Live-in Care in Waddon

Which Waddon homes have room?

• The interwar estate houses built by Croydon Corporation usually have two or three bedrooms upstairs. If one is free, the carer has it.
• Flats make up 42% of Waddon ward's homes, according to the 2021 Census. A two-bedroom flat with a working lift can suit a resident carer. A one-bedroom flat cannot, and visits are the alternative (see home care in Waddon).
• Council and housing association homes make up a quarter of the ward. Let the landlord know before the carer moves in.

Upstairs bathroom, downstairs bed

Most estate houses have the bathroom upstairs. With a carer living in, someone unsteady always has a hand on the stairs. When climbing stops being safe, the front room can become a bedroom with a commode, and the carer keeps the room upstairs with a monitor between them. Croydon's occupational therapists decide on equipment, and council tenants ask the landlord about bigger adaptations.

When the tower block lift fails

In the taller blocks at the southern end of Waddon, a broken lift can trap someone indoors. With a resident carer, that is an inconvenience, not a crisis: meals, medicines and company carry on, and only the trip out waits. If lift faults are frequent, tell us at the assessment so appointments are planned with a backup.

Changeover by tram, train or the 75

Waddon is one of the easier parts of Croydon for a handover. The 75 runs from Lewisham to central Croydon, Waddon station has Southern trains, and Wandle Park and Waddon Marsh tram stops serve the north of the area. If the arriving carer drives, the West permit zone covers streets around Waddon Road and Duppas Hill, where your visitor permit or a paid bay is needed. The estate roads further out are not in the zone. The outgoing carer stays for a full handover.

A break by the ponds

The carer's daily rest is protected. Waddon Ponds, one of the sources of the Wandle, and Wandle Park with its café are both close by. The leisure centre at Fiveways has a pool. Airport House on the Purley Way holds open days run by the Historic Croydon Airport Trust, a good outing for anyone who remembers the airport. If your relative cannot be left, the plan names who sits with them.

Hospital, nurses and the 289

Waddon residents go to Croydon University Hospital in Thornton Heath, and the 289 runs there from Waddon station without a change, so a carer can take your relative to clinic easily. District nurses work from Waddon Clinic on Coldharbour Road and visit housebound patients for dressings and injections. Our carer works alongside them.

Out and about without a car

Two Waddon households in five had no car or van in 2021, so most outings here already happen by bus, tram or on foot. That suits a carer who lives in. The tram from Waddon Marsh or Wandle Park reaches West Croydon and the town centre shops in a few stops. The superstores along the Purley Way are a short bus ride away for a weekly shop together, and the Fiveways leisure centre is within reach for anyone well enough to swim. If your relative has a Freedom Pass or a Blue Badge, bring it to the assessment, so the plan can use it.

Funding a resident carer in Waddon

Croydon Council assesses needs and then means. If your relative qualifies, the council's share can be paid as a direct payment and used for our carer, and KCIL helps with the forms. For care at home, the house your relative lives in is not counted. If the address is over the line in Sutton, Sutton handles this instead: see live-in care in Sutton. Jackie writes the cost down after visiting.

How live-in care works →