Best Life Companions

13/02/2026

13/02/2026

💜 Tip Tuesday: Managing stress for carers

Caring for someone with dementia can be overwhelming. Here are 3 small ways to help manage stress:

Pause and breathe – take a few slow, deep breaths when things feel too much.
Break tasks into small steps – focus on one thing at a time to feel more in control.
Take short breaks for yourself – even 5–10 minutes of rest, a walk, or a cup of tea can make a difference.

Remember, looking after yourself isn’t selfish — it helps you care better. 💜

📞 Need support or someone to talk to? Call our helpline Monday–Friday, 9 am–5 pm: 0800 652 1102

06/02/2026

💛 We’re recruiting Companion Support Workers

Over the past few weeks, we’ve been a little inundated with enquiries (a lovely problem to have!) and because of that, Best Life is growing.

We’re now looking for additional Companion Support Workers to join our team across Bristol, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset.

✨ Pay: £14 per hour, rising to £14.50 per hour from 23/3 (including holiday pay)
✨ Hours: Flexible – minimum 2 hours per week
✨ Care type: Companionship only – no personal or nursing care

At Best Life, we believe that an injury, diagnosis or moving into later life doesn’t mean giving up independence. Our companions help keep minds active, tackle loneliness and support people to live life on their terms.

We carefully match companions with local clients (within a 15-minute drive) who share similar interests – this is what makes our relationships so meaningful and long-lasting.

This role could include:
• Going out for coffee or walks
• Shopping, cooking and light household tasks
• Attending appointments, groups or day trips
• Supporting hobbies, interests and social connections

You’ll need:
✔️ Access to a car with business insurance
✔️ Enhanced DBS
✔️ A kind, reliable and compassionate nature
✔️ A genuine passion for working with people
In return, we offer ethical employment, great pay, training, mentoring, a dedicated manager and an Employee Assistance Programme.

If this sounds like you or someone you know we’d love to hear from you 💛

Please get in touch to apply or find out more. CVs can be emailed to hello@bestlife.org.uk.

Thank you.

Emma Doney, Founder of Best Life

16/01/2026

🌟 We’re Hiring: Part-Time Sales & Client Onboarding Coordinator (Remote)🌟

❤️ Our wonderful postgraduate intern Grace is moving on to pastures new!

Do you love connecting with people, building relationships, and helping families feel supported from their very first contact?

Best Life Companions (and our much-loved Day Club) are growing, and we’re looking for a Sales & Client Onboarding Coordinator to be the friendly, organised heart of our enquiry and onboarding process.

💛 About the role:
You’ll be the first point of contact for new enquiries – listening to needs, explaining our companionship and Day Club services, guiding families through the next steps, and ensuring every new client feels informed, reassured and genuinely cared for. You’ll also help coordinate assessments, follow-ups, and smooth handovers to the wider team.

✨ This role is ideal for someone who:
• Is confident and warm on the phone and in person
• Enjoys sales, but always with empathy and integrity
• Is highly organised and great with follow-ups
• Understands (or is keen to learn about) care, companionship and community support
• Loves being part of a small, purpose-driven organisation

🌿 Why work with us?
Best Life Companions is all about helping people live well, stay connected, and feel valued. Our Day Club offers a safe, joyful space for adults with memory loss, and our companionship services support people to live life on their own terms. You’ll be joining a supportive, values-led team where relationships truly matter.

📩 Interested?
Please message us directly or email hello@bestlife.org.uk with a short introduction and your CV.

Feel free to share with anyone who might be a great fit 💬💚

27/12/2025

A message from us...❤️

18/12/2025

We have an amazing role on offer, ideally who speaks Sinhalese in St George, Bristol!

Job Title: Companion / Personal Support for an Active Older Adult
Location: Bristol, BS6 (St George)
Rate: £14 per hour
Hours: Flexible, likely Monday and/or Friday afternoons (3–4 hours per week)
Start: Immediate

About the Role:
We are looking for a warm, reliable, and friendly companion to support a 79-year-old woman living with vascular Alzheimer’s in St George, Bristol. This is a purposeful role that combines companionship with practical support and encourages an active, engaging lifestyle.

