We are all living longer, which is to be welcomed, but this brings with it many challenges. With greater life expectancy — most people born today will comfortably live into their 90s — more and more require care at varying levels, and this has become a subject of political debate at a time of budget cuts in the public sector.

Now, the Local Government Association (LGA) has warned ‘virtually all’ councils in England and Wales could be forced to end home help for elderly and disabled people.

In a report earlier this month, Age UK estimated that 250,000 people could lose home care if councils impose a seven per cent budget cut over four years.

While the Department of Health says a £2bn package to protect social care spending should be enough to prevent services being cut, the LGA has told MPs that £3.6bn of cuts to care spending are likely.

That puts pressure on families, many of whom have to change their lives completely to become full-time carers.

But there are alternatives in the private sector, one of which, Home Instead Senior Care, has just opened a franchise in Kidlington and, not surprisingly, is growing rapidly.

Run by nurse and midwife Sue Dunster, Home Instead works by recruiting and training a range of carers who are then matched with elderly clients needing a wide variety of support and care services.

Ms Dunster said: “It is often a matter of sitting down and having a cup of tea and a chat, going through their post, taking in the shopping and arranging appointments.

“Fundamentally, it is anything which will allow them to stay in their own home and remain independent.

“The level of service can also extend to personal care, including helping clients to get up and ready in the morning, preparing proper meals or having a bath.”

While many of these services may seem straightforward, critically when they are carried out by a third party, it takes the strain off the relatives of the individual concerned.

Ms Dunster added: “It relieves what can be a very distraught situation for the relatives. As a result, they can have more quality time together rather than caring time.”

Home Instead is keen to emphasise the relationship between carer and client.

“We want to become a friend or companion and we get to know them very well. Often we hear of things they are worried about that they don’t want to discuss with their families.”

Home Instead now has 66 franchises across the UK, with the Kidlington branch opening in October 2009.

Ms Dunster quickly struck up a relationship with organisations such as Age UK (formerly Age Concern) to discuss how to care for people in their own homes.

Home Instead charges £17 an hour for companionship and home help services, and £18 an hour if that is extended to personal care.

Carers employed by Home Instead are given training and are Criminal Record Bureau (CRB) checked before they are introduced to the client. A full review is then carried out and spot checks made to ensure the client is happy and they are working well together with their carer.

Ms Dunster said: “All the carers are employed by ourselves — we don’t use agency staff and each has to have six references.

“They tend to be people who don’t want to work full-time but want to give something back to society. They don’t need to have experience.”

Home Instead currently has 34 staff and there are currently around four new inquiries a week for care, so recruitment is ongoing and to date the business has simply been growing by word of mouth.

Ms Dunster added: “It is about what the client wants. They are in control all of the time.”

Name: Home Instead Senior Care Franchise owner: Sue Dunster Number of staff: 34 Annual turnover: £250,000

Contact: 01865 841362 Web: www.homeinstead.co.uk