Live-in Care in Selsdon

Yes, we arrange live-in care in Selsdon, CR2, and it is the service we can offer most reliably there. A carer moves into the spare room and supports your relative day to day, with time off each day and cover planned in advance when they take leave. The first step is a free assessment at home with Jackie, followed by a written care plan.

Can a live-in carer get to Selsdon without a station?

Yes. Selsdon has no railway station, and that is exactly why live-in care works better here than a rota of daily visits from south-east London. A live-in carer travels at the start of a placement and at changeovers, and the route is straightforward:

• Train to East Croydon, the borough's main rail hub, then a bus. Selsdon is served by bus routes 64, 359, 412 and 433, which link it with central Croydon.
• Tram to Gravel Hill, on the line between New Addington and West Croydon via East Croydon. It is about a mile and a half from Selsdon's shops, so a bus or lift for the last part makes sense with luggage.
• By car, parking is easy. Selsdon is not one of the areas on Croydon Council's list of controlled parking zones, and the long residential roads have room for a family member to pull up outside on changeover day.

For anyone thinking about visiting care instead, the trade-offs are on our home care in Selsdon page.

Semi or bungalow: where the carer sleeps

Selsdon was largely built between the wars as a garden village, and most homes are semis or bungalows. Each sets up a placement differently.

A semi usually has two or three bedrooms upstairs. The carer can take the spare room, ideally next to your relative's, so they are within earshot at night. The upstairs bathroom is the main question if mobility is going.

A bungalow puts the carer, your relative and the bathroom on one floor. That suits wheelchair users and people who need a hoist, and it means the carer can respond quickly at night without anyone using the stairs. The limit is size: a two-bedroom bungalow works when the second bedroom is free, but where the spare room has become a dining room or store room, it needs clearing first. A one-bedroom bungalow cannot host a live-in carer.

From Croydon University Hospital back to Selsdon

Selsdon residents are admitted to and discharged from Croydon University Hospital in Thornton Heath, on the opposite side of the town centre. If your relative is coming home after a stroke, a fall or an operation, a few things make the first week easier with a live-in carer in place:

• The carer can be there when the transport arrives, help your relative settle, and check the medicines that came home from the ward against the care plan.
• If a hospital bed or commode is being delivered, the carer can make sure it is set up where it is needed, often in a bungalow's second reception room or a semi's front room.
• Follow-up appointments in Croydon, or outpatient clinics at Purley, can be planned around the carer's break.

Tell the ward early that you want care at home, and call us with the likely discharge date. See hospital discharge support for more on the process.

Thursday afternoons, the library and Selsdon Wood

A live-in carer needs a break every day, and your relative needs something to look forward to. In Selsdon the two can often be planned together:

• Age UK Croydon's Memory Tree Café has listed a Thursday afternoon session in Selsdon, for Croydon residents diagnosed with mild to moderate dementia and the people who care for them; check the current day and venue on 020 8686 0066. The carer can go along, or a family member can take over for the afternoon.
• Selsdon Library on Addington Road has newspapers, Wi-Fi and books in community languages on request. It runs staffed and self-service days, so check before going.
• Selsdon Wood, a National Trust nature reserve on the southern edge, is where a carer can walk on their own time.

What does live-in care in Selsdon cost, and who pays?

We give a written quote after the free assessment; the cost depends on the level of care, whether it is for one person or two, and what happens at night. Selsdon is in the London Borough of Croydon, so Croydon Council assesses needs and finances if you ask it to. If it funds care, it can pay through a direct payment, which can cover live-in care, and Kingston Centre for Independent Living supports Croydon residents in managing one. NHS Continuing Healthcare may pay where needs are mainly health needs. The steps are set out on live-in care in Croydon, and our London live-in care page explains how placements run.

What we can help with in Selsdon

• 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