Live-in Care in Putney

Yes, we provide live-in care in Putney. A carer from our team lives in the home, with a bedroom of their own, and helps one person or a couple with washing, dressing, medication, meals and getting out. Before anyone moves in, Jackie, our registered manager, or a member of her team visits for a free assessment, and we agree a written care plan with you.

Which Putney homes have room for a live-in carer?

The rule is simple: the carer needs a proper bedroom, with a bed, somewhere to put their clothes and a door they can close. How easy that is in Putney depends on which part you live in.

• Up the hill. The semis and detached houses on and around West Hill, Putney Hill and the roads near the heath were built for families. A spare room is usually there already, sometimes on the same floor as the person's own bedroom, which helps at night.
• Mansion and purpose-built flats near the High Street. Two- and three-bedroom flats can work well. The second bedroom is sometimes in use as a study or a store room, and clearing it is often the first practical job.
• Terraces split into flats. Between the High Street and the river, many Victorian houses are now a ground-floor flat and an upper flat. A one-bedroom flat cannot take a live-in carer. In that case our visiting home care in Putney is the alternative to discuss, though it depends on whether we have a carer who can reach you.

Stairs, slopes and equipment

A large Putney house often has three floors and the only bathroom on the first. A live-in carer can help someone up and down safely each day, but if the stairs are becoming dangerous, the plan may need a stairlift, a downstairs bedroom or a commode. Wandsworth's occupational therapists, reached through Adult Social Care, can assess for equipment and adaptations.

Hoists need floor space on both sides of the bed. In older mansion flats the bedrooms are often generous, but the lift may be too small for a large piece of equipment, so ask the managing agent before the delivery is booked. Outside, the climb from the river up Putney Hill to the heath is steep, which affects how far a wheelchair can be pushed on the carer's own.

Changeover days at Putney and East Putney

When one carer finishes a placement and the next arrives, both travel with luggage. Putney station has South Western Railway trains to Clapham Junction and Waterloo, so an incoming carer can travel in directly from central London. East Putney is on the District line's Wimbledon branch, which runs through Earl's Court. The outgoing carer hands over in person.

If a carer drives, parking is the harder part. Most of Putney is in the Putney or Putney Heath controlled parking zone, and the resident has to provide a visitor permit for the right zone. The council's parking zones page shows which zone covers your street.

Back from Queen Mary's or St George's

Putney patients come home from one of two hospitals run by the same trust. Queen Mary's Hospital on Roehampton Lane has wards and outpatient clinics, while emergencies usually go to St George's in Tooting. The first week after a fall or an operation is when a big house feels biggest: the bathroom is a flight away, and nobody hears a call from the top floor. A carer sleeping in the next room changes that.

Tell the ward you are considering live-in care as soon as a discharge date comes up, and call us. We will tell you honestly whether we can have a carer in place by that date. If follow-up clinics are at Queen Mary's, the hospital lets Blue Badge holders park free in its designated bays, which helps if a relative drives.

Couples who want to stay in the family house

In the bigger houses towards the heath there is usually room for a couple to keep their own bedroom and for the carer to have a third. The carer does the lifting, washing and night-time help for the partner who needs it, so the other isn't worn down by it, and cooks for both. If one of you has dementia, the carer can take you both to the Sunflower Café, the monthly dementia café that Wandsworth Carers' Centre runs in Putney. We assess each person and quote for the household in writing.

Funding

Putney is in Wandsworth, so a council needs assessment, any council contribution and direct payments all go through Wandsworth Adult Social Care. Where the main need is a health need, NHS Continuing Healthcare may pay for the whole package. Our Wandsworth live-in care page sets out both routes, and live-in care across London explains how a placement works.

What we can help with in Putney

• 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