Hook Home Help helps out in the house but mainly provides company, sympathy and a chat about everything and anything

“Penny has helped our elderly relative for the last 3 months. Being on his own at 93 years of age, Penny has become a vital part of his life. She visits once a fortnight to clean bathrooms, hoover and do a bit of dusting. Her time is much appreciated and I know he looks forward to her visits. Thank you so much Penny for your support, your service is more than chores, it’s also a friendly chat over a cup of tea before you leave each time. As a family we rest assured knowing that you are there for him on a regular basis. Thanks again”

This lovely chap is now 94 and my role is just helping him with the things that he apologetically finds “a bit tricky”. I have to try to stop him from helpfully moving the furniture for me while I hoover, it’s like a race to see who can get to the tables first. I try to convince him that it is my job to do these things but at the same time I admire his independence.

He organises my time so that we have time for a cup of tea and a chat. Recently we have discussed the outbreak of violence in the Middle East, the war in Ukraine, the history of the troubles in Nothern Ireland and his experiences in the Navy. Every week he asks after my children and we talk about his family. He has shared his grief when he lost his partner last month. He told me the whole story of their relationship and how he lost her to dementia before he lost her entirely. On her birthday he told me that he sent her flowers saying sadly, “I don’t think she’ll remember who they are from, but I wanted to send them anyway”.

He goes for walks and takes photos and then we talk about identifying butterflies and plants. We talk about growing vegetables and cooking. We get the beds and the house ready when relatives come to stay, and he tells me proudly about thei stories and achievements. We talk about the past and his experiences and make plans for the future.

It is hard to answer the question - What do you do? Because what is it? A bit of housework, a bit of company. Someone who you can tell your stories to and someone who you can lean on when things are hard, emotionally or practically. I like to be useful and it works both ways.

He’s 94. He is an inspiration. Every week I go home thinking, “I really hope I will be like that when I am 94”.