Over 4,000 requests for social care in Suffolk went unanswered last year, ADDAS, the body that represents leaders in social care has just revealed, so an award-winning company is expanding to the area, to help tackle the growing crisis.
Good Life Sorted has been approached by a number of social workers in Suffolk, concerned about local elderly and vulnerable residents. The company connects elderly people with hand-picked, vetted, caring ‘Helpers’ from their local community, who provide a range of home help services including light cleaning and laundry, meal preparation, shopping and companionship, but no personal care.
Co-founder Verity Batchelder says, “Social care services in Suffolk are quite simply struggling to cope and we recognise that elderly and vulnerable people this area are in dire need of more support, so we’ve prioritised the area for our next expansion – starting now.”
The service is launching in Ipswich, Felixstowe, Woodbridge, Needham Market, Stowmarket, Diss and Bury St Edmunds – and has plans to expand further to cope with demand.
The process is simple: Good Life Sorted introduces customers to local, fully-vetted Helpers who set their own hourly rates, which are usually between £16 and £19. The frequency and length of visits are agreed between the customer (or their family) and the Helper, and Good Life Sorted ensures Helpers have all the relevant training and insurance as well as supporting them with advice, regular meet-ups and online check-ins.
The service already successfully operates across much of the south of England and has provided over 180,000 hours of support to customers since it launched in 2019, with 94% of customers reporting improved wellbeing since having a Good Life Sorted Helper.
Verity continues: “Every month, our wonderful Helpers enable thousands of customers to maintain their quality of life and independence at home, and there is a huge need in Suffolk, as demonstrated by the number of enquiries we are getting, and the awful statistics revealed by ADASS. Spending an average of £165 per month for a friendly local Helper could delay or avoid potential care costs of up to £3,500 per month.”
People who would like to become Helpers in Suffolk to help ease the crisis, can get in touch with Good Life Sorted on www.goodlifesorted.com.
