Live-in Care in Greenwich

Westcombe Park or Thamesmead, the same arrangement

For visiting care, where you live in Greenwich makes a real difference to us: Charlton is a short train ride from our Lewisham office, Thamesmead takes forty to fifty minutes by public transport. For live-in care it makes none. The carer moves in, so there is no daily journey to staff, and a household on the far side of Abbey Wood gets exactly the same service as one in Kidbrooke.

Will the carer have a room? Greenwich homes, street by street

A live-in carer needs a bedroom of their own, with a bed and somewhere to keep their things, and use of the kitchen and bathroom.

• Eltham and New Eltham. The interwar semis that make up much of SE9 usually have a third bedroom or box room that has been empty for years. These are the easiest homes in the borough for live-in care.
• The Progress Estate and the Bostall Estate. The cottage-style homes built for Royal Arsenal workers in Eltham, and by the Royal Arsenal Co-operative Society in Abbey Wood, are compact. Many have two or three small bedrooms, which is enough, but the stairs are narrow, so we look closely at bathing and moving around during the assessment.
• Plumstead and Charlton terraces. Usually a spare room upstairs, but on steep streets with steps to the front door, so having someone there for every trip out matters.
• Riverside and regeneration flats. At Greenwich Peninsula, Royal Arsenal Riverside and Kidbrooke Village, a two-bedroom flat with lifts and level access is well suited to hoists and wheelchairs. A one-bedroom flat is not, and we will say so.
• Council and Peabody flats. Woolwich, Abbey Wood and Thamesmead have many one- and two-bedroom social rented flats. With a second bedroom, live-in care can work; it is sensible to let your housing officer know a carer will be staying.

Keeping a couple together at home

When one partner needs a lot of care and the other is managing but tired, the usual alternatives split them: a care home place for one, the other on their own. A live-in carer can look after both: full personal care for one, a lighter hand for the other, meals for two, and someone else in the house. The care plan sets out what each person needs, and we match the carer to the heavier needs, for example dementia care experience where one partner has a diagnosis. Charging for one carer supporting a couple is generally considerably more affordable than two residential placements.

Who covers the carer's daily break?

The carer's daily break can be covered by a relative popping in or by a short visit from us. Greenwich also has some good free options that suit the person being cared for, not only the carer. Age UK Bromley & Greenwich runs a befriending service with home visits for Greenwich residents. For people with a dementia diagnosis, South East London Mind's Greenwich Dementia Support holds a memory café on the first Thursday of each month at Greenwich Carers Centre in Charlton. The council-linked Greenwich Community Directory lists current day activities and social groups across the borough.

When the regular carer takes holiday, we arrange replacement cover in advance and introduce the new carer before the handover.

Live-in care or a care home: what Royal Greenwich counts

For many families the real choice is between live-in care and a residential or nursing home, and the council's means test treats them differently.

Royal Greenwich says it does not include the value of your home when working out charges for care at home. For a care home, it may count the home if nobody else lives there full time. If savings are under £23,250, the home is disregarded for up to 12 weeks after a permanent move, and a deferred payment scheme can let the fees be repaid when the house is eventually sold. The council's page on using your home to pay for care sets this out. For a homeowner in Eltham or Shooters Hill, that difference is often what makes staying at home the more sensible choice financially as well as personally.

If the person is coming out of Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Woolwich and a care home is being suggested, tell the ward and the assessor early that you want live-in care considered, and call us so we can assess at home. Where someone is near the end of life, live-in care can work alongside the Greenwich & Bexley Community Hospice; see our palliative care page.

How much does live-in care cost in Greenwich?

It depends on how much support is needed, whether it is for one person or two, and whether there is night-time care. We give you a written figure after the home assessment, not a number over the phone. On who pays:

• Royal Greenwich. Ask for a needs assessment through the Contact Assessment Team on 020 8921 2304 or the council's online form. If eligible, a financial assessment follows: the council says people with more than £23,250 in savings or assets pay the full cost, and it counts part of savings above £14,250 when working out a weekly contribution. Funding can be paid as a direct payment and used for live-in care.
• NHS Continuing Healthcare. Where needs are mainly health needs, the NHS may fund the whole package. In Greenwich the decision sits with NHS South East London Integrated Care Board. The NHS guide to Continuing Healthcare explains the checklist.
• Paying privately. You can arrange live-in care privately without any council involvement. Our guide to paying for care in London covers the options.

What we can help with in Greenwich

• 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