30 Years Of Caring - Able Community Care In 2010

The majority of people would answer that they would like to live in their own home and within their own community.

These are many organsations both statutory, voluntary and independent who can provide care services in peoples homes to enable them to continue to live there.

However, as a person's care needs increase and they need care for their domestic, personal and social care requirements, many people turn to a live-in care agency to provide a long term, live-in carer service. This is a viable alternative to moving into a residential care home.

Thirty years ago one of the longest established, live-in carer companies in the UK began to operate. Able Community care, based in Norfolk provided its first live-in carers to an elderly gentleman in Essex, an elderly lady in Suffolk and an older couple in Norfolk.

The Scheme the company provided was to be based on a fortnightly, rotational system of appropriate, care workers living in the client’s home with the objective that a rota of liked care workers would emerge and the care would be continuous for as long as the need remained.

Angela Gifford was the owner of this company, Able Domestic Employment Agency, (renamed Able Community Care) and now, thirty years later, Angela still runs the company and over the thirty year period has enabled thousands of older and disabled people to exercise their choice to remain in their own home.

The live-in carer schemes can run from a few months to many years duration. One gentleman received a continuous care service for in excess of fifteen years.

The company offers services throughout mainland UK and the Channel Islands

The past 30 years have seen some dramatic changes in the home care situation with with the implementation of legislation, changes in social mobility and family life. However, the personal service that was the cornerstone of the company back in 1980 is still in place and will continue for many years to come.