Steve and Lynn Cowley are married with two sons aged 22 and 18, they live in Maidenhead. Steve and Lynn own and manage Seniors Helping Seniors Windsor, Maidenhead and Bracknell, delivering service and employment in Thames Valley.  Their services cover Windsor and Maidenhead, Bracknell, Henley, Marlow, but even if you are outside this area, please call because colleagues will help you.

Here we talk to Steve about their decision to open Seniors Helping Seniors in Berkshire

What inspired you most about Seniors Helping Seniors elderly home care in Thames Valley?

Steve explains, “We were inspired by the Seniors Helping Seniors business model because of the struggle we had to find the right care for our own parents when they were first in need of support.

We lived in Spain for many years running a business teaching martial arts and self-defence.

After my father passed away, my mother became increasingly isolated and lonely in her flat. She was desperate for regular companionship, someone that she could just talk with who would understand and be interested in her life.

Even when we found a reliable company to work with, there was often a different carer each day which was confusing and somewhat upsetting for mum. Although they were great at the practical side of caring, there was often a generational gap that limited conversation and genuine companionship.

It is probably worth mentioning the incredible sense of guilt I felt personally about my mother’s situation. Rightly or wrongly, I often felt like I was the worse son in the world because I could not be there more regularly for her.

The balancing act of family and work commitments, along with our geographical separation, meant there were simply not enough hours in the day, even after we moved home and I had resumed teaching. I have seen this same tension in so many of my friends as their own parents age.

So, when Lynn and I saw the Seniors Helping Seniors business model, we felt instinctively that it would have been the perfect solution to our own situation had it existed in our area at the time. It didn’t, so we decided to start it!

We have personal and professional guidance to offer families and we are thrilled to provide people with the lived-experience of caring, be it professional or caring for loved ones in the area, an opportunity to utilise that experience helping others. Being part of this solution is a thrill for Lynn and myself”.

Steve ended his teaching career to start Seniors Helping Seniors. Steve taught religious studies, theology, business studies and was head of year.

Lynn is part of the management team that built the largest special effects company in Europe.

Both have always been sporting and into fitness and wellbeing. Steve played club cricket until recently and Lynn was a hockey player.

Other things Steve and Lynn have done include, parachuting, bungee jumping, and lots of camping, caving and canoeing. They Lived in Spain for four years and have travelled extensively, including in India.

Steve lead pupils through Duke of Edinburgh and organised World Challenge trips. Steve plays guitar – mainly blues and rock. Lynn plays the ukulele and her group entertains at community events.

What elderly care services do you provide in Windsor, Maidenhead & Bracknell?

Peer-to-peer assistance allows seniors in need to receive elderly home care from someone who they can trust and relate to

Our carers offer many non-medical in-home services including but not limited to:

• Companionship
• Housework
• Garden help
• Transportation to Hospital, Doctors or anywhere else you need to visit
• Trips to local events
• Medical appointments
• House maintenance and small repairs
• Shopping
• Dementia care
• Meal preparation
• Mobility assistance
• Respite care (supporting regular carers)
• Overnight stays
• Pet care
• Holiday companionship
• nd so much more…

Why are Seniors Helping Seniors services so important to you and your community?

The business provides an amazing solution by bringing two groups of people together – seniors who are experienced and have time, and other seniors who need support to carry on living safely and happily in their own home.

We have wonderful people in our team who are willing to provide support to others. They have the care experience and the lived experiences for the peer-to-peer support our clients appreciate.

Steve explains “It is important to us to run an ethical business. We are excited to utilise all our experience whilst providing an important service to the community we love.

I was once told there were three guidelines for running a business:

• Does it work as a business? Ultimately it has to be successful, otherwise all you have is a hobby not a business!
• It should be moral and operate with integrity, providing an excellent product or service at a fair price. Would you be proud to tell your mum what you did for a living?
• And… at the end of it all, are you able to look back and say your business had meaning? Did we conduct ourselves properly and leave a positive mark on the world?

We answer ‘Yes’ to all three points!”