General Questions
Golders Green Nursing offers two pillars of home care. Our Home Care services are delivered by experienced carers and include personal care, companionship, medication management, mobility assistance, and daily activity support – available as day care (8am–8pm), night care (8pm–8am), sleepovers, and live-in (24/7) care. Our Home Nursing services are delivered by NMC-registered nurses and include district nursing (wound care, catheter care, stoma management, continence support, diabetic care), IV therapy, and specialist nursing for complex conditions. We also offer condition-specific care for dementia, Parkinson’s, stroke recovery, cancer, and post-operative patients.
The first step is to call us on 0208 371 9592 or email [email protected] for an initial discussion. We will discuss your parent’s situation, their care needs, and what options are available. We will then arrange a home care assessment – a senior member of our team visits your parent’s home to assess their needs, preferences, daily routines, and the home environment. This is as much an opportunity for you to learn about us as it is for us to learn about you. We then create a bespoke care plan and introduce you to your recommended carers before care begins. The whole process typically takes just a few days from initial call to care starting.
Home care is delivered by experienced, trained carers and covers personal care, companionship, medication prompting, and daily activities. Nursing care is delivered by NMC-registered nurses and involves clinical tasks such as wound dressings, catheter care, IV therapy, medication administration, and managing complex medical conditions. Many of our clients receive both – a carer providing daily personal care, with a nurse visiting to manage a clinical need such as catheter care or IV antibiotics. Our nurse-led management model means a qualified nurse oversees every client’s care, even those receiving only carer-delivered home care, allow us to stay ahead of any impending medical needs.
We take carer matching seriously. After the home care assessment, we consider your loved one’s care needs, personality, preferences, interests, and any specific requirements (such as language, dietary practices, or experience with a particular condition). We discuss the proposed carer or carer team with you before care begins, so you can ask questions and raise any concerns, and we often ask that you trust in us to give them the first day to try them out. If the match is not right, we will find an alternative. We aim to keep our carer teams small – typically two to three main carers per client – so your loved one always sees familiar, trusted faces.
A home care assessment is a free, no-obligation visit by a senior member of our team – often our head nurse or care manager – to your loved one’s home. We discuss their medical history, current needs, daily routines, preferences, and wishes. We assess the home environment for any safety considerations and discuss what a typical day of care would look like. The assessment takes around an hour and forms the basis of the personalised care plan we then create. We also involve family members who wish to be present. This is a great opportunity for you to ask questions and get to know our values and how we deliver our services.
Yes, absolutely. Care plans are living documents and we expect them to evolve as needs change. Our head nurse or care manager reviews the care plan regularly, and our nurse oversight means clinical changes are identified proactively. You can also contact us at any time if you feel the care plan needs adjusting. We are flexible and responsive – if circumstances change, we adapt quickly.
Yes. Our care service operates seven days a week, including bank holidays. Care needs do not take days off, and neither do we. Bank holidays are charged at 2 x the standard rates in order to maintain and ensure continuity of care across all our clients, on the days that many carers wish to have off with their families. There are no other hidden costs – we believe care should be consistently accessible. Our management team operate an out-of-hours telephone line for our carers or you to get in touch for any urgent needs, 24×7.
Yes. All our carers and nurses hold an Enhanced DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check. We also require a minimum of two years’ professional care experience before we place anyone with a client. Every carer completes mandatory annual training covering First Aid, Infection Control, Food Handling, Manual Handling, Safeguarding, and other relevant topics. Our NMC-registered nurses maintain their professional registration and complete their own continuing professional development. Our average carer tenure is over four years – significantly above the industry average – which reflects the quality of our recruitment and the working environment we provide.
In many cases, we can begin care within 48–72 hours of the initial assessment. For urgent situations – particularly hospital discharges – we can often move faster, albeit we must do so safely with any required home equipment arranged and in-place. We understand that the need for home care frequently arises quickly, and we do everything we can to respond accordingly. If starting quickly, we often advise that the team may include several new faces at the start, until we can settle into a regular care team. Call us as early as possible in the planning process and we will advise on realistic timescales for your specific situation.
We operate a 24/7 emergency out-of-hours telephone line for current clients and their families. This means you are never without support if an urgent situation arises outside our standard office hours (Mon–Fri, 9am–6pm). Our out-of-hours team can advise on clinical concerns, carer issues, or any other urgent matter. You simply call our main telephone number, 0208 371 9592. and select option 1 when prompted.
