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DIAL-AN-ANGEL celebrates 10 years of service to the West

21 August 2005

Dena Blackman founded the fledgling DIAL AN ANGEL office on Sydney’s North Shore with a $200 bank loan. When Dena placed her first advertisement over 38 years ago she anticipated a ‘warm’ response but the reaction was overwhelming. Before Dena was able to interview and screen the first Angels, she had a waiting list of 22 prospective clients who had seen the advertisements and were prepared to wait for their very own Angels! DIAL-AN-ANGEL grew quickly from a one person, one-telephone office to 12 offices nationwide.

From relatively unsophisticated beginnings, DIAL-AN-ANGEL has developed an enviable professional reputation as the leader in home and family care across Australia. The Penrith branch was originally located in a small office in Woodriff Street, Penrith but soon after moved to larger premise on the ground floor. From their Penrith premises DIAL-AN-ANGEL provides assistance from as far as Parramatta, through to Campbelltown, out to the Hawkesbury and up to the Blue Mountains.

Lorraine Ballantine is the Manager of Penrith and says that over time the nature of services provided have altered with the changing needs of the market. “With an aging population we now provide extensive eldercare and in home nursing services. Another area of growth is emergency and ”relieving” carers for parents who need to be able to get to work but want to leave their children in safe and caring hands.”

With the growth of eldercare services Lorraine has recently employed Lynne Roy to head up the eldercare department. Lynne joins Lorraine and Jane Stephens who has been kept very busy with the recent acquisition of Birra Li Nanny Service in the Blue Mountains. “We provide all manner of family care and home support services - in fact we specialise in any kind of help needed in and around the home,” adds Lorraine.

DIAL-AN-ANGEL is always seeking to register suitably experienced, caring Angels. Lorraine believes the work is perfect for mothers to schedule around their family’s commitments. “We need to register new Angels to cope with the growing demand in all areas of home help. Applicants can be mums with grown children or active grandparents who enjoy driving, working in the garden and around the home. Angels may elect to work any three hours or more - on days and at times that suit them. It’s even their choice whether they work during school vacations,” says Lorraine.

About DIAL-AN-ANGEL Pty Limited

DIAL-AN-ANGEL is the only national agency that has been committed to serving busy Australians and visitors to Australia since 1967. As a full service home and family care agency, live-in as well as Visiting Angels™ undertake all manner of home-based services: domestic housekeeping & cleaning, child care, babysitting, in-home nursing, disability care, eldercare-at-home®, supervised contact visits, garden & home maintenance, pet care, caretaking and home & corporate functions. Medico-legal reports may be requested and a wide range of services is available though our Corporate Services department.

A wide range of story ideas and photos are available for publication. Contact 02 9362 4225 or administration@dialanangel.com