Why I started Carers & Cleaners
Finding good help for Mum and Dad turned out to be far harder than I expected. This is how that search led me to build Carers & Cleaners.
Moving back home
When my mum, Jean, was diagnosed with dementia at 82, I went to stay with her and my dad. Dad was 86, and he had asked me to help support her.
At first Mum was still looking after herself. But week by week she needed more encouragement with things like washing and personal care. It didn't feel right for me to be doing that for my mother, and after talking it over with Dad, we decided it was time to find some help from outside the family.
Not even knowing what to search for
So the search began. I tried Google and Facebook, and found it surprisingly hard even to know what to search for. In the end I found a carer by chance, through a post on a Facebook jobs page. We met, and everything was great.
When Dad broke his hip
Then Dad fell and broke his hip. I was working, I needed extra help quickly, and the only cover I could find was through agencies. For us, the service just wasn't the same as we'd had from an independent carer, and it was an expensive and disappointing time.
Finding the right people by word of mouth
More recently, as things changed again, I needed to find another carer. This time I asked the lady who runs the local club Mum goes to, and she put me in touch with a fantastic carer who is still with us today. Even as Mum's dementia progresses, she seems to have the magic touch, and I'm so grateful for everything she does for her.
When we decided to get a cleaner too, I went back to Google and Facebook, again with no luck. Then one morning I happened to mention it to our carer, and she put me in touch with a cleaner who has made a huge difference. Dad is really happy that the house is getting back to how Mum always used to keep it.
I can't be the only one
That's when it struck me: I can't be the only one facing this. There are good independent carers and cleaners out there, but families usually find them by word of mouth, if at all. Our carer even told me the local council doesn't keep a register of independent carers and cleaners that it can share.
Every good person we found came through someone we knew: a club, a carer, a chance post. That works brilliantly when you're lucky. It shouldn't come down to luck.
What I built
So I built Carers & Cleaners: an easy way for families to find independent carers and cleaners near them, and a place for carers and cleaners to be found.
- It's free for families. You tell us what you're looking for, and you choose who to speak to.
- It's just £1 a year for carers and cleaners, because I didn't want cost to stop anyone from joining.
- We introduce you, then you agree everything directly. We don't vet or employ anyone, so I've written short guides on the checks worth making.
Why I'm writing this blog
I'll be sharing real days caring for Mum and Dad here, the lovely bits and the hard bits, in case it helps anyone going through the same thing.
This is for families like mine, with someone like my lovely mum Jean, who spent her life looking after everyone and now needs her family to look after her. I hope it makes things a little easier for you.
If you're looking for help right now
- Ask the people around your loved one: clubs, day centres, neighbours and anyone already helping. That's how we found our best carer and our cleaner.
- Ask the council for a free care needs assessment.
- Search for carers and cleaners near you, and join the waiting list to hear as soon as someone joins in your area.
Martin
Carers & Cleaners is an introduction service. We don't vet or employ anyone, and what carers and cleaners tell us about themselves is self-declared.