Tanya Burrage is one half of the driving force behind Dream Eldercare, a new venture helping to reshape how we care for ageing seniors. With a passion for connecting people across generations, she reveals the story behind the business - and why meaningful relationships are at the heart of what she does.

Can you share some background on yourself and how Dream Eldercare came about?

I’m actually a chartered accountant.  I worked for PriceWaterHouseCoopers, and then I was in investment banking in London. But I’ve also worked on ski fields and on superyachts – every step has been about seeing an opportunity to make something better.

I started Dream Childcare back in the early 2000s. We often supported families for up to 20 years - starting with their first baby and continuing through the different stages. Eventually, those same families began asking, ‘Can you now help us with our parents?’ So the need came directly from them. They trusted us with their children, and now they need help with their ageing parents. 

I started Dream Eldercare before COVID and then put it on hold. Eighteen months ago, I relaunched it with my business partner Kristen Moolman.

What are the issues that Dream Eldercare aims to help with?

There are three parts to it. First, there’s the sandwich generation - people like us who want to support our parents but are stretched thin. A lot of our clients are overseas and can be unsure about where their parents are at. So they want someone to go in once a week and then call them up and go, ‘No, look, your mum's fine. You don't need to worry at all. Or ‘she can’t remember I was there last week, and the fridge had some pretty dodgy stuff in it…’

Then there are the seniors themselves, many of whom are lonely but may not want to admit it. They don't want to be a problem, but they are lonely.

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