Live-in Care in Richmond upon Thames

Yes, we arrange live-in care anywhere in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. A carer moves into the home, has their own room, and helps with personal care, meals, medication and company through the day. It starts with a free home assessment by Jackie, our registered manager, and a written care plan.

Why we cover Richmond mainly through live-in care

Richmond is about as far from our Lewisham office as London gets. Hampton and Teddington are well over an hour away by train, and even Barnes, the nearest part, means changing at Waterloo. That distance is a real limit on short daily visits, and our home care in Richmond page is straightforward about it.

Live-in care is a different arrangement. The carer travels once, settles in, and stays for their agreed period. Changeovers and holiday cover are planned in advance. The distance from SE13 stops mattering, which is why live-in care is the most dependable way for us to support a family from Kew to Hampton.

Is there room for a carer? Richmond homes, village by village

A live-in carer needs a bedroom of their own, somewhere to keep their belongings, and use of the kitchen and bathroom. Most older people in Richmond live in houses, not flats, so the spare room is often already there. The harder question is usually the stairs.

• Twickenham, St Margarets, Teddington and Kew are mostly Victorian and Edwardian terraces and semis. There is often a third bedroom, but the stairs are steep and the bathroom is upstairs. We look at whether a stairlift will fit, or whether a bedroom downstairs makes more sense later.
• Whitton, Hampton and Hampton Hill have many interwar semis with a garden and more generous stairs. These are often the most straightforward homes for live-in care.
• Barnes, Mortlake and East Sheen range from Georgian and Victorian houses around the Green and the river to mansion-style and modern flats. A two-bedroom flat can work well. A one-bedroom flat cannot take a live-in carer, and we will say so at the assessment.
• Ham has post-war estates, low-rise flats and 1960s Span houses, alongside older houses by the common. Ham has no railway station, which matters for visits but not for a carer who lives in.

One carer for a couple

Live-in care can keep a couple together in the house they share. When one partner needs full personal care and the other only a hand with the shopping, the stairs and the cooking, the usual alternative splits them up. One carer can support both people at home. That is usually considerably more affordable than two care-home places, and we put the figure in writing after the assessment.

Who covers the carer's break?

A live-in carer is entitled to a proper break during the day and an unbroken night's sleep. We agree at the start who is with the person during that break. In Richmond there are some useful options: a relative or neighbour, a session at an Age UK Richmond wellbeing centre in Twickenham, Barnes or Whitton, or a place at one of the council's day and social centres, such as the Woodville Centre in Ham for people with moderate to severe dementia or the Sheen Lane Day Centre in East Sheen.

If someone needs help several times every night, one carer cannot safely do that week after week. We will tell you so and plan a different arrangement, such as adding night support.

Live-in care or a care home: weighing it up in Richmond

The usual alternative to live-in care is a residential or nursing home, which may be outside the borough. Live-in care keeps someone in their own bed, close to their GP, their church, their neighbours and the high street they know. A care home can be the better answer where someone needs two people for every transfer, day and night, or where there is no room for a carer.

There are options in between, too. The council's housing for older people pages cover sheltered housing and Homeshare. For adults who need a supported setting of their own, our supported living home in Whitton is inside the borough.

How much does live-in care cost in Richmond upon Thames?

We give you a written figure after the free assessment, because the cost depends on how much help is needed, whether it is for one person or two, and what happens at night. Paying for it usually involves one or more of these:

• Richmond Council. A needs assessment through Adult Social Care (020 8891 7971, or the online referral) is free. If care is needed, a means test follows. The NHS guide to council-funded care explains that you may be eligible for help if you have less than £23,250 in savings. When care is provided at home, the value of the home you live in is not counted.
• Direct payments. The council can pay your personal budget as a direct payment. It names Ruils as its direct payment support service (020 8831 6088), for advice and help managing the payment.
• NHS Continuing Healthcare. If someone's needs are mainly health needs, the NHS may fund the whole package. In Richmond this goes through NHS South West London Integrated Care Board. The NHS guide to Continuing Healthcare explains the checklist.
• Paying privately, with our written quote.

Our guide to paying for care in London goes into each route in more depth.

What we can help with in Richmond upon Thames

• 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