Live-in Care in Edgware

Yes, we arrange live-in care in Edgware. A free assessment at home comes first, then a written care plan, and then a carer takes over the spare bedroom and helps the person through each day. Edgware is one of the furthest parts of Barnet from our Lewisham office, so live-in care is the form of care we can offer here most reliably.

What does a live-in carer need in an Edgware house?

Most of Edgware was built in the 1920s and 30s, after the Underground reached it, and the typical home is a semi or detached house with three bedrooms and a front drive. That is close to ideal for live-in care. The carer needs:

• a bedroom of their own, with a bed, storage and a door that closes;
• use of the bathroom and kitchen, and space in the fridge for their own food;
• a way to stay in touch with their family on their time off, so a Wi-Fi connection or good mobile signal helps;
• somewhere to go on their daily break, which in Edgware is rarely a problem.

Flats around Station Road are the exception. A one-bedroom flat has no room for a carer to live in, so there we would discuss visiting care in Edgware where we can staff it.

Before the carer moves in

Getting the house ready is mostly about the staircase. Edgware's interwar stairs are often steep, and a live-in carer cannot safely carry someone up and down them. At the assessment we look at where the person sleeps, washes and spends the day, then agree what has to change first. Common answers are a stairlift, a second banister, grab rails by the toilet, or moving the bed downstairs for a time. In a detached house there is often a ground-floor room big enough for a profiling bed and a hoist.

Ask Social Care Direct for an occupational therapy assessment, which is how Barnet decides on equipment and adaptations. Bigger works, such as a downstairs shower room, may qualify for a means-tested Disabled Facilities Grant. Live-in care can start before the works are finished, as long as the plan in the meantime is safe.

Changeover at the Edgware terminus

Edgware station is the terminus of the Northern line's Edgware branch, with a bus station alongside it. A relief carer travelling in with a suitcase can sit down at the start of the line in central London and get off at the last stop. The journey from south-east London is long, between 65 and 80 minutes, but on changeover day that matters far less than it would for daily visits.

Parking is simpler than in Golders Green or Finchley. Most HA8 houses have a drive, so a family member dropping off or collecting a carer can pull in. The streets nearest the station and the town centre are in a controlled parking zone, so if your house is there and has no drive, buy Barnet visitor permits for handover days.

The carer's break, and getting out together

Each day the carer takes a break, at times agreed in the care plan. Edgwarebury Park, on Edgwarebury Lane, has ornamental gardens and plenty of space for a walk. Edgware Library, on Hale Lane a short walk from the station, has somewhere quiet to sit indoors. The Broadwalk shopping centre and Station Road cover errands.

The same places make good outings for the person, with the carer. If a family carer still does some of the caring, Barnet Carers can assess your needs as a carer over the phone or online, without a trip to its North Finchley office.

Coming home from Barnet Hospital

Barnet Hospital, on Wellhouse Lane near High Barnet, is the usual hospital for an emergency admission from Edgware and where their discharge is planned. The community hospital on Burnt Oak Broadway is for clinics only. Call us as soon as the ward starts talking about discharge. A trial period of live-in care after a hospital stay lets the family see how it works before deciding on anything longer. Our hospital discharge support page sets out the steps.

Who pays for live-in care in Edgware?

For homes on the Barnet side of the A5, the route is a needs assessment from Barnet's Social Care Direct, then a means test; homes on the Harrow side go to Harrow Council. Where needs are mainly health needs, NHS Continuing Healthcare can meet the full cost of care at home. Families paying privately get a written quote after the assessment. Our Barnet live-in care page covers the council route and direct payments.

What we can help with in Edgware

• 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