Mother’s Day Series: Interview with ALHomecare’s Manager, Tom Quinlan

Why did you set up a live-in care agency?

I set up ALHomecare because I wanted to give families another option. Nursing home care and visiting care are the only two options most people know about. Live-in care has a lot to offer, not only to the client and their family but also to the carer — the client receives consistent, reliable care from the same carer on an ongoing basis, and the carer has a nice job caring for just one or two people. It’s a win-win in elderly care.

What obstacles did you face finding care for your own mother?

We didn’t want our mother going into a nursing home because we didn’t want to separate our parents. We considered visiting care, but private agencies were incredibly expensive — we couldn’t afford it on an ongoing basis.

What benefits did your family experience?

A lovely lady called Lena came and lived with us. She took excellent care of my mother for more than six months until she passed away in April 2014. I was so glad and proud that we managed to keep our parents together right up to the end — we will always be grateful to Lena for that.

What advice would you give a family exploring homecare?

Explore all your options and do what you’re comfortable with. Nursing home care and visiting care are just two options — live-in care is another really good one that every family should consider before deciding.

What makes ALHomecare different?

We enable a direct relationship between the carer and the family and support that relationship throughout the placement. Most agencies charge families very high fees but pay the carer less than half of what the family pays — ALHomecare ensures the family pays the carer directly for her work, resulting in a happier carer, happier client, and happier family. Win-win for everyone.