Live-in Care in Herne Hill

Yes, we can arrange live-in care in Herne Hill, on both the Lambeth and the Southwark side. A carer moves into a spare bedroom and supports the person through the day, with personal care, medicines, meals and time outdoors, to a written care plan, and a cover carer takes over on their days off. The first step is a free assessment at home with Jackie, our registered manager.

Will live-in care work in a Herne Hill conversion?

Herne Hill's late-Victorian terraces fall into two kinds of home, and they give different answers.

• A whole house, or a ground-floor flat with two bedrooms. This is where live-in care is simplest. The carer takes the second bedroom, the person can stay on one level if they need to, and the garden is a step from the back door.
• An upper flat in a converted house. These usually start with a steep shared staircase and may have only one bedroom. If there is a second, live-in care can work, and the carer can help on the stairs each time the person goes out. If there is not, a carer cannot live in; our home care in Herne Hill page covers visits.

Bathing is often the sticking point in these flats, because the bathroom is small and has a bath, not a shower. A live-in carer can make a bath board or a strip wash safe every day, and the occupational therapist can advise on whether a level shower is worth fitting.

Changeovers at Herne Hill station

Herne Hill station on Railton Road is one of the easier stations in south Lambeth for a carer arriving with luggage. National Rail lists it as step-free to all platforms, with lifts. Southeastern trains run to Victoria by way of Brixton, and Thameslink runs through the City, so a new carer can come in from most parts of London without changing at a Tube station. The lifts also help when the person and carer set off on a trip together with a wheelchair.

Family arriving by car for a handover should check the street signs. In a Lambeth controlled parking zone the resident can buy daily virtual visitor vouchers, which are tied to the person's own zone and need proof of address approved first. Streets on the Southwark side follow Southwark's rules.

The carer's break: Brockwell Park and the high street

Live-in carers have protected time off every day, and in Herne Hill most of it will be spent within a few minutes of the front door. Brockwell Park runs along Dulwich Road and Norwood Road, with its walled garden, the greenhouses and the Lido. The cafés and shops around the station and along Railton Road are close by, and Brixton is one stop up the line for anything bigger. The Friends of Brockwell Park list what is happening in the park, which is useful when planning outings for the person as well as breaks for the carer.

Leaving King's with someone at home

King's College Hospital at Denmark Hill is about a mile away and is the nearest A&E. For someone heading home to an upstairs flat after a fall, or after a stroke that has affected their balance, a live-in carer can be with them from the first evening: on the stairs, at the bathroom door at night, and at the follow-up appointments back at King's. Let the ward know as early as you can that you are arranging live-in care, and see our hospital discharge support.

Who pays for live-in care in Herne Hill?

It depends on the person's money, their needs and which council they live under. The NHS guide to paying for your own care sets the upper capital limit at £23,250: above that in savings, the council will not contribute, and below it a financial assessment works out the share. For care in your own home, the house itself is not counted. On the Lambeth side, our Lambeth live-in care page explains the council's needs assessment and direct payments. NHS Continuing Healthcare can pay in full where needs are mainly health needs. We send a written quote after the free assessment, and our London live-in care page covers how placements and cover work.

What we can help with in Herne Hill

• 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