How live-in care can keep people connected to what matters to them

At Elder, our mission is to connect families across the UK with full-time carers who provide personalised, high-quality care at home.

Each family, service user and carer has a unique journey to care; a unique story that means live-in care works for them. Here, carer Ewelina, service user Jenny and customer Krystyna open up on their personal story.

Ewelina’s journey to becoming a carer 

Ewelina found herself unfulfilled working in a corporate environment and realised something had to change. She decided to move to Australia to explore other career opportunities and to work on her English skills. Once in Australia, a friend handed her a flier for a nearby nursing home that was hiring. 

She ended up working for five years in a nursing home in Australia and found her days were filled with so much more joy from helping and caring for others on a daily basis. After returning home to Poland, Ewelina faced a choice between going back into the corporate world or continuing with her new-found calling of providing care. She ultimately chose to move to the UK to continue her role as a carer, while also developing her English skills. 

A friend recommended she look into Elder, a live-in care introductory agency, which is when she applied to work as a carer for a woman named Jenny.

Jenny and Krystyna’s journey to finding care and support 

Jenny, a Polish woman who was displaced to the UK during World War II, had always been very independent. After developing shingles, she began, unfortunately, to experience a decline in her health. Jenny’s daughter, Krystyna, began to care for her mum and hired hourly carers to visit a few times a day, but they were not able to provide for her mum’s full care needs.

Jenny wanted to be in the comfort of her own home as she grew older, but was growing increasingly afraid of being alone at home in case something were to happen to her. Krystyna began to look into the option of a full-time carer living in the home with Jenny to ensure reliable continuity of care. 

Due to her mum’s deteriorating mental cognition, Krystyna wanted to find a carer who spoke Polish, their first language, as it was easier and more comfortable for her mother to converse in. Krystyna initially spoke to an agency that was not able to provide a Polish speaking carer, which left her feeling frustrated and disappointed. 

Shortly after, Krystyna came across Elder in her research. She explained to an Elder senior care advisor how important it was for her mother to be matched with a live-in carer who was able to speak Polish. Within days, Krystyna and Jenny were presented with Ewelina’s profile and were blown away by her energy and experience. Krystyna felt instantly reassured that she had found someone suitable in Ewelina to care for her mother.

A connected care experience 

Ewelina has now been caring for Jenny since April 2021. Jenny feels more connected to her Polish roots by speaking with Ewelina in her native language. And, while things haven’t been easy – Jenny has experienced a lot of grief due to losing her husband and son – she feels happier when she is with Ewelina. Ewelina has taken on the shopping, cooking and household chores, as well as providing companionship for Jenny.

Ewelina is equally grateful to be caring for and supporting Jenny. She enjoys being able to give Jenny the time and attention she needs. The support that she has received from Krystyna and the rest of Jenny’s family has been inspiring. 

Through Elder, Krystyna was able to connect her mother, Jenny, with an experienced carer, Ewelina, allowing Jenny to remain in the comfort of her own home, connected with her memories, her home country, her roots. 

If you have service users who could benefit from a live-in carer, matched to their needs and preferences, see how we can help here, or get in touch for more information:

• Call: 03331302605
• Email: Partnerships@elder.org