Local family launches new home care service in Melksham

A new home care provider has been launched in Melksham offering personalised support to help people remain in their own homes. 

Melksham Homecare has been set up by six members of one local family with a combined background of more than 80 years in healthcare and includes a paramedic, two nurses and an experienced carer.

“We are just normal Melksham people who want to help where we can,” said Natasha Halsey, Registered Manager of Melksham Homecare. “We understand how difficult life can get at times and our aim is to help share the load when we’re needed. Our aim is to provide flexible, individualised care based on each person’s needs to help residents live safely and independently in their own homes.”

Services include helping clients with getting up or going to bed, meals, managing medication and welfare checks and respite care for family members. Practical support is also offered such as shopping, collecting prescriptions, light housework, changing bedding and basic pet care.

“It sounds a real cliché, but there should be more ‘care’ in care services – and we will bring this in huge volumes,” added Tasha.

“We’re doing this because we truly care. We honestly aim to provide care from our family to yours.”

The inspiration for Melksham Homecare came after the family’s “beloved and stubborn” grandmother suffered an accident that required hospital care. “It made us realise how lucky we were to have a large and supportive family who could rally around her,” Tasha said. “We also saw how many people don’t have that same safety net, and we wanted to find a way to be there for them too – and that’s how Melksham Homecare came about.”

Since then, the family has carefully built the company from the ground up, becoming fully CQC-regulated and managing everything themselves – from creating documentation and welcome packs to designing their own website.

“Profit isn’t our driving focus,” added Tasha. “We just want to do better for people who are vulnerable or in need of support.”

The team currently includes the six founding family members with three part-time carers. “We’re still working our day jobs and taking on new staff carefully,” said Tasha. “Ultimately, our goal is to build a strong, local workforce that feels valued and respected.

“Staff recruitment and retention is an age-old problem in homecare. We are ready for this challenge and hope to mitigate it by being the kind of employers that people genuinely want to work for. This will also help with continuity of care which is absolutely vital and so important to clients and their families, especially for people with dementia or communication problems.”

For anyone worried about a loved one who might need extra help at home, Tasha’s advice is simple: “Reach out. There’s no pressure, no obligation – just a friendly chat. And we’re happy to arrange a free home visit to talk things through face to face if that works best.”

Melksham Homecare’s full range of services and contact details can be found at www.melkshamhomecare.co.uk.