Live-in Care in West Hampstead

Yes, we arrange live-in care in West Hampstead, from the mansion blocks off West End Lane to the estates towards Kilburn and Fortune Green. One carer moves into the spare bedroom and can support a single person or both partners in a couple, working to a care plan we write after a free home assessment. Because the carer lives in, our base in Lewisham makes no difference to the care, and West Hampstead's direct Thameslink and Jubilee line links from London Bridge make changeovers simple.

Can one carer look after a couple in a two-bedroom mansion flat?

In many cases, yes, and this is where West Hampstead's housing helps. The Edwardian mansion blocks around Broadhurst Gardens, Compayne Gardens and the roads off Mill Lane are full of two-bedroom flats. If the couple share a bedroom, the second becomes the carer's, and live-in care can start.

It gets harder when the partners now sleep apart. Illness can split a couple's bedroom: one partner moves to the spare room because of a hospital bed, restless nights or a commode. In a two-bedroom flat that leaves nowhere for the carer, and visiting care, on our West Hampstead home care page, may be the practical route. Three-bedroom flats exist but are fewer, so we look at the rooms carefully at the assessment.

Two people, one care plan

When one carer supports a couple, the plan has to be clear about who needs what. A typical arrangement might be full personal care, medication and help with mobility for one partner, and cooking, shopping and company for the other. We write both into the plan, so the carer's day is manageable and neither partner is left out.

The healthier partner keeps as much of the caring as they want to, and no more. If both partners need a lot of hands-on care, especially at night, one carer may not be enough, and we will say so.

A flat with no lift, and two people to get out

Many West Hampstead mansion blocks have several flights of communal stairs and no lift. For a couple, that can mean one partner is housebound while the other still gets out. A live-in carer can support each of them on the stairs and take them out separately or together, but cannot carry anyone. If the stairs have become unsafe, ask Camden for an occupational therapy assessment; the council route is on our Camden live-in care page.

Three stations for changeovers

Carers change over on a rota, and West Hampstead is one of the easiest places in north-west London for that. West Hampstead Thameslink, the Jubilee line station and the Overground station are all on West End Lane, a few minutes apart. Thameslink and the Jubilee line both run direct from London Bridge, which suits carers travelling from south-east London.

Street parking around West End Lane is controlled. If relatives drive in to meet a new carer, the resident can buy short-stay visitor permits through a Camden parking account. With three stations on the lane, most handovers need no car.

A break on West End Lane

The carer's daily break is easy to fill here. West End Lane has cafés and shops, Fortune Green is at the north end of the lane, and West Hampstead Library on Dennington Park Road is a council library with somewhere to sit. On Saturdays the West Hampstead Farmers' Market runs on the Thameslink station forecourt on Iverson Road, a short outing the carer can share with one or both partners.

During the break, the healthier partner can often keep the other company. Where that isn't possible, family can cover it or we plan it into the care.

Paying for live-in care as a couple

Camden assesses each partner's care needs separately, and each has their own financial assessment. The council looks at each person's own income and savings, and money held jointly is normally treated as split equally between you. The NHS guide to paying for your own care explains the means test. NHS Continuing Healthcare may cover one partner if their needs are mainly health needs. We quote for the couple in writing after our free assessment, and the London live-in care page explains the rest.

If the healthier partner has been the main carer, they are entitled to a carer's assessment of their own. Camden Carers offers advice and a group for older carers.

What we can help with in West Hampstead

• 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