Live-in care support in return for free room and board?

[Jaybee99]

I am 60 years old and in good health, and want to explore the possibility of getting free room and board in return for light care duties. I would continue to work from the home, online, 3 days per week and go into the office 2 days per week, working normal office hours 9 to 5. In return I can offer shopping, cooking(I cook well), cleaning, driving and being available 5 days out of 7. I would probably need to go out 2 evenings per week to keep some sort of social life.

Is this something that people might be interested in? Or does it have too many restrictions. I think the main thing that would count against me is that I am male, I guess..

WFH would be in the house, of course, that being my home...

Yes and whilst working from home you should be working for the job that’s paying you not using the time to work another job.

This is exactly the kind of attitude that gives people who work from home a bad name.

I think this is a really good offer OP. I am l 70 and not ill but very achey, struggling with an over-large house , and if I was on my own I’d take you up on it, subject to references. I’d also want to know that you’d be able and willing to move out without fuss if the arrangement stopped working for me.

So I'm just thinking how this would work for my late 80s in-laws.
Wealthy enough to have a large place that they don't want to leave but is old fashioned in its ways.
Someone stupidly suggested your idea to them years ago, they've rather clung to it without actioning it.
You'd get the guest room with ensuite.
The double bed mattress is 25 years old and 'everyone says is very comfortable' it's grim.
There's no room for a desk, you'd get three drawers, a comedy small wardrobe, a dressing table and under the bed, a lifetimes worth of worn out linen.
This is all very precious and must n't change. Decorated very beautifully 30 years ago.
The WiFi is only available in the other part of the house. You could work in the study. When DH does this FIL has no idea, will be popping in to see if you are alright. Say meetings go on too long, tell you a good idea. All very jovially, but no one has ever managed a proper day's work.

Thing is your idea absolutely should work, my in-laws could have done it ten years ago when they were less needy but then they would have been horrified that people would think that they should need the help then. And they wouldn't have wanted to share the house.

It would work for a friend who always had lodgers for his entire life. He's used to sharing his kitchen and loves the flow of people.

It could work as an idea. I think you could advertise and see if there’s anyone who would be interested, but there’d be a limited market. Someone would have to really need someone around a lot, but not be poorly enough to need actual caring for. They’d have to not mind sharing their personal space. And I agree that most people are used to female carers so might expect that - but male carers would be better for others.

Three are agencies set up to facilitate exactly this. The sharer is expected to be out of the house in normal working/studying hours, but required to do 12-15 hours of help and/or company per week. A large part of the benefit for the home owner is having someone present overnight, as reassurance.

However the agencies charge both parties somewhere around £200/month for what on our case turned out to be minimal oversight.

I already added some thoughts up thread, but you'd also need to clear about boundaries when you are WFH. I generally work at the dining table so I have a view of the birds and garden.

If MIL visits, DH normally ushers her into another room. 1 time I was on an important conference call, unaware MIL was there. She crept up behind me then bent closer to me screen and commented about some for the people in the room. 'Look at him' etc. She refused to believe that they could see and hear her. She did a funny little dance and off she went! 😕

Either work in a room with a lock or have a signal when you can't be disturbed.