Yes. Golders Green Nursing is registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the independent regulator of health and social care in England, and has been rated Good. CQC registration means we meet the fundamental standards of quality and safety required by law. You can view our CQC registration details on the CQC website. We take our regulatory obligations seriously and welcome the oversight that registration provides.
Private home care costs in London vary depending on the type and level of care required. As a general guide, day or night care (our minimum 10–12 hour shifts) is charged at an hourly rate, while live-in care (24/7) is charged at a daily rate. We publish our rates transparently and believe in accessible, fair pricing. Contact us directly for our current rate card – we are happy to discuss costs openly and help you understand what level of care is needed and what it will cost before you make any commitment.
NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) is a package of care funded entirely by the NHS for individuals with a primary health need. If your loved one has a complex medical condition, they may be eligible. We can support you in understanding the CHC assessment process and, if CHC funding is awarded, we can provide care under this funding arrangement. The assessment is carried out by an NHS multidisciplinary team. We recommend speaking to your loved one’s GP or hospital consultant if you believe CHC may be applicable.
Yes. Your initial telephone consultation is completely free and carries no obligation. Our home care assessment (the in-home visit) is also provided free of charge. We believe it is important that you can explore your options and understand what is available before making any financial commitment. Call 0208 371 9592 or email [email protected] to arrange your free consultation.
We invoice each calendar month. Our day and night care is charged on an hourly basis (minimum 10–12 hour shifts), while live-in care is charged as a daily rate. District nursing and IV therapy visits are charged per visit, up to one hour, or in 1/2 hour increments thereafter. We provide clear, itemised invoices so you always know exactly what you are being charged for. We do not charge registration fees or hidden administration charges.
We do not impose minimum contract periods. We understand that care needs can change – sometimes very quickly – and we believe clients should not feel locked into a contract. We only ask for at least 24 hours notice when ending care, in order to avoid being charged for care that is booked, however we do ask for as much reasonable notice beyond this if you know your care setup may change, which allows us to manage our carer schedules fairly.
Yes. Dementia care is one of our most established specialisms. We provide specialist dementia care at home, delivered by carers who are experienced in dementia care techniques and overseen by our head nurse. Remaining at home – in a familiar environment – is often profoundly beneficial for people living with dementia, reducing confusion and distress. Our proactive nurse management model means we adapt care plans as the condition progresses. We also support family members, providing guidance and regular updates.
Palliative care at home is end-of-life care focused on comfort, dignity, and quality of life rather than curative treatment. Our palliative care service provides personal care, pain and symptom management support, emotional support, and assistance with daily activities. We work closely with the client’s palliative care doctors, district nurses, and hospice teams. For peace of mind for the fast administration of pain relieving medication, our registered nurses can be engaged on long shifts and can coordinate with district nurses for approval to administer breakthrough pain medication. Our care enables people to remain at home in their final weeks and months if that is their wish – which for many people is profoundly important.
Yes. Our NMC-registered nurses provide both IV therapy at home (including IV antibiotics and hydration therapy, up to three visits per day) and private district nursing services including wound and ulcer dressings, catheter care, stoma care, and continence management. These services are available as standalone nursing visits or as part of a combined care package alongside our carer-delivered home care.
Yes. Post-operative and post-discharge care is a significant part of what we do. We work with patients being discharged from both NHS and private hospitals across London – including The Wellington, The London Clinic, The Cromwell, King Edward VII’s, St John & St Elizabeth, and others. We coordinate with hospital teams to plan safe discharge and can often begin care within 24-48 hours of discharge. Our nursing capability means we can manage complex post-surgical needs including wound care, IV antibiotics, drain management, and rehabilitation support, and we can collaborate with other community healthcare professionals such as physiotherapists or private doctors.
Supporting families is a core part of our approach. We provide regular updates on how your loved one is progressing, respond quickly to family concerns, and adapt care plans as the dementia advances. Our PASS digital care platform gives families visibility of daily care visits and journal notes. We also offer respite care – allowing family carers essential breaks – and can advise on how to navigate difficult conversations, local support groups, and the longer-term care journey. We never see the family as peripheral; you are central to the care we provide.
Yes. Parkinson’s care at home is one of our specialisms. Parkinson’s requires carers who understand the particular challenges of the condition – including medication timing (which is critical), movement and mobility support, speech and swallowing changes, and the cognitive symptoms that can develop over time. Our nurse oversight ensures that clinical changes are identified quickly and that care plans remain appropriate as the condition progresses.