Bentleys Home Care owners Valerie Duguid and Mairi Handy want to "change the face of care" in Dundee and Angus.
So disappointed with the services available in Dundee, Mairi Handy and Valerie Duguid decided to set up their own care provider – with a difference.
The dynamic pair launched Bentleys Home Care at last year and provide a range of personal care, social care, befriending, rehabilitation, nutrition and housekeeping services across Dundee and Angus.
They are keen to change the face of care in the region and provide a holistic, person-centred package that “does more than just manage decline”.
Why Bentleys Home Care is different
Unlike many home care providers, whose staff visit for as little as 15-minutes, Bentleys offer two-hour visits as well as other unique services.
The £35 “social clean” leaves 30 minutes at the end of the housekeeping service for staff to have a chat with clients.
Bentleys Home Care is also the only firm in the country to focus on a three-tier strategy of physical, social and psychological recovery.
Five two-hour visits costs £350, which is more than most competitors – but feedback has been “overwhelmingly positive”.
“We are told it takes a village to raise a child but elderly people should also be given that service. They deserve proper care that puts them first,” Valerie, 54, told The Courier.
“Everyone gets older and asking for help is not accepting that your life is over,” mum-of-four Mairi, 49, added. “We want to provide personal care that is truly personal.”
Happier clients and staff is ‘key’
Valerie, who has a degree in clinical sports science and psychology and also runs Gymology, added: “We want to offer real care and give our clients and families peace of mind.
“Rather than rushing to get someone dressed, we want to help them do up their buttons themselves and maybe regain some confidence.”
Bentleys Home Care currently employs four experienced carers who promise to get to know each client they work with “like they are a friend”.
Valerie said: “Even as we grow bigger, we will always have a small, allocated team for each client and get to know who they are as well as what their needs are.
“We hope that the way we work will also ensure our staff are happy and don’t feel rushed, which allows them to provide a better service.”
To find out more, visit thecourier.co.uk
