width of the bathroom door and whether the bath can be swapped for a level-access shower.
• In an estate flat, we check the lift and the second bedroom. Without a second bedroom, live-in care isn't possible; the alternative is visiting care in Chessington, if we can staff it.

If a hoist, a hospital bed or bathroom changes might be needed, the council's occupational therapy service can advise. It is better to have the equipment in before the carer starts than to fit it around them.

Changeovers at the end of the line

Chessington has two stations on South Western Railway's Chessington branch. Chessington North, which also serves Hook, is on bus route 71. Chessington South is the terminus, with the 71 and 467 buses, and since 2019 it has had a ramp giving step-free access from the street to its platform, which helps a carer with a suitcase. Trains run twice an hour each way to Waterloo.

Half-hourly trains mean a missed connection costs time, so we plan changeovers with a margin and let you know who is arriving and roughly when. For a carer who drives, Chessington is simple: none of Kingston's controlled parking zones reach Chessington, and most homes have a drive.

Does a live-in carer in Chessington need to drive?

Not always, but it is worth deciding at the start. Buses cover the main roads: the 71 to Surbiton and Kingston, the 465 to Kingston and the 467 to Epsom. For someone who can no longer manage a bus, appointments may mean a taxi, a lift from family, or a carer who can drive the person's own car if it is suitably insured. Tell us which applies and we take it into account when matching a carer.

Epsom or Kingston: which hospital, and does it matter?

Kingston Hospital is the main acute hospital for the borough. Because Chessington sits on the Surrey border, some residents end up on a ward run by Epsom and St Helier instead. The hospital affects who you talk to on the ward. It doesn't change who funds social care: a KT9 address means Kingston Council.

Coming home from Kingston Hospital, over-65s may get help from Staywell's Home from Hospital service, which can help get the house ready and wait in for equipment deliveries. Live-in care then provides what short visits can't: someone in the house overnight in the first weeks. Call us as soon as a discharge date is mentioned. See hospital discharge support.

Care through a final illness at home

For some families, live-in care is about the last months. A bungalow with everything on one level can make it possible for someone to stay at home to the end, with a carer there day and night alongside the GP, district nurses and any hospice team. Our carers give personal care, comfort and company; nursing remains with the NHS. Read more on our palliative care page.

Funding live-in care in KT9

Wherever the hospital stay was, a Chessington resident asks Kingston Council for help with care costs. The Kingston upon Thames live-in care page walks through that route and NHS Continuing Healthcare. Our charges are set out in a written quote after Jackie's visit. For what the service includes, see live-in care in London.

What we can help with in Chessington

• 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