Live-in Care in Roehampton

Yes, we provide live-in care in Roehampton. A carer moves in, with a room of their own, and supports one person or a couple with everyday care, medication, meals, the home and company. Because the carer is already in the house, the long journey from our Lewisham office doesn't affect the care. Everything starts with a free home assessment and a written care plan.

How does a carer get to Roehampton on changeover day?

Live-in carers work in turns, so every few weeks a new carer arrives and the outgoing one leaves after a handover. With no Tube or rail station, Roehampton changeovers run on buses, and three routes do most of the work, according to TfL's route data:

• The 170 runs from Victoria via Clapham Junction to Roehampton Library and Danebury Avenue, the heart of the Alton Estate. A carer coming across London by train can change at Clapham Junction and stay on one bus.
• The 430 links South Kensington and Putney station with Danebury Avenue.
• The 85 runs along Roehampton Lane between Putney and Kingston.

If someone drives, the parking rules differ by street. The R1 and R2 zones are controlled for one hour on weekday mornings (10am to 11am and 11am to noon). Council visitor permits don't work on estate roads, which run their own schemes, as the council's Roehampton parking page notes. On the estate, ask the housing office what visitors can do before changeover day.

Is there a room for the carer?

This is the question that decides live-in care in Roehampton, and the answer varies from block to block.

• Alton West slab blocks. Many homes here are maisonettes over two floors. Where there are two bedrooms and the person can no longer use the inside stairs, their bed may come down to the living level, leaving an upstairs bedroom for the carer. We agree how the carer will hear them at night.
• The point blocks. Flats reached by lift. A two-bedroom flat on a single level suits live-in care well, with no stairs inside the front door. A one-bedroom flat cannot take a live-in carer.
• Low-rise houses on the estate, and older villas and newer flats around Roehampton Lane and the Village. These are more likely to have a spare room. Check the stairs and the bathroom position at the assessment.

If you rent from the council or a housing association, tell your landlord that a carer will be living in, so nothing in the tenancy causes trouble later. If there's no spare room, visiting care in Roehampton depends on whether a carer lives near enough, so ask us.

After a stay at Queen Mary's

Queen Mary's, on Roehampton Lane, has wards, outpatient clinics and rehabilitation, but emergency admissions usually go to St George's in Tooting, which the 493 bus links with Roehampton. For live-in care, the useful thing about Queen Mary's is how close it is. A carer who already lives with the person can go with them to every follow-up clinic on foot or by a short bus ride, and, if the therapists agree, sit in on sessions so the transfers at home are done the same way. If the person is coming back to an estate flat, check before discharge that the lift is working and that any new equipment will fit through the door. Call us while they are still on the ward, and see our hospital discharge page.

Keeping a couple together

When one partner needs care and the other is coping alone in a flat several floors up, the strain shows quickly. One live-in carer can support both: full care for one, and a lighter hand for the other with meals, shopping and appointments. It also means the healthier partner isn't doing every night alone. We set out the price for a couple in writing after assessing both people.

Funding, and the next step

Roehampton is in Wandsworth, so the council's Adult Social Care Access Team (020 8871 7707) handles needs assessments and means-testing, and a council budget can be taken as a direct payment towards live-in care. If the need is mainly medical, the ward or GP can start an NHS Continuing Healthcare checklist. Our Wandsworth live-in care page has the details, and live-in care in London explains the service. Then call us to book the free assessment.

What we can help with in Roehampton

• 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