To think an adult nanny service would be a great idea

[GoldfishParade]

Hear me out. When I was suffering epic panic attacks and moving into my own flat after a nervous breakdown, I would have loved to be able to call and hire out someone as a kind of "babysitter" in the evenings when my panic attacks would get the worst. You cant always ask friends to stay over, they have shit they need to be getting on with. Just someone who would have watched telly or read or whatever whilst I went to sleep

On the relationships board i read so many horrible stories of women who are terrified but need to leave their partners. I just think how great would it be if they could call this service and someone could come around and basically hand hold, help them back a bag, help them get on a bus or whatever.

I'm sure there are loads of other areas where this kind of thing would be really useful (feel free to add if you have ideas).

Do you see where I'm coming from? I just think it would be great and there would be so many uses!

Imagine you're single and really ill. You could hire them to come around, make you some soup, bring you some tea and stuff.

This is partly where friends and family come in, but there are lots of reasons why you might not want to impose on their time. Embarrassment, not wanting to impose, moved to a new area, etc.

[BooFuckingHoo2]

Yes I fully agree. At one point in my life I was so depressed I couldn’t look after myself (in terms of eat, shop, care for my pets) and this service would have been a godsend.

[QueenOfHell669]

I would definitely do this. Such a great idea!

[NewAndImprovedNorks]

Genius idea!

[LongPauseNoAnswer]

I love that idea OP. I’m a huge fan of outsourcing as much as possible and I’d use this service. I live abroad with DH. My family are in my home country and DH’s are in his. We do have friends here, good friends, but due to the transient nature of the organisations they all work in (think UN, WHO, Red Cross) they can be moved at short notice

[GoldfishParade]

Glad to see you dont think it's crazy! Ot can be scary being an adult. Sometimes we are vulnerable but not vulnerable enough to have a carer or anything intense like that.

I just developed a fear of being alone at night. I didn't even want to talk to anyone in particular. Just wanted to fall asleep hearing someone pottering around, putting the kettle on. Basically I guess sometimes we wish we could just regress and go back to being mothered in some way to get us through a rough patch. It would be great if you could hire a temporary mum

Just had a thought also which is that this could be a great service to get the elderly involved in provided they dont have any major physical problems. All the stuff I mentioned could be done by someone who is elderly. It could be nice for them to feel needed too, as our society currently treats them as a burden. In my crisis period it would have been great to have an older woman just being like "now dont you be silly. Get some rest." Like a kindly grandmother 😂

[user1536853684]

They're called carers and support workers.

[CharlieCoCo]

Good idea. I live alone and love it but I'm also an only child and dont have friends and family local to me.
when im ill my anxiety kicks in and I always think about what if I need help (even just food but also medical help) or if I die what will happen etc.

[DramaAlpaca]

What a wonderful idea

[Marisishidinginmyattic]

@user1536853684

They're called carers and support workers.

Not the same thing really is it? Or is there a service of carers people can ring for one off support (in the same way you’d call a babysitter) without having to jump through hoops to prove need etc?

[slipperywhensparticus]

OK so who wants to start a new business 🤔

[EineReiseDurchDieZeit]

They're called carers and support workers

I was coming to say this. This service exists. You phone a care company and say you want a "companionship call" or a "sitting service"

Plenty of isolated unwell or elderly people pay someone just to sit with them.

Literally every care agency does them.

[ThreePipeProblems]

The problem is that a lot of people who would require this service probably couldn’t afford to pay for it.

[Oriflamme]

Sort of like a befriender? I know a local organisation that does a similar sort of thing for the elderly but I love the idea of a handholder for all ages! Mary Poppins for grown ups 😄

[eatsleepread]

This would be my ideal job! I really enjoy helping others.

[VestaTilley]

I could’ve really done with this when I was going through it on mat leave with DS, and just needed someone to talk to or sit with me in the day.

[GoldfishParade]

@EineReiseDurchDieZeit I had no idea you could use a "sitting service"!

Agree that money would be a problem, unless this could be some kind of government funded thing (in part).

Another issue I can see is if people came to rely on this too much when actually they needed much more intensive help - you would have to know how to draw lines.

Also you would have to be so careful with vetting the people to avoid any kind of moral issues.

[LongPauseNoAnswer]

@slipperywhensparticus

OK so who wants to start a new business 🤔

I’ll provide the seed money It’s something I would invest in!!

[VestaTilley]

I should say though, that like any job where you go in to someone’s house, women workers may be at risk from predatory men.

[GoldfishParade]

@VestaTilley Yes exactly. Also the person going in would inevitably be in a position of power which could be a tricky thing to navigate. You would really have to vet so closely.

[breatheinskipthegym]

Yes, this service is widely available. I considered setting up a business in this area a few years ago but didn’t, for reasons unrelated to its viability.

[WorraLiberty]

Check out some local charities, I'm sure I've seen this sort of thing before under the name of 'befrienders' or something similar.

I'm not sure they'd ever send someone to help a terrified woman pack her bags and leave a partner though, as that could put them massively at risk.

[GoldfishParade]

@breatheinskipthegym Is this the "sitting service" someone mentioned above? Is that what's widely available?

[ChaChaCha2012]

This already exists, there are care agencies available everywhere. The problem is that most people cannot afford to pay for it, and social care funding has been cut so much that even those who desperately need it, cannot get help.

If you think this is a great idea, then campaign for greater social care funding, and stop voting for a government that keep making cuts.

[Splodgetastic]

I think this is what a lady’s companion used to do!

[jessstan2]

Very good idea.