One of the North-East’s leading care providers, Care Matters, based in Darlington, is to expand its services on Teesside to help more vulnerable people at home.
The firm, which employs 80 members of staff, supplies personal and palliative care, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Patients coming towards the end of their lives are looked after at home rather than in hospitals or care homes.
As demand is high from families wanting their loved ones to spend their remaining days at home, the Stockton team is now 20 strong, currently recruiting more staff and opening a new office in the town.
Within four hours of getting a call about a patient, Care Matters can make sure that the person is back at home, surrounded by family and care workers.
The scheme is the idea of Zoe Newbury, now the regional manager for Care Matters.
She said: “Often patients may have only a few hours to live, so it can be race against time to get them home.
“We are proud to be able to provide such a rapid response as it’s never been achieved before.
“We’ve had so much positive feedback about our care from families and we couldn’t work without the vital support from the NHS in Stockton.”
Care Matters aims to grow its scheme throughout the North East, but initially the firm plans to expand within either Middlesbrough or Guisborough.
Phil Crowther, director of Care Matters, explains why care at home is so important.
“The precious work that Zoe’s team does is very close to my heart as I’ve first-hand experience because of my parents.
“Zoe has been amazing in ensuring that we’ve been able to recruit such a strong team.
“We’ve trained more than 30 individuals to provide care for nearly 100 patients in our community and they are treated with the utmost kindness and dignity.”
Care Matters is also heavily involved in Teesside sport and sponsors Yarm’s Tribe Netball Club, Darlington Railway Athletic Cricket Club, Guisborough Squash Club and Eston Swimming Club.
For further information please visit www.carematters.co.uk