Live-in care in Merton

Merton Council's Adult Social Care First Response Team takes requests on 020 8545 4388, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, or by email to ASCFirstResponse@merton.gov.uk. Out of hours (weekdays 5.30pm to 9am, and 24 hours at weekends and on public holidays) the number is 020 8770 5000. You can bring a family member, friend or carer to the assessment. A family carer can ask for a carer's assessment through Carers First Merton on 0300 303 1555.

It depends on a financial assessment. For care delivered from 31 August 2026, Merton says the hourly charge for council-arranged home care is around £27.28, depending on the provider. People with savings over £23,250 pay the care provider's hourly rate, and savings under £14,250 are not counted. Reablement, for up to six weeks, is free. The Financial Assessment Team is on 020 8545 3632 (financial.assessment@merton.gov.uk), and it offers a free benefit check during the assessment.

The GP usually refers to the memory assessment service at the Wilson Hospital in Mitcham, run by South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust (reception 020 3513 5000). Alzheimer's Society's Dementia Advisers take self-referrals on 020 8687 0922, weekdays 9am to 5pm. Singing for the Brain meets on Wednesdays from 1.30pm to 3pm at the Merton Dementia Hub, 67 Whitford Gardens, Mitcham, for Merton residents or people with a Merton GP. Someone with dementia who lives alone may not have to pay council tax; the GP confirms the diagnosis.

Merton's Hospital to Home Team gives short-term social care support to residents leaving acute hospitals or short-term rehabilitation, at home or in interim support accommodation if needed. To talk to a social worker before discharge, call the duty worker on 020 8545 3801. Reablement is usually organised before the person goes home; it is free and lasts from one day to six weeks. The person must be medically stable and safe between visits and overnight.

Live-in care with Day and Nightcare costs from £1,550 a week in Merton, the same as everywhere in England, for one person with a carer who rests at night. That includes our care team's management (the assessment, care plan, reviews, supervision and the on-call manager) and the carer's food; break cover and the carer's travel are extra. For a couple it is from £1,800 a week, where one carer can safely meet both partners' needs. You receive a written quote after a free assessment.

Yes, if the person's care needs meet the national eligibility criteria and their savings are below £23,250 (2026/27). Adult social care in Merton is arranged by London Borough of Merton. Ask for a care needs assessment; if you are eligible, council funding can usually be taken as a direct payment and used for live-in care from us.

It can. Tell us the expected discharge date as early as you can, and we will work with you and the ward's discharge team on when live-in care can start. We can often start within 24 to 48 hours of the assessment, depending on carer availability, and we confirm the start date once a carer is arranged. We have provided Discharge to Assess (D2A) care since 2014.