“Myself And My Colleagues Have All Had Cries After Phone Calls”- The Emotional Side Of Working On A Care Helpline

carehome.co.uk is celebrating the one-year anniversary of the launch of its free expert care helpline. The helpline was started to support the review website’s mission to assist even more people in their quest to find the right care home. 

Now, the helpline has gone even further, giving care seekers the opportunity to directly speak with carehome.co.uk’s experts about their specific needs. Following the call, the helpline team draw up a shortlist of four to six care homes suitable for the care seekers’ needs, tailored specifically to their individual requirements, interests, location and budget.   

With the helpline in place for over a year, manager Megan Kaveney and team leader Paulina Frisby reflect on their experiences so far.

 Speaking about the calls the Care Help team receives, Megan Kaveney said that the individuals who call in are often very “emotional” as looking for a care home for a loved one can be “fraught with so many different pitfalls that you wouldn’t expect.” Care seekers tend to have no knowledge of the care sector and are often being forced to make a decision quickly, so it is easy to feel overwhelmed. This is coupled with the fact they are usually emotionally involved due to it being a family member or friend.