Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts | Senior Associate Member of The Royal Society of Medicine
Like most people, I didn't know what 'care' involved until my mother became ill. Suddenly my family was plunged into the complex and confusing business of trying to understand what constituted great care and how to find it.
When Mum died of breast cancer in 1983, I felt we'd failed to find her what we were looking for. She received extraordinary support from neighbours, family and friends as well as fantastic care from the district nurses, but given her wish to stay at home until the end, we needed professional help. The care from social services proved to be shoddy and unreliable.
The same happened with Dad who died from lung cancer in 1998. He also passed away at our family home in Timperley where he wanted to be. Like Mum, he had wonderful support from family and neighbours, but the professional care he received was inconsistent and disappointing.
Mr Donald Helsby & Mrs Margaret Helsby:
12 February 1956, Christ Church, Timperley
Looking back, I'm astonished I didn't get involved in domiciliary care earlier. When I had careers counselling at school when I was 15, I was told I should "work with people in a caring profession". It was only in 2011, some thirty years later, that I finally took notice.
In the interim, I worked in advertising and marketing for over 30 years heading up two advertising agencies and working with consumer leisure clients including The London Eye, Madame Tussauds, First Group and British Airways. Over time, the cut and thrust of advertising lost its appeal and I wanted to pursue a more rewarding and worthwhile career. I knew it was the perfect time to listen to my 'calling'.
So I sold everything I owned. The house. The car. I invested just about every penny I had to set up Bluebird Care Trafford in 2011. I was delighted to have the Trafford territory as this is my home and always has been. I grew up here and my family has been in Trafford for four generations. Since I started the business, I haven't looked back and I've never felt more fulfilled in my work.
My team and I are determined to give our customers the very best care at home available - the sort of care I wanted for my parents. We bring enormous time and attention to selecting the right carers to join our team. Those who make the grade are trained to standards that exceed those of any other home care company in Trafford. They receive continuous training and development to make sure they meet the most exacting standards and offer the most effective care. We help our customers face many health challenges including all kinds of dementia, stroke, brain injury, MS and Parkinson's among a full range of neurological conditions.
Our care is different. It goes far beyond the normal limits of companionship and ticking off domestic tasks. Our motto is"A Better Life, Lived Longer" and these aren't mere words. We incorporate advanced therapeutic techniques to visibly change the lives of our customers for the better and extend both the quality and the length of life.
In April 2016 I was made Senior Associate Member of The Royal Society of Medicine, the highest non-medically qualified membership The Society can bestow. This gives me the opportunity to rub shoulders with leading medical practitioners involved in the latest research and practice across my core specialties of Intellectual Disability (children), Geriatrics & Gerontology, Palliative Care and Clinical Neurosciences.
I was delighted to read The Royal Society's motto 'Non est vivere sed valere vita est' meaning 'Life is not being alive but being well'. This is exactly my philosophy at Bluebird Care Trafford. If you'd like to listen to my story in my own words, please visit this link: https://audioboom.com/playlists/1296792-bluebird-care
We must be doing something right as this year we have been chosen as the overall national Bluebird Care Business of the Year 2016 out of over 200 offices across the UK.
Time and again families remark on the positive change in their loved ones. They say they are thriving rather than existing and that our care has reduced the stress levels of everyone in the family circle. They say they are re-connecting with their loved ones and reviving their relationships with them. I'm priviliged to have the chance to help people in Trafford at the most difficult times in their lives.
I've definitely found my vocation. I just wish I'd found it sooner.
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