What You’ll Be Doing:

• Accompanying her on walks in local parks and trips to coffee shops

• Supporting with gardening and occasional shopping trips (e.g., Waitrose)

• Assisting with preparing simple meals

• Encouraging cognitive activities, such as puzzles and discussions about her career as a Diagnostic Coder at Bristol Hospital

• Providing companionship and emotional support, particularly when outdoor activities aren’t possible

About You:

• Outgoing, patient, and caring

• Enjoys conversation and engaging with older adults

• Reliable and flexible, willing to adapt to changing schedules

• Experience with dementia or older adults is a plus but not essential

What We Offer:

• £14 per hour

• Supportive management and a strong team culture

• A meaningful, purposeful role making a real difference in someone’s daily life

• Immediate start

How to Apply:
If you’re enthusiastic, compassionate, and enjoy helping others live active and fulfilling lives, we would love to hear from you. Please apply with a CV and any relevant experience to hello@bestlife.org.uk

13/12/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1GLGhEfHCa/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Keep loved ones safe this winter by joining our Dementia Safeguarding Scheme and accessing free safety devices to help protect people living with dementia.

People living with dementia can be especially vulnerable if they become lost, particularly during the colder, darker winter months. Leading academic research into our Dementia Safeguarding Scheme, and national studies, suggest that when someone with dementia goes missing in colder weather, the conditions can increase the risk of harm.

Read More: https://orlo.uk/9HmJG

As part of the Avon and Somerset Dementia Safeguarding Scheme (Herbert Protocol), eligible residents can receive free assistance devices to help keep loved ones safe, including:

• Life360 Tile Bluetooth trackers that can be attached to keys, bags or clothing and linked to the Life360 app to help families see the last known location of the Tile if someone goes missing
• NFC assistance wristbands or tags that can be scanned by a smartphone to quickly access vital contact details

The scheme also lets people living with dementia, their next-of-kin, or carers, share important information - such as a recent picture, information about medication, key contact numbers and meaningful addresses. If that person is ever reported missing or needs assistance, officers can use this information straight away to help search the right places sooner - reducing delay and the risk of harm.

Find out more and apply for the Dementia Safeguarding Scheme (Herbert Protocol), including free devices for eligible individuals, at: https://orlo.uk/ZFlXl

If you or someone you care for is already registered for the scheme and has one of our assistance devices (Life360 Tile or NFC device), we would welcome your feedback. Please complete our short survey: https://orlo.uk/1fkRK

11/12/2025

A huge thank you to our staff that ran our Christmas party! What a blast! Time for a sit down and a cuppa ☕️

10/12/2025

Thank you for featuring us in your 12 days of small businesses 🎄💕

03/12/2025

💛 When a Loved One Refuses Help or Starts Self-Neglecting 💛
(And what you can do that actually helps)

Watching someone you love struggle whether due to an injury, new diagnosis, memory loss or simply advancing age, can be heartbreaking. What’s even harder is when they refuse help, push you away, or insist they’re “fine”… even when they’re not.

If you’re going through this, you’re definitely not alone. Here are some gentle, realistic steps that can make a difference:

🌼 1. Start with empathy, not instructions

Telling someone what they “should” do often makes them shut down.
Try: “I’ve noticed you seem tired lately. How are you feeling about everything?”

Sometimes the conversation opens up slowly, and that’s okay.

🌼 2. Focus on feelings, not tasks

Refusing help often isn’t about the washing, meals or medication… it’s about fear, pride, loss of independence, or worry about being a burden.

Reassurance goes a long way.

🌼 3. Offer choices, not ultimatums

People respond better when they still feel in control.
Try offering two gentle options:
“Would you prefer someone to help with meals or with getting out and about?”

🌼 4. Introduce help gradually

A 2-hour companionship visit once a week can feel far less overwhelming than daily care straight away.
Let them “try it out” rather than commit long-term.

🌼 5. Use the power of third parties

It’s often easier for loved ones to accept help from someone who isn’t family.
Family = emotions
Companions/carers = support
The dynamic simply feels safer for many people.

🌼 6. Watch for signs of risk

These are gentle red flags that someone may need more support:
• Not eating properly
• Poor hygiene
• Isolation
• Missed medication
• Falls or near-falls
• Confusion or forgetfulness that’s getting worse
• Withdrawn, low mood, or anxiety

If these are happening, it’s okay to seek advice from a GP, social worker or dementia specialist.

