Live-in Care in Hampstead Garden Suburb

Yes, we provide live-in care throughout Hampstead Garden Suburb, in both the NW11 and N2 parts. Your relative has a carer living in the house with them, day and evening, working to a written care plan agreed beforehand. The first step is a free assessment visit from Jackie, our registered manager, who will look at the person's needs and at how the house works.

The household comes first

Before anything else we want to know how your household runs.

A kosher kitchen. If your household keeps kosher, show the carer how the kitchen is arranged on day one: which sink, which cupboards, which utensils, and where the carer keeps and prepares their own food. It goes in the care plan, so a relief carer finds the same instructions.

Shabbat and festivals. A Shabbat-observant household may not want lights switched, the kettle boiled or the car used from Friday evening. Tell us what applies. The carer's daily break can be timed around the Friday night meal or the walk to synagogue, and the routine is written down.

Church and other faiths. St Jude-on-the-Hill and the Free Church face each other across Central Square. If your parent has always gone to a service there or elsewhere, the carer can go with them. The same goes for any faith or none.

Where will the carer sleep?

On the larger roads, such as Wildwood Road and Winnington Road, houses are big enough that a carer's bedroom is rarely an issue. The cottages and cottage flats in the closes are different. Some have a small second bedroom; some have none. A live-in carer needs a room of their own, so a one-bedroom cottage flat cannot host live-in care. In that case we will talk about visiting care in the Suburb, where we can staff it, and other options.

Arts and Crafts staircases are often steep, and original bathrooms are small. With a carer living in, a downstairs room can become a bedroom, and help with washing can happen at a basin or in a downstairs cloakroom while bathroom changes are planned. External changes such as a ramp need the consent of the Hampstead Garden Suburb Trust, so start early.

Changeovers without a station

When a relief carer takes over, they arrive by Northern line at Golders Green or East Finchley, and finish the journey by the H2 or H3 or a taxi, with a suitcase. Plan for that rather than assuming a car.

If the carer does drive, check the signs on your road: Barnet's controlled parking zones are concentrated around stations and town centres such as Golders Green, and a carer parked in a permit bay during controlled hours needs one of your visitor permits. Barnet Council can confirm the hours and eligibility for your street. If the house has a drive or garage, that settles it.

Woods, a community library and Fellowship House

Every live-in carer has a daily break, and the Suburb is well set up for one. Big Wood and Little Wood are old woodland inside the Suburb, and the Hampstead Heath Extension runs along its western edge. The Garden Suburb Community Library at 15 Market Place is a community-run charity library with computers as well as books.

For your parent, Fellowship House on Willifield Way is the place to know. It is the Suburb's community centre and club, with talks on Tuesday afternoons, concerts and keep-fit among its activities; a carer can take your parent to a session. For dementia day support, Jewish Care has services in nearby Golders Green, and Age UK Barnet runs day sessions in East Finchley.

How does live-in care work after a stay at the Royal Free?

Suburb residents are usually treated at the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead, part of the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust. The ward will want to know someone is at home. A live-in carer can be there on the day, take the medication list from the ward and help through the first nights while equipment arrives. If a ramp is needed, care starts with what works inside while the Trust considers the application. See our hospital discharge support.

Paying for live-in care in the Suburb

The Suburb is in Barnet, not Camden, so council funding runs through Barnet's Social Care Direct (020 8359 5000), with a needs assessment and then a means test. NHS Continuing Healthcare may pay in full where needs are mainly health needs; ask the ward at the Royal Free. Our live-in care in Barnet page sets out the council route, and live-in care in London explains the service. We give a written quote after the assessment.

What we can help with in Hampstead Garden Suburb

• 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