Live-in Care in New Cross

What a New Cross home needs before a carer moves in

Before we suggest live-in care, we check five things at the assessment:

1. A bedroom for the carer. On Telegraph Hill this is often the spare room of a flat in one of the Haberdashers' villas. In Hatcham's terraces, it may be a whole house with rooms to spare. In a one-bedroom council flat near the A2 there is no room, and live-in care is not possible there.
2. A way in and out. The hill streets are steep, and conversions usually have no lift. A ground-floor flat on a level street is a very different proposition from a top flat on Pepys Road.
3. Space for equipment such as a profiling bed, a commode or a hoist, and whether it can get through the door and up the stairs.
4. Wi-fi and somewhere to keep food. Small things, but the carer is living there, and they make the difference between a carer who settles and one who does not.
5. Nights. A live-in carer sleeps. If the person needs help most nights, one live-in carer is not the right answer, and we say that at the assessment.

Can a live-in carer support a younger disabled adult?

Yes. Our registration with the CQC covers adults of any age with physical disabilities or sensory impairments, as well as older people. For a disabled adult living in their own flat, perhaps after years at home with their parents, a live-in carer can give the help needed to live alone: personal care, cooking, getting to work, college or a day service, and someone there in the evening. Where the person is out for part of the day at work, college or a day service, the carer's daily break can be planned for those hours.

Live-in care is one way of living independently. Supported living, where the person rents a home with support attached, is another; Lewisham Adult Social Care can explain both, and our supported living page describes our own homes, which are outside Lewisham.

Handover day, and the junction on the doorstep

Because both New Cross and New Cross Gate are on the Windrush line, an incoming carer can travel from north or east London without changing, and one from Kent or south-east London can come in on Southeastern. Pick whichever station is at the flatter end of the person's walk: for a house on the upper slopes of Telegraph Hill, a short taxi from either station saves dragging a suitcase up Pepys Road.

The junction itself is the hazard. New Cross Road, Lewisham Way and Queen's Road meet in heavy traffic, and for someone with dementia who sets off on foot without warning, living a few streets away is a real worry. A live-in carer who knows their habits, and goes with them, can be what lets a family keep them at home.

The carer's break on the hill

Every live-in carer needs a break each day. In New Cross the obvious places are close:

• Telegraph Hill Park, in two halves either side of Kitto Road: the upper park has views over London, and the lower park is dog-free, with a pond and an ornamental garden.
• New Cross Learning, the volunteer-run community library at 283–285 New Cross Road. It is closed on Mondays, Fridays and Sundays, so check before going.
• The cafés and shops along New Cross Road and around Goldsmiths.

Coming home to SE14 after a hospital stay

Most New Cross residents are treated at University Hospital Lewisham. If a young adult or an older parent is coming home and will need help through the day, start the conversation about live-in care on the ward. If the hospital team finds the person eligible for the council's short enablement service, the live-in carer can follow on from it. See our hospital discharge support page.

Who pays for live-in care in New Cross?

A Lewisham personal budget can be paid as a direct payment, and the council says direct payments can fund live-in care. NHS Continuing Healthcare is the route to ask about when the needs are mainly clinical. We quote after the free assessment. On the western edge of SE14 some addresses are in Southwark, so check the council tax bill before asking for a council assessment. Our Lewisham live-in care page sets out the council's steps, and the London live-in care page covers how the arrangement works. If a few visits would be enough, see home care in New Cross.

What we can help with in New Cross

• 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