Our Story: In Honour of our Grandad Derek
Bloom & Care was born from a deeply personal place, our own family’s journey through dementia care. As nurses and granddaughters, we experienced firsthand the emotional and practical challenges of supporting a loved one with Alzheimer’s and Vascular Dementia.
Our Grandad Derek was diagnosed at 72, a time when we still expected many more good years together. He was a gentle soul, full of warmth and kindness, and he absolutely adored his 5 grandchildren. He found joy in the simple things: family roast dinners, shared laughter, cowboy films and being surrounded by those he loved most.
From the very beginning, Grandad’s wish was clear, to remain at home, in the comfort of familiar routines and the embrace of his family. And our Grandma, with quiet strength and unwavering love, did everything she could to honour that wish.
But behind the scenes, it was incredibly hard. She was caring for Grandad day and night, often alone. If he fell in the middle of the night, she wouldn’t call us, she didn’t want to “burden” anyone. Sometimes, he would remain on the floor for hours, until Grandma felt it was “late enough” to ask for help. She never wanted to disturb our lives, even though we would have come in a heartbeat.
At the time, we, Kirsty and I, were both working long hours as NHS nurses, and our mum was a busy health visitor. Like so many families, we were juggling full-time careers with caregiving, trying to be everywhere, everything, all at once. The reality was exhausting, mentally, physically, and emotionally. We made late-night visits, filled gaps when care services didn’t show up, and constantly worried if Grandma was coping.
We remember her saying,
“They said his morning visit was at 8 o’clock, but it’s nearly 11 and I’ve got to start making lunch.”
Each missed visit, every late call, it all added up. The weight on her shoulders grew heavier by the day.
And that’s when we realised something was missing in our community, a service that truly respected people’s time, dignity, and the need for consistent, dependable care.
In 2015, it became too much for Grandma to manage alone. Grandad transitioned into a care home, where he was lovingly looked after. But the thought always stayed with us:
If a service like Bloom & Care had existed, he might have stayed at home longer.
So, we created it.
Bloom & Care is our way of giving back, a small, personalised care service built on reliability, compassion, and professional experience. A service that shows up on time. That listens. That truly understands the emotional and practical weight families carry, because we’ve carried it too.
This isn’t just a business to us. It’s our promise to the families we support.
It’s the care we wish we could have given our own Grandad.And it’s the reason we’ll always go the extra mile, because we know, just how much it matters.
“Our Story is in honour of our Grandad. On a snowy day in February 2019, he grew his angel wings, our forever snow angel.
His photo sits proudly in our office today, and it always will. A constant reminder of the love, strength, and warmth he brought into our lives. We feel his presence every step of the way. Through every challenge and every achievement, from receiving our CQC Outstanding rating to the quiet victories no one sees, we know he’s with us.”
Bloom & Care was founded in June 2017 by Jessica Graziano RGN, who spent several years working as a Community Nurse in the District Nursing teams of Bedford and the surrounding area. She has gained extensive knowledge of the area and the services available to people, enabling her to focus on providing specialised services to clients. Jessica is the Registered Manager at Bloom & Care and focuses on client assessments, review and quality control.
Kirsty Miceli RGN joined Bloom & Care in December 2018, with her background as a District Nursing Sister and Practice Nurse, she brings with her a wealth of clinical skills and additional service provider access. Kirsty's main focus is operating systems, staff training and people management.
Both Jessica & Kirsty often found that community care services were limited, which encouraged them to set up a care company that provides compassionate care and support to clients remaining within their own homes. Jessica, Kirsty and the team ensure that the care and support services offered by Bloom & Care are of the highest standard and that the people to whom they provide care services to can live their lives to the full.
To fully understand their client’s needs periodically both Jessica & Kirsty carry out care visits to their clients, this enables them to ensure all staff members are receiving the most relevant and up-to-date training and their clients are receiving the best possible care and support.
"…we supported our grandfather through his battle with Alzheimer’s disease, experiencing firsthand the various stages of care needed within the home environment. This fueled our passion for the invaluable work Community Care Assistant’s provide in our local community. We recognise the importance of effective communication with families and health professionals, as well as the need for responsive action when individuals' needs change."
“Jessica and Kirsty’s passion for the industry comes from their experience accessing care services for their grandfather. They understand the importance of trusting someone to provide care and support for your loved ones.”
-
Registered Nurse & Director
Jessica Graziano RGN, who spent several years working as a Community Nurse in the District Nursing teams of Bedford and the surrounding area. She has gained extensive knowledge of the area and the services available to people, enabling her to focus on providing specialised services to clients. Jessica is the Registered Manager at Bloom & Care and focuses on client assessments, review and quality control.
-
Care Manager & Director
Kirsty Miceli RGN joined Bloom & Care in December 2018, with her background as a District Nursing Sister and Practice Nurse, she brings with her a wealth of clinical skills and additional service provider access. Kirsty's main focus is operating systems, staff training and people management.
Our Mission
We aim to provide our clients with a comprehensive service of care of the highest standard within the comfort of their own homes. We strive to offer a flexible, efficient and professional service which is tailored to meet each person’s individual needs. We will treat each client with respect and remain sensitive to each individual’s needs and abilities, and aim to promote the client’s independence and personal dignity always.
Our Values
Bloom & Care focuses on person-centred care and support, enabling Clients to remain independent within their own homes. Our bespoke home care services are provided with the utmost excellence in private home care and are built on the foundations of:
Respect
Dedication
Dignity
Integrity
Teamwork
Compassion
Equality
Communication
Our Vision
Bloom & Care strives to be the provider of choice for home and community-based services by creating a resourceful, innovative environment through continuous performance improvement.
A personalised Care & Support plan
In partnership with you, we will create a customized Care and Support Plan and select a trained caregiver with the appropriate personality and character to match your needs. Our caregivers are trained to be attentive and responsive to your needs, and they are perceptive enough to recognize and respect all the subtle nuances of your care.
We believe that attentively listening to your needs and paying attention to even the smallest details can make a significant difference in how you feel about the care you receive, with the goal of aiding you in achieving fulfilment and happiness. Once our service commences, you will continue to be in control, and we will adjust your Care and Support Plan to accommodate any changes in circumstances or any changes in the way you want your care to be delivered.
Contact us.
info@bloomandcare.co.uk
01234 331 331