Live-in Care in St Mary Cray

Cottages by the viaduct, semis on the estates

St Mary Cray's housing tells its history. Down by the river, the oldest cottages near the High Street and in the conservation area tend to have steep stairs and small bathrooms. Up the slopes on either side, the post-war council estates of the 1950s and 1960s make up much of the rest. In the 2021 Census, nearly half the homes in St Mary Cray ward were semi-detached, and six in ten households had a bedroom or more to spare.

• A three-bedroom semi nearly always has the room a carer needs. The question is the stairs to the only bathroom.
• A cottage near the High Street may have a steep, narrow stair that will not take a standard stairlift. A bedroom downstairs with a commode is often the answer; ask the council's occupational therapists early.
• A one-bedroom flat cannot take a carer living in. The council can point you to agencies that visit locally.

If the home is rented from Clarion or another housing association, tell the landlord who will be staying, and get their agreement for any adaptations.

Changeovers by train and bus

St Mary Cray station has Southeastern trains to Victoria via Bromley South and Thameslink to Blackfriars via Catford, but neither stops at Lewisham. The 273 does: it runs directly from Lewisham station through Grove Park, Mottingham and Chislehurst to St Mary Cray station and the Nugent shopping park. A carer arriving for a placement can come either way, and the R11 and R3 cover the last stretch to most streets. We plan each swap with you so the incoming and outgoing carers meet and hand over in person.

A carer at home for a family that has been caring for years

St Mary Cray ward had the second highest share of heavy unpaid caring in Bromley in 2021: almost 3% of residents aged five and over gave 50 hours or more a week. Behind that figure are husbands, wives, sons and daughters who have been doing it alone. Bringing in a resident carer can hand a worn-out husband or daughter their evenings back, or a whole week off. Breaks for the family are covered the same way: a resident carer for a fortnight while you get away. The family member gets help in their own right from Bromley Well.

Hospitals, rehabilitation and the R11

The Princess Royal University Hospital at Farnborough is the main hospital, with rehabilitation and step-down care at Orpington Hospital. The R11 runs from St Mary Cray station to Orpington Hospital's own stop, and north to Sidcup, where Queen Mary's houses Bromley Healthcare's rehab beds. A carer living in can go with your relative to follow-up appointments on the R11. Once Farnborough starts talking about discharge, tell the ward a carer living in is the plan and call us before the date is fixed. For end of life care, the hospice's Bromley base is at Caritas House, a short drive away in BR6.

A thousand people living alone

The 2021 Census counted 1,053 households in St Mary Cray ward made up of one person aged 66 or over, living alone: about one in seven households. For some of them a daily visit would be enough, if a local agency can supply it. For others, especially after a fall or a stay on a Farnborough ward, nights alone have become the worry. That is when a resident carer makes most sense, and why we would always ask what the nights are like when we first visit.

Aspley Court, or staying at home?

Aspley Court on Wellington Road is one of Bromley's four extra care schemes, with staff on site day and night. It means giving up the house for a tenancy, and you need a council personal budget. A carer living in keeps the person in their own home. Ask the council's assessor to compare both.

The carer's daily break

Every day the carer has a rest period, so someone else needs to sit with your relative for a while. Cray Avenue's retail park and the library at St Paul's Cray are both close. The River Cray and the old High Street, under the viaduct, make a gentle walk. For a day out, the Saxon Day Centre in Orpington offers day care for older people, and that day can double as the carer's break.

Paying for live-in care in St Mary Cray

Bromley Council's needs assessment is the starting point for council help, with a financial assessment after it; Bromley can pay its share straight to you. See live-in care in Bromley for council contacts, and home care in St Mary Cray for other local help.

How live-in care works →