The Graham Agency

A massive increase in care home closures, the negative impact of this on the health of residents and continuing slashing of council budgets for care home costs have focussed attention more than ever on feasible means of independent living for the elderly.

Data from accountants Wilkins Kennedy recently shows that the government’s squeeze on social care spending coupled with rising debts and high rents led to 73 care companies entering administration during the year ending September 2011 compared with 35 in the previous 12 months.

The following article was recently published in The Jewish Chronicle in a feature on support for independent living. 

An agency that began by finding domestic staff for its clients now also helps those looking for support or domestic help as an alternative to moving into residential care.

Describing the task as akin to that of a matchmaker, Diana Graham, who heads The Graham Agency, with offices in Highgate and Mayfair, says she has to understand her clients' needs before appointing the appropriate live-in staff.

"I want to stay in my own home, I don’t want to go into a care home..."

It’s an often heard cry of despair and enough to break your heart, but when an elderly person needs extended and permanent social care - not nursing care - what other options are available to the person or their family members who are looking to do their best for them?  Find out the answers and comparative costs at www.domesticstaffingnews.co.uk.

When we talk about domestic staff, the term covers a wide variety of roles and, within each role, the job description and one's expectation of what it covers varies greatly whether one is an employer or an employee.  In this article we try to paint a clear picture of the various roles in the domestic staffing industry, describing the roles of housekeeper, nanny, nanny/housekeeper and companion.