Seniors Helping Seniors is an accredited Living Wage Employer, providing non-medical peer-to-peer support to the elderly in their own homes. Seniors Helping Seniors champions the welfare of older workers and the Living Wage in the care sector, winning the Living Wage Foundation's "Against All Odds Award' in 2021 for leading the way paying the independently calculated rate in a notoriously low-paid sector.
To support Living Wage Week 2021, Sally Wilse, Co-owner of the company in the UK, highlights the benefits of earning the real Living Wage for people at or nearing retirement. Sally says "One of our key messages is 'a way to give and to receive'®. This recognises our focus on the wellbeing of the carer as well as the care receiver. Income is a key component of wellbeing. So too is feeling purposeful and valued. The social impact of well-paid, inclusive and enjoyable work helps keep people well. Society is ageing shockingly fast, so all these elements are critical."
Sally WIlse Accepting Living Wage Champions award on behalf of all 6 offices .jpg@small.jpg
Patricia is a valued member of the Seniors Helping Seniors care team. She says the hours she works for Seniors Helping Seniors every week put her "back in control" of her finances and she "looks forward to working for Seniors Helping Seniors to her heart's content."
Eileen, another care worker at Seniors Helping Seniors, talks about the difference earning above the real Living Wage made to her: "Caring is far too often seen as 'something that anyone can do', and therefore requires no particular skills or experience. It is therefore given little recognition, and low pay is the norm. Being paid the Living Wage shows that both I and the work that I do am being valued by my employer, and that I'm recognised and rewarded for my skills and experience."
Not only does a secure job, paid at the real Living Wage help so many care workers avoid struggling, the owners of Seniors Helping Seniors say paying well and supporting carers properly makes their companies stronger. Christian Wilse Co-owner of Seniors Helping Seniors UK says "Going above and beyond to fulfil our mission to keep elderly people well, safe and happy is our carers' dream job. They say 'the wages mean they don't have to work every hour to make ends meet which means they look forward being with our clients'. Christian says "what could be better than that for a care company?"