Would a companionship and practical support service help your elderly parents?

[TrishMB]

Hi, I don’t know if this is the right place to post this but I guess I’m just looking for some guidance.

I am thinking of starting up a side business where I support elderly and vulnerable people in my community. This wouldn’t be personal care or medical care but rather things like company, popping in for a cuppa and a chat, light house keeping, running errands, helping with technical support, admin tasks etc.
I have volunteered through Age UK previously as well as supporting and looking after elderly relatives and I have found it fulfilling and rewarding which is what I’m looking for as my 9-5 doesn’t give me this. I appreciate there are services out there but they seem to be more personal and medical care where they are just in and out and often different people whereas I would be a regular familiar face.

My question is do those of you with elderly parents, would this be a service that would benefit you/your parents?

I agree. The person is likely to deteriorate one way or another so the carer/PA needs to be flexible. As time went on my mother also needed help with dressing and bathing, and Home Instead were able to provide this as well. I would definitely not hand over her financial admin to a carer/PA, there is too much potential for abuse. I did not live near my mother but I could do all that remotely myself.

I would think that it would need better to be part of a larger organisation which would make it easier in terms of insurance and all the other things you legally have to put in place, rather than set up on your own. Home Instead provide what you are describing for my parent and the advantage of going with them is that as care needs increase I can stay with the same company rather than having to persuade a very stubborn parent that they need to change to a greater level of support.

I was recently quoted £38 per hour by them!

This is very similar to a personal assistant role for adults with disabilities. Many people get funding via their Local Authority for someone to support with these sorts of things. For example, a blind person might find it helpful to have someone take them to the supermarket, do visual tasks around the home like sorting through the kitchen cupboards for out of date items, helping to label things in braille, sort through their wardrobe for stained clothes, do a charity shop run, help measure up curtains, sort through the post, programme the timer on the boiler, go clothes shopping with them to help them find items they like etc. Basically anything that is hard to do if you can't see it.

Whilst there might be a personal care element involved in PA roles for say some people with limited mobility, there are plenty of people who don't need any personal care assistance at all.

Care.com is a popular website for this sort of thing.

Yes, I keep saying the same. Definitely a gap in some areas of the country.

My DM has a man that cuts the lawn, recommended by friends. He has worked locally for years. Overtime he has extended this to cutting hedges, changing lightbulbs, moving pieces of furniture and calls before he arrives to ask if any shopping is needed. She looks forward to his chats, always makes him a drink. He brings the biscuits.

Another friend of ours has a business fitting windows, ex Royal Marine. He always revisits his elderly customers, has a chat and a drink, helps with little jobs and some company.

i think trust in relationships, built slowly is vital as is serious vetting and safeguarding training.

Yes, I can well believe that. HomeInstead were good with my parent but were up to £35 a few years ago. When a carer moved agency my parent wanted to follow and we also saved money, going down to £32. There’s actually a lot of agencies offering the same services for people who self fund. Personally,
if it’s literally a chat, I wouldn’t pay that much.