Live-in Care in Mitcham

Yes, we arrange live-in care across Mitcham, CR4. A carer comes to live in the home and looks after one person or a couple around the clock, working to a written plan drawn up after a free home assessment. Homes in Mitcham tend to be smaller than elsewhere in Merton, so the first thing we check is whether there is a bedroom the carer can have.

Is a Mitcham flat or terrace big enough for live-in care?

It depends on the bedrooms, not the size of the house overall. A live-in carer needs a room of their own with a bed, storage and a door, and that is the one requirement we can't bend. Here is what we look at during the assessment.

1. A second bedroom that can be cleared. A two-bedroom terrace off Fair Green, or a two-bedroom flat or maisonette at Pollards Hill or Phipps Bridge, can work. If the second room is used for storage or by a grandchild who stays over, it has to become the carer's room.
2. Where the bathroom is. In a maisonette or terrace, the bathroom is often up a flight of stairs. We check whether the person can manage them with help, or whether rails, a commode or a stairlift should come first. A Merton Council occupational therapist can advise.
3. The tenancy. If the home is rented from a housing association or another social landlord, let the landlord know a carer will be living in. The carer doesn't become a tenant or gain any right to stay.
4. The space for equipment. A profiling bed or a hoist takes up room. In a compact flat we plan where everything goes so the carer can reach both sides of the bed. If the plan needs two people to move someone safely, a single live-in carer can't do it alone.

Where there is only one bedroom, live-in care isn't possible. The alternatives are visiting care in Mitcham, subject to carer availability, or asking the council whether a move to a larger or more suitable home is an option.

Live-in care alongside Mitcham's memory services

For a person with dementia, a live-in carer means the same face each day and a routine that doesn't depend on visit times. Because the Merton Memory Hub is in Mitcham itself, a carer living in can get the person to it without a long journey. For advice between appointments, the Alzheimer's Society's Dementia Advisers for Merton (020 8687 0922) accept calls from families directly, and the council's dementia services page lists the borough's peer support groups. At those appointments the carer can describe how things really are at home. See our dementia care page.

Hospital stays: St George's or St Helier

Depending on which side of Mitcham you live, an admission is likely to be at St George's in Tooting or at St Helier Hospital in Carshalton. Either way, Merton Council's Hospital to Home Team (duty worker 020 8545 3801) organises the short-term support on leaving. In a small home with stairs to the bathroom, the first days back can be the riskiest, and a live-in carer is there for them, at night too. Call us while the ward is still planning the discharge.

The carer's break, and days out for the person

A live-in carer has a protected break every day. Mitcham has plenty of open space close to home: Mitcham Common to the east, Three Kings Piece beside it, and Figge's Marsh between London Road and Streatham Road to the north. Mitcham Library on London Road is another quiet place to spend an hour.

When they are on duty, the carer can take the person out too. Age UK Merton runs activities for people over 50 from the Elmwood Centre, 277 London Road (020 8648 5792). The shops around Fair Green are good for a short trip with a rollator or wheelchair.

What about the cost?

We give a written figure after the free assessment. If your relative already has council-arranged visits in Mitcham and needs more, ask Merton to review the care and support plan, and mention that a live-in carer is being considered; a direct payment can be used to pay an agency like us. Our live-in care in Merton page explains the needs assessment, means test and direct payments in full. NHS Continuing Healthcare can pay for care where needs are mainly health needs; ask the GP or ward for a checklist. For how a live-in arrangement works week to week, see live-in care in London.

What we can help with in Mitcham

• 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