Home Instead (East Lancashire)

Introducing Peter Catlow, Owner of Home Instead East Lancashire.

My first experience of social care was when my Dad was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.

As with many couples of that generation, my Mum was ‘married for life, in sickness and in health’ and was determined to keep Dad at home. The rest of the family supported that decision and we all worked together to keep her desire a reality.

However, as in many similar situations, the responsibility and the majority of the effort was taken on board by my Mum, but this started to affect her health and well-being. We tried respite care and other support for her but unfortunately, the standard of care and being away from home seemed to affect Dad in a negative way and he always came home in a worse state. This had the knock-on effect of creating more stress for Mum.

Sadly, Dad passed away but the experience of his last years lives on with us all. If there can be a plus side though, looking after Dad gave us an insight into social care, how beneficial living at home is and how important having true, personalised relationship-led support is.
Looking after Dad had taken its toll on my Mum but by the time she needed help I had founded Home Instead and I was able to give her the best support possible with our wonderful staff. This gave the family freedom to visit mum regularly but more spontaneously, and provide more well-being happy visits. It also gave us time to sort out other life and house issues leaving the personal care and home help to trained professionals. This suited us all especially mum who had her daily ‘friends’ supporting her with personal care and day to day chores enabling the family to enjoy quality social visits with her.

This wonderful Home Instead support is there for everyone; care is based around building relationships and developing trust. Our CAREGivers come from all walks of life but they all have the same desire- the desire to look after people like they would their own mum and to keep them in their own homes for as long as possible.

My job now is about growing the Home Instead business but also making sure that our standards remain consistent, supporting our staff and ensuring clients and their families are satisfied with their care. I will never forget why I started Home Instead and the founding principles will always be at the heart of everything I do.

The door is always open for you or your family to pop in and chat further about how Home Instead in East Lancashire can help you. Alternatively, you can give me a call.

I really enjoy working for Home Instead East Lancashire because the core values are so person-centred and I can clearly recognise what sets Home Instead apart from other Care companies.

I have worked in the care sector since 2010, helping and supporting people with learning disabilities, mental health issues and domiciliary care. This experience has enforced my belief that people should be able to continue living in their own homes where they feel comfortable and can enjoy a quality and fulfilled life.

I strive to maintain our client’s independence and love coming up with strategies to improve their well-being. I am proud of the work that I and the rest of the team do, every single day of the wee

Having started out as a CAREgiver when our franchise first began in 2012, I can vouch for first-hand that at the very heart of our company is a pride and passion for delivering high-quality care that enables our older people to stay safely and happily in their own homes.

As Operations Manager I’m often at the front-line listening to what matters most to families, assessing their needs and wishes and putting a plan into action. It is very rewarding to match CAREgivers with clients and see strong relationships grow, built on trust and compassion.

I love that no two days are ever the same.

Our staff are carefully selected and receive ongoing support to be the best they can be in all aspects of delivering our personalised care.

We understand the difficulties that families can face when trying to get loved ones to accept help. This is why we promote independence wherever possible and ensure that our CAREgivers give their support with sensitivity and warmth as well as skill and efficiency.

I am very proud to be part of a team that is so dedicated to making a real difference to the people that we support."

I joined Home Instead East Lancashire in 2019 as a CAREGiver. I thoroughly enjoyed my caring journey, meeting all the lovely clients and working as part of a fantastic team.

My background is in hospitality where I organised large-scale corporate and charity events. My proudest moment was meeting Her Majesty the Queen when I was honoured to be part of the task force arranging her Diamond Jubilee visit to Accrington.

I have enjoyed the challenge of transitioning to the Care Sector and have found many transferable skills along the way. I find the role extremely rewarding, helping individuals stay in their own homes and helping them to retain as much independence as possible.

I love being involved in the training journey of all our CAREGivers from the initial interview through to the completion of all mandatory training. I enjoy sharing all my CAREGiver stories and seeing their passion and enthusiasm for caring grow.

Prior to joining Home Instead, I worked in the same call centre for 22 years, as you can imagine making the decision to leave was not an easy one but it was definitely the right one. The office staff & care professionals really are dedicated to providing the highest quality care, our clients become extended family.

Currently, I am responsible for recruitment along with everyday activities in the office.