🌼 7. Reassure them that accepting help doesn’t mean losing independence

It’s not a failure.
It’s not “giving up.”
It’s just support, like scaffolding, that helps them keep living life the way they want.

🌼 8. Look after yourself too

Guilt and worry can eat away at family members.
Remember: you can’t pour from an empty cup.
Reaching out for help is a sign of love, not weakness.

💛 If you’re struggling with this right now, you don’t have to navigate it alone.
Sometimes a friendly companion for a couple of hours a week can be the bridge between “I don’t want help” and “this actually feels okay.”

If you’d like advice or just want to talk it through, feel free to message us, we’re here to support you and your loved one. 🌿

02/12/2025

EDIT: POSITION FILLED

🌸 We’re Hiring a Companion in Clevedon!
Perfect for someone caring, local, and looking to give back to the community 💛

We have a lovely opportunity to support a warm, independent lady in her 70s who lives in Clevedon. She has Alzheimer’s and is looking for a friendly, reliable companion who can bring joy, support, and good company into her week.

This role would really suit someone semi-retired, looking for meaningful work, or already on the DBS Update Service and able to start quickly. ⭐️

⏰ Hours:
Twice a week for 2 hours between 12:00 and 16:00
(ideally Wednesdays & Fridays, 12:00–14:00, but the family are flexible for the right person)

💷 Pay: £14 per hour
📍 Location: Clevedon, North Somerset
🌱 Start: ASAP for the right companion

⸻

🌿 About the Client
She is sociable, optimistic and loves being outdoors — whether it’s gentle walks, pottering in the garden, browsing garden centres, or enjoying National Trust days out. She also likes relaxed shopping trips and good conversation.

At home, she enjoys familiar routines and would appreciate support with light household tasks, especially when she can join in. Someone who enjoys cooking simple, balanced lunches would be a brilliant fit.

This is companionship at its best: gentle support, shared activities, and helping her stay connected to the world around her. ❤️

⸻

✨ Who This Role Is Perfect For
✔ Someone local to Clevedon
✔ Kind, patient, and community-minded
✔ Semi-retired or looking for rewarding part-time work
✔ Already on the DBS Update Service (ideal for a quick start!)
✔ Someone who loves to chat, reminisce, and help older adults stay active and engaged

⸻

🤝 Interested?
If you’d love to make a real difference to someone’s week, we’d love to hear from you.

📩 Send your CV to hello@bestlife.org.uk

Help someone in your community live their best life 💕

02/12/2025

🚀 We’re Hiring: Strategic Partner / Investor (Operations), Part-Time Involvement, Equity Opportunity.

Best Life Companions is growing, and we’re looking for a highly organised, detail-driven Director of Operations to help strengthen and scale our companionship services and Day Clubs for adults with memory loss.

If you love systems, structure, and making things run smoothly, this role could be spot on.

🌿 About Us
We provide companionship, home help, transport, and supportive Day Clubs for adults with memory loss. We’re a small, purpose-led business focused on dignity, reliability, and community impact.

🎯 The Role
A hands-on internal director position overseeing the smooth running of the business. Key responsibilities include:

Operations & Quality
• Overseeing daily service delivery
• Ensuring Day Clubs run safely and efficiently
• Scheduling, staffing & workflows
• Audits, quality checks & client feedback

Compliance & Governance
• Policies, GDPR, safeguarding & H&S
• Managing regulatory and contract compliance

Finance Oversight
• Supporting budgeting, cashflow & forecasting
• Approving operational spend
• Monitoring KPIs and performance

Local Authority Bidding
• Leading/supporting tender submissions
• Preparing documentation & evidence
• Keeping us “tender-ready”

🧩 Who It Suits
Someone organised, calm, steady, and strong on systems, ideally with experience in operations, compliance or care-based services.

💼 What’s on Offer
• Part-time flexibility
• Modest starting pay with growth
• Equity opportunity
• Real impact and meaningful work
• Direct role shaping a growing social care business

🤝 Interested?
DM me or email hello@bestlife.org.uk for details.

Let’s build something life-changing!