Meddyg Care expands Help at Home service in Gwynedd

Meddyg Care's Help at Home scheme, based in Gwynedd, delivers more than 1,500 hours of support each week to 87 clients.

Kevin Edwards, managing director at Meddyg Care, said: "We launched the service in March 2023 and it started with just one client, they had a couple of calls from our staff and a meals service.

"From there, the service has grown quickly because the demand is there, it has become a lifeline to our service users, and it’s still growing."

The company now employs more than 60 carers and eight drivers.

The drivers were recruited due to a shortage of qualified drivers among care staff, with some waiting up to a year for driving tests.

Mr Edwards said: "A lot of people start looking at Help at Home because their loved one has been hospitalised because of a fall, or they've had surgery and are less mobile and can't look after themselves.

"A lot of the time they are stuck in hospital putting pressure on the NHS and taking up a bed when they really want and need to be at home."

The service was created after families requested extra support for loved ones who wished to remain at home.

Nicola Rutherford, fellow director, said: "We get a lot of positive feedback from the families about our service and they say it just allows them to be the daughter or son again, rather than the sole carer.

"That is probably the biggest gift we give to the families."

She praised the work of staff in coordinating care and transport.

Carer Irene Asuncion and driver Mark Grayson Wood (Image: Rick Matthews)

Ms Rutherford said: "We could not have grown the business to reach the furthest parts of Gwynedd such as Harlech or Tywyn without our drivers, it's as simple as that."

Registered manager Laura Haynes said the team aims to go beyond basic care.

Ms Haynes said: "We give more than what is expected, we don't just get people up, washed and dressed and give them breakfast.

"We do more, like vacuuming, have a singsong, read a book together, play a board game – lots of different activities like going for walks or taking them to the shop."

The service covers a wide area, including Porthmadog, Llanystumdwy, Beddgelert, Penrhyndeudreath, Harlech, and Tywyn.

Healthcare assistant Irene Asuncion, who does not drive, said the drivers have made her role possible.

She said: "I was surprised and also very happy to hear the company had its own drivers.

"I was accepted here without a driver's licence and that has allowed me to help people who need it with their personal care and do a job I really enjoy."