Jill, Pat and Lynne's Elder story
When Jill Parker needed a safe pair of hands for her mum Pat, she contacted Elder and found Lynne - an experienced carer with a genuine passion for looking after others. Since then, things have just clicked. They kindly invited us over to Pat's house to chat about their Elder experience and the difference home care has made to all of their lives.

Having worked for more than 30 years in hospitals and age care facilities, carer Lynne Kemp believes wholeheartedly that living at home is the most empowering and comfortable environment for older people.
“If I had a loved one that needed care, I would move heaven and earth to make sure that they stayed at home, and importantly, that they got the right person to look after them,” she says.
This is exactly what Manchester’s Jill Parker did. She used Elder to find care for her mum Pat, and said Elder’s carer to customer matching technology made opting for in-home care, and connecting with Lynne specifically, very easy.
For Jill, it’s peace of mind that her mum is in safe hands while she tends to her terminally ill husband from afar.
Life slowed down for Pat, or “Patricia on a Sunday” as she’s also know as, after a fall two years ago. Also living with dementia, she looks to Lynne for assistance, and importantly, daily company.
It’s creating that relationship where you come in with a big smile, say hello to her, and immediately she is relaxed.
Lynne
Lynne’s experience caring for others, and with dementia, began at the age of eight. As a child she shared a bedroom with her grandmother and soon began to figure out that “something happens when you get older.” Two years later she also began caring for her mother.
“It’s second nature really and I genuinely love it, I know I make a difference, and that’s not me being conceited or anything. They feel safe with me, and they’re happy.”
Jill agrees. She says that her mother’s time in hospital after her fall was the catalyst for finding an alternative to moving Pat into a care home.
“We did think about the idea of putting her in a home to test it out, but she was just so distressed. She just cried every day and I knew she wouldn’t cope in a care home.”
“When we saw Elder on the TV, that was the light bulb moment, because we’d never thought of an in-home carer. It was a very easy process to go through and we picked about two or three carers, but it was Lynne who stood out to us.”
Jill and Lynne both agree that Elder’s functionality, which allowed them to video call one another beforehand, is an important part of the recruitment process.
“It’s really important that you’ve got the right match,” Lynne said. “It’s great that I get along really well with Pat, Jill and Paul (Pat’s son), but they might not have been as lucky elsewhere.”

Jill echoed Lynne’s comments. “We had a care agency come in the other week and we just didn’t get the feeling that it was the right fit for us,” she said.
“It didn’t seem very personal or friendly and it felt more like a business.
“It’s not just the rapport between my mum and the carer, it’s the rapport between the family as well. The family has got to gel, as well as my mum and Lynne.”
The connection between Lynne and Pat is hard to deny. Lynne says live-in care gives her the ability to pick up on Pat’s body language and subsequently, her needs – something she said you can’t get in a care home.
“They haven’t got the time as they’re not doing one-on-one,” she said.
“I can tell Pat needs the bathroom before she stands up to go. If you’re in a hospital or a nursing home, you won’t get that.
“Living with Pat, it’s almost like having a family member that cares about her and is not just paid to do a job. She senses that she’s safe with me and that I’m going to look after her. It’s creating that relationship where you come in with a big smile, say hello to her, and immediately she is relaxed.”
Looking for a carer like Lynne? Browse thousands of top-rated self-employed carers, and read reviews from the families they’ve helped here.
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