"Just a short note to say a very big thank you for your help over the past months. It was great peace of mind to know that Mam had good care overnight.
I would be grateful if you would pass on my thanks to Valerie and Anne Marie who were absolutely brilliant in every way."
GW, Mullingar

"Thank you for everything that you and your carers have done for mum over these past few weeks. Their care gave her security and helped restore some of her lost confidence."
Mary, Skibbereen

"We would like to express our deep satisfaction with Cork Care & Companion Agency. The two carers are outstanding and Nuala Sikorski herself we found to be an extremely able director and a very personable woman who is always available when needed."
Peggy, Texas

"Nuala, A quick note to let you know all went well in my absence and my parents seemed very happy with Breda. Thanking you."
Dr. FQ, Co. Cork

Excerpt from an article appearing in The Southern Star.

"The role of Carer and Companion is to be an extended member of the family and to be what the client needs us to be." Explained Nuala Sikorski, founder of Cork Care and Companion Agency, whom I recently met in the presence of her co-worker Gay Pattinson.

"This Agency is a specialist organisation, whose aim is to provide care, help and companionship for anybody needing assistance in their own home. We provide a flexible service tailored to each individual. This can mean anything from twenty four hour, seven day a week live in assistance, to as little as two hourly 'Call-out' duties. Our Aides will live in as part of the family where required. Or they will be on hand merely to assist with bathing, dressing and preparing for the day ahead, whatever is needed by our clients." Said Nuala.

"A lot of people, through illness or personal trauma, lose their confidence. Our aim is to enable people to regain confidence, to help restore wellbeing and a sense of purpose in life." Gay interjected.

Nuala trained as an R.N.M.S., a nurse for the mentally ill, in the Northern General Hospital in Sheffield, U.K. The age of the people she worked with ranged from twelve up to sixty-eight. Nuala holds a Diploma in Personal Development and served for almost ten years as a facilitator for the study of Metaphysics, she is also an associate member of The British Association for Counselling. Gay is a Bereavement Counsellor and former Social Worker.

"I trained as a nurse for people with mental disabilities accompanied by very severe physical deformities," said Nuala. Gay added that, "It isn't just the elderly we cater to. We can arrange home care for people in all situations." 

"What we have to stress here is that we are not a 'Nursing Agency' per se. This is what makes us so different and, really, pioneers in this type of work here in West Cork," emphasised Nuala. "Our combined skills and experience enable us to gain a holistic overview of people's needs, that is to say spiritual, mental and physical. Most of the persons who apply to us for help do not need actual nursing; they only require a kind and caring person to assist with the everyday management of their personal needs. Yet others require help with the day-to-day management of the household chores; sometimes both these needs are combined. Some people merely require companionship, preferring not to live alone. Often all that is necessary is a little practical help and lots of moral support to enable a person to manage their own affairs, in their own way. There is no question of us taking charge, we supply Carers /Companions who will enable our Clients to live life in their own way, in their own home, on their own terms." Added Nuala.

"We use all of our knowledge, skills and experience in order to assess an individual's requirements and we match the Carer to the client, we find a common denominator in order to establish a rapport." Gay added. Both Nuala and Gay agreed that facilities for care in the home is an issue at the moment; "A number of those who might have been available to assist family members in need are either working or have emigrated. We often have enquiries from relatives who are now living in places as far away as America and Germany." Nuala continued.   

"We need to feed holistically the spirit, the mind and the body. Part of feeding the spirit comes from companionship, talking with our Carers/Companions, exchanging views and shared interests. Feeding the mind is accomplished by stimulating people and prompting them to do or attempt a little more each day, to be a little more adventurous. Bodily needs are more obvious, we need to ensure that proper nutrition and a balanced diet are maintained." Agreed both ladies. "We ensure this by linking the right Carer to a specific Client. We see our Agency as a bridge linking people." Concluded Nuala.