Live-in Care in Merton for Individuals and Couples

Yes, we arrange live-in care anywhere in the London Borough of Merton, from Wimbledon Village and Raynes Park to Mitcham and Morden. A trained carer moves into the home, has their own bedroom, and supports one person or a couple with personal care, meals, medication, the house and company. It starts with a free assessment at home and a written care plan.

Why the journey from Lewisham stops mattering

Our office is in Lewisham, about 45 minutes to an hour away from most of Merton by train and Northern line, and further from Raynes Park and West Barnes. For short daily visits that distance is a real constraint, and our home care in Merton page is honest about where we can and can't keep visits going. Live-in care works differently. The carer makes the journey once, at the start of their placement, and then lives in the house. So a family in a West Wimbledon detached house gets the same service as one by Colliers Wood station, and the western edge of the borough, which is hard to reach for visits, is no harder for live-in care.

Will a carer fit in the house?

The carer has to have a room to themselves with a door that closes, plus use of the kitchen and a bathroom. With so many family houses in the west of the borough, Merton is better placed for this than many inner London boroughs, though the east is tighter.

• Wimbledon, Wimbledon Village, Wimbledon Park and Merton Park: Victorian, Edwardian and Arts and Crafts houses, often with a spare room. The catch is the stairs. Many of these houses are on several levels, so we look at where the person sleeps, where the bathroom is, and whether a bed should come downstairs.
• Raynes Park and West Barnes: Edwardian and interwar semis and terraces. A three-bedroom semi usually has room for a carer.
• Morden and the St Helier estate: interwar cottages, many with ground-floor access but small bedrooms. A box room can work if it takes a proper bed and storage.
• Mitcham and Colliers Wood: smaller terraces, post-war estates such as Phipps Bridge and Pollards Hill, and newer flats near the station. A one-bedroom flat cannot take a live-in carer. Visiting care or a move may be the realistic options there.

Keeping a couple together in their own home

When one partner needs a lot of care and the other is managing, but only just, the usual alternatives split them up: one goes into a care home and the other stays behind. One live-in carer can support both. That might be full personal care for one, and meals, shopping, a hand on the stairs and someone else in the house at night for the other. Tell us at the assessment what each of you needs, because the care plan covers both people. For a couple, one live-in carer can work out cheaper than two care-home places, so compare our written figure with the fees of any homes you are looking at.

Breaks, nights and holidays for the carer

A live-in carer is entitled to a proper break during the day and an unbroken night's sleep. If someone needs help several times a night, one carer can't safely do that every night, and we'll tell you so. Some families add a night carer, and others plan a second carer.

The daily break is a good time for the person being cared for to get out. Age UK Merton runs activities and advice for older people from its Elmwood Centre on London Road, Mitcham. The Wimbledon Guild offers activities, befriending and its HomeFood Café. The council's Eastway Day Centre in Morden serves older people on weekdays, and transport can be arranged. When the live-in carer takes holiday, we plan replacement cover in advance and introduce the new carer.

Live-in care or a Merton care home: raising it with the council

If the council is likely to fund care, the conversation about a care home often starts with a needs assessment from the Adult Social Care First Response Team (020 8545 4388). If you would prefer care at home, say so at that assessment and ask whether a personal budget, taken as a direct payment, could go towards a live-in carer. The council is not obliged to fund the more expensive option, but your preferences and your wish to stay together as a couple belong in the assessment.

Families who are paying privately can compare the two directly. The council lists residential and nursing homes in its Housing Matters directory. We'll give you a written live-in figure after assessment so you can set it against the homes you are considering.

How much does live-in care cost in Merton?

We give a written figure after the free assessment. It depends on how much help is needed, whether it covers one person or two, and whether nights are disturbed. We don't quote prices before we've seen the situation.

On funding, three things are worth knowing:

• The council means test. Merton's paying for home care page says savings over £23,250 mean paying the maximum charge and savings under £14,250 are left out. Because live-in care is care at home, the house you live in is not counted, which is not the case for a permanent care-home place after the first 12 weeks.
• NHS Continuing Healthcare. If someone's needs are mainly health needs, the NHS may fund the whole package. In Merton this is handled by NHS South West London Integrated Care Board. Ask the GP, ward or district nurse for a checklist assessment, and read the NHS guide to Continuing Healthcare.
• Direct payments. If council funding is agreed, Merton's Direct Payments Team (020 8545 3415) can help you use it to pay a provider you choose.

Our paying for care in London guide goes through each route in more detail. For free, independent advice, Age UK Merton (020 8648 5792) gives information and advice to people over 60 and their carers.

What we can help with in Merton

• 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