Nurse starts home care business after struggle to get relatives home from hospital

An NHS nurse for almost 27 years has left his job to launch a home care business in Scotland after the pandemic left him struggling to discharge his relatives from hospital.

Georg Gottschlich is the owner of Visiting Angels Renfrewshire and Inverclyde franchise but he says: “My plan after leaving school was to become a podiatrist”.

However, he soon started work in a 12-bedded dementia unit.

“Caring and being a carer has always been a bit part of life and my family life", said Georg Gottschlich, managing director at Visiting Angels Renfrewshire and Inverclyde.

“My mum and dad used to look after kids with learning disabilities since I was probably 16 so was always a way of life."

He has worked “all my way up from being a care support worker all the way to being a Band 7 nurse in Charge of my own Orthopaedic theatre department.”

'Pandemic turned our lives upside down'

But then 2020 arrived and “the pandemic turned our lives upside down not only working in the hospital but at a more personal level.

“An elderly relative took unwell at the height of the pandemic and I ended up isolating for 2 weeks with them.

“I struggled to keep them out of hospital and getting any outside help from any of the supporting services. Fast forward two years and I now have two elderly relatives unwell and still the same problems regarding organising care for them.

'Carers not turning up'

“I have also watched friends and work colleagues go through similar scenarios with relatives, carers not turning up for shifts, 15-minute visits, different carers, disinterested carers etc.

“I was approached by another nurse regarding starting a home care business and after a bit research I found Visiting Angels who take a totally different approach to the care industry.

“They put the carers at the centre of the organisation.”

Visiting Angels have been operating for 20 years and offer a minimum of one-hour home care visits. It provides people everything from companionship, help getting to medical appointments and social events, assistance to wash, get out of bed and dress and even end-of-life care.

At Visiting Angels Renfrewshire and Inverclyde Renfrewshire, Mr Gottschlich says he is determined to look after his care workforce by paying them fairly and making sure they get the recognition they deserve.

Mr Gottschlich said Visiting Angels has: “opened my eyes on how care should be delivered, looking after your staff and in turn leads to retention of excellent carers who provide exemplary, consistent continuity of care.

“I am now part of this amazing family and look forward to hearing from you, if we are the right fit for you, supporting you or your loved one.”

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